《Extra's Death: I Am the Son of Hades》 Chapter 1: Prologue "I know I''m going to fuck it." Neo looked at the duck. He skillfully moved his fingers, smashing the buttons on the controller, trying to maintain the lead position in the race. His face contorted. He was first. But he knew he was going to lose. He just knew. "I''m definitely going to¡­." The second yer, his friend, quickly caught up. Suddenly, the second duck fired a missile and blew his duck. He was not able to dodge it. "Fuck!" He almost threw the controller, but remembered its cost and, with a frustrated expression, sat down. From the room next door, the irritatingughter echoed, "Hahahaha! Kowtow to this daddy!" Neo''s expression worsened. He lost the bet. He would have to pay for the party tonight. The worst part was Francis'' boasting. The bastard would keep gloating for a week. Stretching his fingers, Neo stood up and patted Klein, thest and the third yer of the match, on the back. "Guess we will have to split the bill." "Urhghghg¡­" Klein''s face was flushed and he was muttering gibberish. Before Neo would get a good look at him, the door opened and Francis entered with a smile. "There is no need to be sad my sons! It''s just impossible for a child to defeat his father!" "The fuck? Just because you won, did you really call your dad your son?" Neo retorted. He turned to Klein. "Hey, let''s go." Klein stood up with a stagger. He kept his head low and dragged his legs with a limp while twisting his arms strangely. "Klein¡­?" Neo asked with a hint of caution. His friend, Klein, was acting strangely. "Are you okay?" Neo took a step towards Klein when suddenly Klein looked up. His eyes were bright red and the skin on his face was cracked like a¡­ Zombie "Gaaghhhrr!!!" Klein pounced on Neo and tried to bit his neck. By pure reflex, Neo twisted his neck and dodged the attack. But Klein pushed him down and sat on top of him. "Argaghhhh!!!" The blood red saliva fell on Neo. Klein would''ve bit him if Francis did not kick away Klein on time. "Fuck is wrong with you Klein! What are you doing!?" Francis shouted as he helped Neo to his feet. However, he knew. Klein was not himself at the moment. "Gragghagah!!!" Neo and Francis reacted swiftly when they heard the strange sounds. It was noting from Klein. Outside. Cries of help and strange noises wereing from the hostel''s yard. "Zombie apocalypse?" Neo asked. "Stop being a nerd, Neo. That only happens in movies." "Tell that to Klein." The zombiefied Klein stood up. His shoulder was dislocated from Francis'' kick. However, the injury seemed to not affect Klein at all. "We need to run." Neo quickly acted. Although he was not physically gifted like Francis or academically gifted like Klein, he was quick on his feet and actions. He pulled Francis out of the room and locked the door from outside, leaving Klein inside. The zombified Klein kept scratching the door, but did not use the knob to open it. It solidified Neo''s conjecture of a Zombie apocalypse happening. After all, zombies were stupid. "What should we do?" Francis asked. "We need to check the situation outside. If it''s really a zombie apocalypse, we need to¡­" Neo stopped speaking and coughed. His hand was covered in bright red blood. "N-neo, your face¡­" He touched his mouth and found his skin falling out like peeled orange. Strangely, he did not feel any pain. "Did this happen from Klein''s saliva that fell on me¡ª" He could notplete his sentence. His vision spun and he lost consciousness. ¡­ "Urghhh¡­ I feel like shit." Neo woke up groggily and rubbed his eyes with a yawn. He felt weird. As he stood up, he realized his point of view was higher as if he had grown taller. He looked at his arms, only to find them pale white and thin. An ominous sense of unease appeared in Neo''s heart. Why was his body feeling so alien to him? He rushed to the bathroom and looked at the face reflected in the mirror. ck hair, sunken cheeks, crimson eyes, sharp jawline, and a face that might have been called handsome if it was not malnourished. "W-who is this?" The boy reflected in the mirror moved along with him. At that moment, a rush of memories surged inside his head. He recalled the moment of his death. The Zombiefied Klein, the Zombie Apocalypse, and the drop of saliva that infected him and killed him by, probably, turning him into a zombie. It was not pleasant. "If I died, then where I am? And¡­" "This body is not mine." "¡­" "Did I transmigrate?" Breathing heavily, he returned to his room and sat on the bed. The round trip from the room to the bathroom left him exhausted. Either he was greatly malnourished, or he had a weak constitution. Hopefully, it was not both. In the end, it took him two days to ept his transmigration. He died and came to another world. It was unbelievable. But it happened. "What am I going to do now?" He spoke to himself while munching down on the sandwich. Currently, "Neo" was living in an apartment alone. How did he know he was living alone? Because there was only one toothbrush, the shoes and clothes were all same sizes, and no one came to the apartment in thest two days. Secondly, the body into which he transmigrated was also named Neo. Neo Hargraves. Somewhat rich, because he could afford to rent an apartment alone, no contact from the family, and a student of Demigod Academy. "Demigod Academy¡­." Neo opened the Academy''s eptance letter he found in the apartment. "An academy where the demigods, the ones who possess the blood of gods, train and familiarize themselves with their powers." This world had superpowers and magic. Neo should''ve been shocked. But his sense of surprise was numbed after witnessing a zombie apocalypse. "Demigod Academy. It''s has the same name as the academy in that novel." Licking his lips, he opened the letter. Since he was epted in the academy, he also had the blood of a god. But which one? He did not know. ording to the letter, he would receive the answer as a revtion after he awakened his God Blood. The academy would help him awaken. Suddenly, he heard a voice inside his head. Ding! [Synchronizationplete] Chapter 2: Akashic Record [Synchronizationplete] [Awakening God Blood¡­.] [God Blood Awakened] [Registering user¡­] [User, Neo Hargraves, registered in Akashic Record] Neo''s eyes widened when he saw the lines appearing in front of his eyes. He tried to touch them, only for his hand to pass through without touching anything. Watching the game-like screen, Neo spoke with trembling lips, "S-status." A screen appeared before his eyes. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Mortal] [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void] [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] [Unique Skill: Death] [Quest: None] The status screen was the same as in the novel ''Son of Zeus: The Lightning Thief''. Neo had to ept he was inside the world of the novel. He finally understood why he could not ess inte in thest two days. In the world of ''Son of Zeus: The Lightning Thief'', only demigods who awakened their God Blood could use the inte, which was also known as the Akashic Record. He opened his smartphone and downloaded the Akashic Record(Inte) app. With his device as the receiver, he navigated through the Akashic Record. After an hour long search, he concluded he was in the world of ''Son of Zeus'' and not in a world that was a simr to it. "Wow, fuck." He massaged his forehead. "Anyway, what is this ''Monarch of Death'' bloodline?" Actually, he knew what it was. And that was the problem. Monarch of Death was the name of bloodline of Hades, one of the three Great Gods. Among the three Great Gods, Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon, only Hades had no children in the novel. "Who is Neo Hargraves? Why didn''t he appear in the novel?" "I have the academy''s eptance letter so he should''ve gone to the academy. But I don''t know anything about him." Unable to find any answers at the moment, his focus went to the Unique Skill. "Since I have the bloodline of a Great God, the skill should be fairly strong." He checked the skill''s description with a grin. [Unique Skill: Death] [Skill Effect: You die] "What¡­?" "It''s not ''Your opponents die'' but ''You die''?" "I will die if I use the skill?" His expression contorted. He finally understood why Neo Hargraves, or any other child of Hades, did not appear in the novel. All of them died after using the Unique Skill! In this world, one had to train their unique skills to grow stronger and rank up. After training the unique skill to a sufficient level, one could awaken more unique skills. "Is this my only hope?" Neo''s eyes fell to the ''Quest'' part. Quest section did not exist in status screen of anyone in the novel. It was probably an advantage unique to Neo. However, there were no quests at the moment. There was no guarantee a quest would help him either. If it did, he did not know how long it would take for the quest to arrive. Neo had to solve the problem himself. "I can just give up on growing stronger, but I won''t do that." "With the bloodline of Hades, I have the potential to be the strongest. Giving up here is stupid." "I don''t want to live a mediocre life again." Unlike his friends, Neo was not very smart or highly athletic. He had quick thinking, but that was just another way of calling him average. Average. No one wanted to be just mediocre. Neo was the same. "I need to train my unique skill to grow stronger." "But I don''t want to die." The answer to his problem was simple. Resurrection. He had to resurrect himself after he died. "Revival is anything but easy." He massaged the back of his neck with one hand and sighed. "A man''s gotta do what a man''s gotta do" He packed his backpack with food items and took the cash, totalling 10,000$, he found hidden in the apartment. There were methods that only a reader like him could use. Leaving the apartment, he took a taxi to the nearest market. "The ingredients¡­ First, I should get the herbs." "Luname, Starshade, Emberthorn." Despite sounding fantasy-esque, they weremon herbs in this world. He navigated through the chaotic market and entered the herb shop. The receptionist, a man with a goatee, bulky arms, and the lower half of the goat, turned to him. "Wee, what can I get you?" "I need Luname, Starshade, Emberthorn." "We have them. Please wait for a minute." Neo watched the receptionist cum shopkeeper with mild interest. In this world, everyone had a bloodline, originating from their ancestors who lived in the age of gods. In rare cases, some had parents who were the source of the bloodline themselves. Their parents could be Gods or Mythical monsters. Neo did not know if he was Hades'' son or if he inherited the bloodline from his ancestors who might be Hades'' children. "There are the herbs. It''s 5,000$ for all three." The shopkeeper returned. Neo sucked in a sharp breath after hearing the price. He could''ve upgraded his gaming setup with so much money! Although it pained him, he brought the herbs. Afterpleting the purchase, he visited a liquor store. The guard at the store''s gate stopped him. "You can''t enter. We don''t allow minors." "I''m the student of Demigod Academy." He showed the Id he received along with the academy''s eptance letter. The guard''s face changed from surprise, to shock, and finally to awe. He saluted by putting his fist over his chest. "Sir! I apologize for being rude to you!" "Don''t worry about it." Neo spoke nonchntly. "So, can I enter the store?" "Yes, sir! We are honored to have a student of the Academy visit our shop!" The Demigod Academy was the biggest academy on the continent. Only the genius'' among the demigods could enter it. A student of the academy was a treated as a celebrity wherever they went. Entering the liquor store, Neo was quickly approached by a staff, "What can we get you sir?" "Bahram Liquor." He thought for a bit. "The cheapest one." The staff took him to a VIP room and told him to wait while they brought the liquor. He entered the room. After a few minutes, a man with golden eyes and star shaped pupils entered. "This is the Bahram liquor you''ve requested, sir." "How much is it?" He took the bottles. One was Braham liquor he requested and the other seemed like a high-quality liquor. "It''s free and this is Gargoyle liquor, our shop''s speciality. It is a gift. There is no need to pay for it." "¡­?" "We are honoured to have an academy student visit our shop. It is unthinkable to ask for you to pay us." Watching Neo''s unconvinced expression, the man added while rubbing his palms together, "You don''t need to pay. But if you like our liquor, we hope you will tell your fellow academy students about our shop." Neo had under-estimated the Demigod Academy''s influence. While it was true only genius demigods went there, most of them were rich and had influential connections. Everyone wanted to curry a favour with them. Noticing the free liquor in his hands, he thought back to the herb shop. He should''ve revealed his identity there too. "Thank you. I will remember to tell my friends about your store." "It''s our pleasure." He left the shop satisfied. "I''ve got the herbs and the liquor." "Now the only things left for the revival ritual are¡­ "A living sacrifice and divine water." Since he was trying to revive himself, the sacrifice had to be someone who was simr to him. Chapter 3: Unique Skill The sacrifice had to be a demigod, with the blood of a powerful god if possible. Divine water was harder to get than a living sacrifice. It was a nationally guarded secret and only the strongest demigods had ess to it. Getting it was impossible for normal demigods unless they read the novel like Neo. He checked the map on the Akashic Record(Inte). "Dammit, why is the Okahama Beach so far?" Neo took a bullet train. It took him eight hours to reach the city where the Okahama Beach was located. After getting off on the station, he visited the beach and brought scuba diving gears from a rental shop. Before diving, he took a short break. "I feel like shit." He was tired. His body was too weak. Just travelling was enough to make him feel like he ran a 100Km marathon. He wished he could get someone else to bring him the Divine Water. But the ce where he was going to get it was a secret that, if leaked, could start war between nations. Divine Water was too precious. Everyone wanted to get it as much of it as possible. "Okay, I''m ready." Neo took the boat to the location he remembered. He wore the oxygen mask and dove into the water. The sea was neither cold nor hot. He could see schools of fishes. Some fishes were bright in colors, some had stripes while some wererge and moved alone. Since he was near the beach, he reached at the seabed fairly quickly. He began his search for the sea cave. By the time he found the entrance to the sea cave, he felt he was about to die from the exhaustion. After making sure the entrance was not marked, he entered the narrow space in-between the coral reefs. It was tight. If he had been a bit less thin, he would''ve not been able to enter it. Neo arrived inside a water cave. There was air inside the cave so he removed the respirator and inhaled. The cave was dimly lit thanks to the glowing funguses. It had a small pond in the centre. "Looks like the mermaids haven''t found this ce yet." He knew it when he saw the cave''s entrance unguarded, but seeing the empty cave confirmed his suspicions. In the novel, this cave would''ve been found by the mermaid kingdom and be a part of their property. He did not know when it was supposed to happen. This ce came into y when a viin, gravely injured by the protagonist, came across it by luck, and killed the guard mermaids to use the Divine Water to heal and strengthen himself. The viin wreaked havoc on the mermaids'' country and waster defeated by the protagonist. Due to the incident, the protagonist was able to grow closer to the princess of country of mermaids. "Now all of this Divine Water is mine." Neo did not feel guilty for stealing the Divine Water. No Divine Water = No way for the viin to save himself = The mermaid kingdom is not destroyed He was solving the problem at its source by taking the Divine Water. Moved by his own heroic spirit, he poured the Braham liquor into the pond and threw the herbs into it as well. The herbs quickly melted and a sweet aroma, containing the liquor''s traces, wafted in the cave. He removed his clothes and stepped in the alcohol vored pond. The only thing left was a sacrifice. Well, the sacrifice was¡­. Neo. The n was simple. Neo would sacrifice himself to revive himself. It was a loophole in the ritual. But Neo believed he, the son of Hades, the God who ruled over Death, should have at least this much leeway. The Grim Reapers would not nit-pick. Probably. "If it doesn''t seed, I''m dead." He took deep breath to calm himself. Truth be told, he was not using himself as a sacrifice because he did not have a demigod to sacrifice. There was no shortage of bastards who deserved death. However, to increase the chances of resurrection ritual''s sess, the sacrifice had to as close as possible, physically, emotionally and spiritually, to the soul targeted to be revived. Who was the person who was simr to him in appearance, had simr values, and lived a simr life? Neo himself was that person. Hence, sacrificing himself was the best choice. After submerging himself in the pond, Neo hadpleted all steps. Now, he had to kill himself, negotiate with the Grim Reaper, and return. "Here goes nothing." He closed his eyes and activated his Unique Skill. Death. It was cold. Neo felt he suddenly appeared in a winter region. At the same time, his innards were burning. The waves pulled him along. He opened his eyes when he felt something touch his back and found himself on a beach. The sky was pitch-ck with three gigantic red eyes looking down from high above. The sand was ck, sticky, and rancid. The air was hard. Everytime he took a breath, it felt like he was pushing solid stones through his lungs. This ce was the Underworld. The ce where the souls came after the death. There was no heaven or hell, just endless pain in this hellish ce after one''s lifetime came to an end. "You are here, O Child of Monarch." A grating voice screeched against his eardrums. He saw a figure cloaked in darkness rowing towards him. Its body was hidden in the cloak''s darkness; only the two spheres of blue mes were visible which Neo thought of as its eyes. "Come with us, O Child of Monarch. We will help you cross the River." The figure raised its hand to bring Neo over when it suddenly stopped. "This smell¡­. O Child of Monarch, why do you carry the scent of sacrifice?" Suddenly its voice turned chaotic, like the screeching of a banshee. Chapter 4: Negotiating With The Grim Reaper Suddenly its voice turned chaotic, like the screeching of a banshee. "Who dares treat the Child of Monarch in such manner?" "Do tell me their names. Even if they arrive at the River 10,000 yearster, we will remember you, O Child of Monarch, and make them pay for what they did to you." The Grim Reaper sounded angry on Neo''s behalf. It was a good sign. Hopefully, the Grim Reaper was biased in Neo''s favor. "No need to worry about. Let''s carry on with the ritual." "If you wish so, O Child of Monarch, we shall begin the ritual." "But if you wish for revenge just say a word. We shall make their deaths painful beyond imagination." The voice reverberated through Neo''s spine. "Then, in ordance to the promise made 500 years ago, you, who have been sacrificed and carry the aroma of The One, should be taken in exchange for another soul to be revived." "However, the exchange must be fair, both souls must be simr, and we do not take any responsibility for the body of the revived soul." "If the vessel is damaged, the revived soul would die as soon as it is revived." "Do you still wish to carry on with the ritual?" Neo nodded. His body was not damaged so he could be revived as long as he returned quickly. "Tell me, who is the soul dost wish to revive?" "Mine." Suddenly, there was a short moment of silence. "Pray tell again?" "The soul I want to revive is mine. I am the sacrifice too. Is it against the rules?" "¡­.No. We do not think so." Silence. "¡­" "¡­" "What are you waiting for? Send me back." "A-ah, please wait, O Child Of Monarch." The sheer absurdity of the situation gave the Grim Reaper a pause. "This has not happened before. While your words are not against the rules of the promise made 500 years ago, they seem¡­ wrong. We shall confirm the next step of actions with the Monarch¡ª" "Huh? You are going to disturb the Great God Hades over such a small matter?" Neo quickly spoke up. The Great God of Hades, probably, like other Gods, saw other humans and his children as nothing more than his subjects. Neo knew he was misusing a loophole in the revival ritual. So¡­ If the Great God Hades knew what he was doing, he would refuse to revive him. Neo had to stop the Grim Reaper from going to the Great God Hades. "What is your job?" "To help the souls cross the River." "Yes, but that''s not all." "You are the trusted servant of the Great God Hades who was given an important job." "If you are going to ask the Great God Hades for help in every little matter, what is the point of you being here?" "You have to make the decisions yourself. This is what you must do." "But the current situation is abnormal. It is not a decision, we can make by our own choice." "Then refer to the manual." "¡­?" The Grim Reaper was confused as to what was the point of Neo''s words. However, it listened. Someone like Neo, who carried the blood of Death, was naturally above him and, as a ''trusted'' servant of Hades, it was natural for the Grim Reaper to treat the kin of his master gracefully. The Grim Reapers chest swelled with pride when it realized it was Hades trusted servant. "Why do you think there are manuals for everything?" "¡­.I do not know." "tch, tch," Neo''s gaze sharpened, which made the Grim Reaper pay attention. "Manuals are to teach the newbies what must be done when a certain situation arrives." "But we were not given a manual about the promise made 500 years ago." "There is a manual. What was the promise?" "To revive a soul when another soul, covered in the aroma of The One, is sacrificed in an equal exchange." "There you go. You have your manual. Use it to see if there is a problem with my revival." Neo asked with a serious expression, "Am I going to revive a soul?" "Yes." "Am I covered in the aroma of The One?" "Yes." "Is the exchange of souls fair?" "Yes." "So, is there any problem with the ritual''s conditions?" "¡­No, we do not see any problem." Neo quickly hid his smile and opened his mouth, "See, I knew there was a reason why the Great God Hades chose you as his aide. You arepetent at your job. These days people like you are hard to find." The Grim Reaper bobbled its head up and down to nod. His voice grew soft. "O Child of Monarch, you have taught us much. We thank you for your generosity. Now, let usplete the ritual." A string of smoke came out the Grim Reaper''s hand and enveloped Neo. Neo found it hard to breath. The smoke entered his orifices and suddenly he gagged. He was back in the water cave. [Unique Skill Exp +1] [Unique Skill: Death (1/10)] Looking at the screen before his eyes, a smile dawned on his face. He did it. Neo returned from the embrace of death. "Now, I just need to do it a few more times." It was going to be a long long day. Chapter 5: Training Arc Neo breathed loudly. His chest heaved up and down. Death was exhausting. His fingers twitched uncontrobly and he had trouble moving his body. "Dammit, it feels shitty to be revived." After taking a few deep breaths, he was ready to go again. He submerged himself in the pond and activated his skill. Death. The sensation of dying was no longer alien to him. He had the leisure to carefully feel it this time. Previously, he had been too nervous to pay attention to his senses. The gravity disappeared and an instantaneous pull jerked his body. He felt cold and his innards burned. Opening his eyes, he found himself in the Underworld. "Child of Monarch, why did you return?" The Grim Reaper, still at the same ce they metst time, asked Neo. Neo patted the sticky grains of sand off his body and stood up. After thest sess, he was more confident. "I''m here due to the revival ritual. Can you send me back?" "We can¡­" The Grim Reaper, unable to understand what was happening, nodded. He believed Neo, inexperienced in the Revival ritual, might''ve mistakenly sacrificed himself again. "We will send you back, but please, do not return by mistake again. Death is not a child''s toy. The Living should not touch it too many times." The Grim Reaper decided to forgive Neo for the mistake. After all, he carried the bloodline of the Great God Hades. He was royalty. "Then, goodbye, O Child of Monarch. We wish you a blessed life." The ck clouds rushed out of the Grim Reaper and sent Neo''s soul back to his body. [Unique Skill Exp +1] [Unique Skill: Death (2/10)] He woke up with a groan. The water sshed inside the pond, making him slightly cold. "Brrr¡­" "I should finish it quickly or I might catch cold with this dammed weak body." He dived into the pond and used the Death skill for the third time. The familiar sensation passed through his body. "Again?" "We hope we are wrong but¡­. O Child of Monarch, are you doing this on purpose?" As soon as Neo woke up on the beach, he came to face an angered the Grim Reaper. The mes in the Grim Reaper''s eyes red. "Do you dare belittle Death? Even if you are the Child of Monarch, you are not above Death!" A chill crawled up Neo''s spine. The air turned heavy and it was crushing Neo under its weight. Neo''s legs started to shake. His teeth ttered. However, his eyes remained calm. There was not an ounce of fear in them. He stared at the Grim Reaper without backing down. The Grim Reaper calmed down after watching Neo''s expression. "¡­.What is it, O Child of Monarch? Do you have something to say?" "I''m training." "Train¡­ing?" Neo pursed his lips. "Didn''t you say it yourself? I''m the child of the Great God Hades, the God who rules over Death." "But¡­" "I don''t know anything about Death. How can the son of the Great God Hades don''t know about his domain? It''s insulting to him." "So, I''m trying to learn about Death by experiencing it myself." His words pierced the Grim Reaper''s heart. The Grim Reaper''s body trembled. Just when Neo thought he was going to attack, he got on one knee and bowed, "We apologize for being unable to understand you intentions, O Child of Monarch! W-we¡­ You were looking far ahead, and yet we dared to shout at you." "Please, allow us to pay for this unforgivable sin by sacrificing our life." The Grim Reaper raised its arm. A cloud of darkness oozed out and transformed into a pitch-ck scythe. The scythe was about to behead the Grim Reaper when Neo spoke, "Stop it." He took a step and stood before the Grim Reaper, looking down at him with his crimson eyes. "You were doing your job. I''m happy you stood up for your principles even if you had to face me, a child of your Master." "O Child of¡ª" The Grim Reaper choked on his words. "O Great Child of the Monarch, we thank thee for thy generosity." The way the Grim Reaper addressed him changed. It meant he finally epted Neo as the kin of Hades and a fellow being of Death. "Stand up." Neo helped the Grim Reaper to his feet. When he touched its cloak, a chilling cold permeated into his body through his fingers. He barely kept his face straight and managed to not make a fool of himself. "Now, can you send me back?" "We can but¡­." "Is there a problem?" "No, however, O Great Child of the Monarch, while you have not broken any rules, you have repeadetely touched Death with your soul." "If you don''t allow your soul to rest, you will lose your emotions and your soul will be corrupted." "When that happens, I won''t be able to send you back to the realm of living." Neo found it hard to believe the Grim Reaper''s words. However, he knew the Grim Reaper had no reason to lie. Besides, Neo had not read thest volume where the Gods were introduced, and his knowledge of this world was not omnipotent. He had to be careful. Just now, he hade too close to his true death. The thought of spending an Eternity in the Underworld sent chills down his spine. Noticing Neo''s expressionless face, the Grim Reaper knew he was beginning to change. He was too calm after hearing the devastating news. However, the Grim Reaper did not feel the change was bad. It was a great change in its eye. The son of the Great God Hades should have such qualities. He should not fear Death, and instead unearth the method to control it. Just like Neo. ''Maybe if it''s him, he can aplish what the other children of the Monarch failed to do.'' Too many children of Hades had been a failure. If Neo could prove himself worthy, the Grim Reaper thought it would not be bad to invest in him. Chapter 6: Unique Skill Evolution Thinking so, the Grim Reaper made up its mind. It would help Neo. "O Great Child of Monarch, you can return to Underworld three times again. But after that, you must rest for three days at the minimum." "We will send you back now. If you wish to continue the training, we will wait for you here." "I will do that then." The Grim Reaper returned his soul to the world of living. Aftering back, Neo saw the increasing Exp. He decided to raise the Exp to the limit before he rested as per the Grim Reaper''s instruction. ¡­ Underworld When Neo''s soul left for the world of living, the three gigantic eyes hovering in the air blinked. The darkness of the sky stretched into a thin smile. They had seen all. From Neo''s first appearance in the Underworld, to his trickery against the Grim Reaper, and his resolve that allowed him to keep training even if he had to kill himself over and over. Death was not simple. Many souls went insane after touching it once. The insanity and fear of Death could corrupt all. Yet, Neo was standing tall after touching it twice. He nned to meet Death many more times in the future. He had potential to be ''his'' sessor. The sky continued to smile, amused, as it waited for the future to unfold. ¡­ Underwater Cave "Achoo! Achoo!" Neo shivered from cold. Divine Water was supposed to strength the body. And, while he could feel his body growing stronger, he was so weak he got cold from staying inside Divine Water for a few minutes. "I need to do something about this body¡ª Achoo!" Neo wiped his body with a towel and wore the clothes for a few minutes. He sat on the edge of the Divine Water pond. "Brrrr¡­" "It''s cold." After a few minutes, he removed his clothes and re-entered the Divine Water pond. Dying repeatedly was taking a toll on his body and soul. But he could not stop training. This opportunity was a blessing. After all, it was rare to find a vial of Divine Water even after spending a fortune. Neo was using an entire pond for himself. And he could return after visiting Underworld. In the entire history, there were less than five mortals who achieved the same feat. He submerged himself into the pond and activated the skill. There was a sense of weightlessness. His body jerked and he arrived in Underworld. "We shall send you back." Just as he opened his eyes, a cloud of ck smokes covered him and he woke up inside the Divine Water pond. Neo''s body was shaking intensely. His teeth ttered and his eyes became bloodshot. He just wanted to stop. However, he hardened his resolve and returned to the Underworld. Arriving in the Underworld, he noticed hisplexion had turned pale white. Just standing straight took a lot out of him. "¡­" The Grim Reaper silently watched his resolve and sent him back. "Blergh¡­" Waking inside the water cave, Neo puked blood. He fell to his knees. His vision was spinning, and he could not put strength into his limbs. ''Don''t fall asleep¡­ Don''t fall asleep¡­'' He bit his tongue. Blood trickled down from the corner of his lips. He activated his skill again. "You''ve performed splendidly, O Great Child of the Monarch. Please take this as a gift from us." Neo felt cold bones touch his forehead. However, he did not have the energy to lift his head and check what was touching him. Unknown information appeared in his mind. "We eagerly look forward to our next meeting." The ck cloud covered his vision. Neo was back to the cave. He titled his head and saw the pond''s boundary. It was only at an arm''s length. But the distance seemed as a big as a chasm to him. He felt incredibly weak. "Is this¡­ overdose of Divine Water¡­ or¡­ soul corruption¡­ from Underworld?" Neo knew his condition was the result of one of the two. His mind was screaming at him to let go and sleep. However, staying inside the Divine Water pond any longer was dangerous. If he absorbed more Divine Water, he would explode like an overcharged battery. He tried to swim and get out of the pond. His limbs were as heavy as rocks. While he dragged himself away from the Divine Water, he failed to notice the blood oozing out of his eyes and mouth. He was about to lose consciousness when he noticed the screen before his eyes. His eyes widened. Slowly, a subduedugh escaped his lips. Neo could''ve trained without pushing himself to the limit. However, he did the exact opposite. And¡­ [Unique Skill Exp +4] [Unique Skill: Death (10/10)] His hard work was recognized. ¡­ Neo cked out. He did not see the screen shing before his eyes. [Unique Skill has been mastered.] [Evolution will begin.] [Unique skill ''Death'' has evolved into ''Immortal''] His injuries began to heal at a rapid pace. At the same time, he grew thinner. He lost the muscles and the little fat he had on him. After his body devoured the stored energy reserves, it greedily consumed the Divine Energy in the air. The Divine Water pond trembled. As ifmanded by someone, the pond''s water began to turn into mist. It filled the underwater cave with divine energy rich air. Neo''s body used the absorbed energy to heal and strengthen him. He gained stronger muscles, his bones became as hard as steel and his blood gained a slight hue of gold. [Rank: Mortal ¡ú Awakened] Neo stopped consuming the Divine Energy and the Divine Water pond returned to its original state. Blissfully unaware of what was happening, he embraced the sleep. Suddenly, voices emerged from the entrance of the water caves. "Is this the right ce?" "Yes, I saw the Divine Water pond here." "I hope its true princess. If we can find our own Divine Water source, our country will finally have some leeway." Two women stepped into the cave. "It''s just there¡ª" Amelia stopped speaking when sheid her eyes on the boy who was sleeping¡­ Naked, next to the pond. ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 7: Hiding The True Thoughts Amelia looked at ra with a dark expression. ''It looks like an intruder. Get ready to fight.'' ra mouthed to her. They readied their weapons and approached Neo without making any noise. ra took the lead. As Amelia''s bodyguard, she was one of the strongest demigods in the Mermaid Country. Just as they were about to reach Neo, he groaned. He shifted his head and looked up. His eyes slowly opened. Reacting swiftly, ra dashed forward and attempted to apprehend Neo. She was about to strike him when heid his eyes on her. Suddenly, a terrifying presence descended in the water cave. ra and Amelia were frozen stiff from fear. The hair on their nape stood and they found themselves lowering their heads, unable to meet Neo''s eyes. "Who are you two?" Neo asked as he groggily stood up. He woke up because he smelled the scent of approaching Death and found two women in the cave. Both of them were far more beautiful than anyone he had seen in his previous world. The one near him had sea blue hair and held a spear. She wore ck tights and yellow shirt that ented her curves. The women at the back had silver hair and red eyes. She seemed closer to Neo in age. Her blue shorts and grey tank top highlighted her jade white skin. She held a bow and had an arrow, made of water, knocked at the bow string. Neo noticed her gaze directed at his lower half. His brows furrowed. "Stop staring at it." Despite being disoriented and flustered, a calm and impassive voice left his mouth. Although his life was in danger and he just exposed himself to them,pared to the pressure in the Underworld, where even breathing was painful, the current situation was lukewarm for him. "S-sorry¡­" Amelia''s face flushed and she lowered her gaze. After wearing his clothes, Neo''s vignce dropped. At the same moment, the terrifying presence disappeared. ra exhaled in relief. She almost fell to her knees. Unlike Amelia, she was close to Neo, and was affected by his presence severely. "W-who are you?" ra put strength in her legs and red at Neo. She was ready to fight him to the bitter end. The presence Neo radiated was of Death. It was so thick that ra and Amelia, who did not have Death affinity, could sense it. Even a Lich or a Necromancer would not have such thick presence of Death. ra gulped heavily. Her body shivered when she recalled the person who had a simr presence of Death. "Y-you¡­ have you gone to Underworld?" Amelia''s eyes widened with horror when she heard ra. No one could return from the Underworld. No one. It was a universally epted fact. Only the strongest demigods, who wereparable to natural disasters, might be able to achieve it. This meant¡­ The boy in front of her was a demigod who had reached the apex. His young appearance was a lie and he was an old monster who had lived for centuries. When Neo did not respond, ra''s suspicion only increased. She was sure Neo was a powerful demigod. ''Dammit, why is here? Does the Divine Water here belong to him?'' Her thoughts grew chaotic. ''We tried to attack him, he will definitely kill us. I need to send the princess back at least.'' ra shifted her weight and she got into the stance. Just as she was about to attack, Neo spoke, "Amelia de Beaufort and ra Winterfeld. To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting two high-ranking members of the Mermaid Country?" While he sounded calm, his thoughts were the exact opposite. ''Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'' ''Why did they have toe today!?'' Neo knew about Amelia and ra as they were pivotal characters in the novel. He could predict what was going through their head. ''I''m safe because they think I''m strong.'' ''But if they find out the truth, they will kill me to keep the location of Divine Water pond a secret.'' Neo was just an Awakened. He would be defeated, even if Amelia fought him blindfolded, let alone ra who was a powerhouse in the Mermaid Kingdom. He was in deep waters right now. "Why are you not answering?" Despite his inner turmoil, Neo maintained a calm fa?ade. "Oh, are you surprised by what I did after waking up? I apologize for it. I battling a foe until yesterday and mistook you two for him for a moment." ra and Amelia felt their throat go dry. If they were surprised when Neo recognized them, they were downright terrified at the moment. They could see the dry blood stuck on Neo''s skin and the floor of the water cave. Who could be strong enough to hurt him, a powerful demigod, to this extent? However, they realized another thing. Neo was friendly. It did not seem he had intentions to hurt them. As a proof, he could''ve killed them if he wanted, but they were still alive. This was a chance. "I greet the Exalted One." Amelia curtsied. "We did not know the Divine Water pond belonged to you. We shall leave as soon as possible." ra understood the signal. She bowed and followed Amelia to leave the water cave. They walked with subdued but hurried steps. "Wait." Neo suddenly spoke up. "Why were you two here?" Amelia and ra felt their hearts stop when Neo called them just as they were about to leave. However, Neo did not have any other choice. They were stronger than him and could kill him. But meeting them here was a chance. For them and for him. Before they could give an excuse, Neo asked, "You wanted the Divine Water Pond?" They tried to hide their thoughts from showing on their face, but Neo could see it fairly easily. The corner of his lips rose. "I can give it to you but¡­." Chapter 8: Status Of An Awakened "I can give you the Divine Water pond, but I want something in return." Their expressions underwent quite a few changes when they heard him. Doubt, hope, distrust¡­ Amelia opened her mouth. "Really? We can pay as much money as you want¡ª" "Not money." The Divine Water pond had served its need. It could bring Neo fortune if he sold it. But Important treasures could not be brought with money. "I want a Tremor-ranked Magic Spell." "What? That¡­ that''s the inheritance of our royal family. We can''t give it to outsiders." Amelia felt torn. She wanted to get the Divine Water pond, but a Tremor-ranked Magic Spell was too much. Magic Spells were divided into five ranks: Whisper Echo Resonance Reverberation Tremor The Mermaid Country had only one Tremor-ranked Magic Spell. It was given to Amelia''s ancestor by the Great Ocean God, Poseidon. The spell was the reason why her ancestors could establish the Mermaid country in the harsh seas of spa. Amelia was lost in thoughts when ra put a hand on her shoulder. The bodyguard looked at her with a deep gaze. A sigh escaped Amelia''s lips. She understood what ra meant. They had no choice but to get the Divine Water pond. She saw Neo was not going to budge and spoke, "I can''t make an important decision like that myself. We can appeal to the Queen, my Mother, and.... I think she will agree to your demand." Her words would''ve sounded like a lie to anyone. The Queen of the Mermaid Country was called the Tyrant Queen. She was not someone who negotiated and instead took everything from others. While it was true the Tyrant Queen urgently needed Divine Water inrge amounts, she could force Neo to give it to them without anypensation. Amelia did not think such a scenario woulde to pass. Neo was strong. Her mother wouldn''t be able to use her weapon, the overwhelming strength of hers, to take the Divine Water pond from Neo. Neo thought about it. He found Amelia''s words to be usible. And Although he was not strong, he was sure the Tyrant Queen would not take the Divine Water pond from him hically. The reason was rted to why she urgently needed the Divine Water. "I have no problem with it. When can I meet the Queen?" "Right now. Let''s go, right now!" A small smile appeared on her face. She looked especially beautiful at the moment. The three left the underwater cave after Neo wore the respirator, he couldn''t breathe underwater without it. Amelia and ra found it weird how someone like him had to use oxygen tanks. But they did not point it out. They came out of the underwater cave and Neo noticed a gigantic eastern sea dragon swimming inside the sea. The sea dragon had blue scales. It had a ferocious expression and a powerful aura. All the fishes in the vicinity had disappeared after the dragon''s appearance. Noticing Neo''s lingering gaze at the sea dragon, Amelia exined, "That''s our ride. Only the Azure sea dragons can travel in the spa Sea." She could talk underwater without problem. ra was the same. Both of them had Mermaid Bloodline, underwater seas were their home turf. They swam and positioned themselves above the Azure Dragon''s back. At the moment, a no-water zone appeared at their location. Theynded on the dragon''s back with their feet. Neo could see that the water was being blocked by an invisible dome, probably an ability of the Azure Dragon. He could breathe without problem. They began the journey. The sea animals ran away whenever they sensed the Azure Dragon. Traveling underwater, Neo felt the journey was no different from an airne ride with a good view. Neo could see Amelia sneaking nces at him, as if she wanted to talk but was afraid to initiate the conversation, and ra staring at him with furrowed brows. He did not converse with them and instead focused on himself. He had yet to see the changes brought by the evolution of his skill. ''Status,'' he thought. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 5 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 1 Awakened] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 18 ¦éSpeed: 21 ¦éDexterity: 17 ¦éConstitution: 12 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: None] His status screen changed after he evolved into an Awakened. His stats were on the low-end for an Awakened, which was understandable since he evolved recently. The Luck, however, was quite surprising. He did not know anyone with Luck below 1. Neo''s Divine Energy purity was very high. He attributed it to him absorbing arge amount of Divine Water. ''The Magic Spell is the one the Grim Reaper gave me. I wonder what rank it is.'' [Necrotic Touch] [Rank: Tremor] [Mastery: Apprentice] [Effect: Applies Death mark to the target through touch. (Max Stack: 5)] Demigods mainly fought with Magic Spells and used their Unique Skills as trump cards. To use Magic Spells, one had to burn their God Blood. While the God Blood could be naturally restored over time, consuming too much too quickly could kill the demigod due to anemia. Neo was surprised to see the rank of the spell. It seemed the Grim Reaper he met was a high ranked personnel. Thinking again, just not any Grim Reaper would''ve been sent to bring the soul of the bloodline of Hades. [Unique Skill: Death] [Exp: 10/10] [Skill Effect: You Die] The Death skill had beenpletely mastered. Thanks to it, Neo gained another skill. He checked the new skill''s detail with anticipation. It had to be powerful considering how much trouble he had gone through to get it. [Unique Skill: Immortal] [Exp: 0/100] [Skill Effect: You gain an extra life every 24 hours. (Max Stack: 3)] "¡­?" His face contorted. What was this fucking bullshit? The skill was incredibly useful, but, what would he do with so many lives? If an opponent could kill him once, he could kill him twice! Even three or four times! Dammit! Were all skills from the Monarch of Death bloodline so weak? ''Calm down.'' ''It isn''t a powerful skill, however, it''s remarkable as a support skill.'' ''Besides, time passes slower in the Underworld. I can go there to train my Magic Spells.'' Neo sighed. It seemed he had to keep dying in the near future. Chapter 9: Mermaid Country Watching Neo sigh, ra became more distrustful. She seemed sure of her thoughts. Neo was¡­ weak. Other than the aura of death, he had nothing on him that made him look strong. The Divine Energy leaking from his body was iparably weak and he had poor control over it. Was he bluffing about his strength? No, did they misunderstand him in the first ce? He never said he was a high ranked demigod, they thought he was one by themselves. If it was true, there was no need to bring him to the Mermaid Country. ra looked at her spear. Her fingers twitched. She had only thought about grabbing it when she suddenly noticed Neo staring at her. He shifted his gaze to the spear and scoffed. ''Did he detect my bloodlust?'' ra got more confused. It was clear Neo had a very high affinity with Death element, to the point he could detect even the faintest bloodlust directed at him, but his poor Divine energy control said he was an Awakened Demigod at best. ''What is it?'' ''He is strong or is he weak?'' ra decided against taking any immediate action. She would watch him for now. The Azure Dragon reached the spa Sea. Neo gasped inwardly when he saw hundreds of hurricanes, both small and giant, in every direction. The sky was covered with clouds and the undersea was pitch ck due to the absence of light. Without the sunlight, one would not know they had entered a hurricane''s range unless it was toote. The Azure Dragon swiftly flew through the gaps of hurricanes. It seemed to know the range and force of the sea devils, and managed to navigate like a professional bus driver. The hurricanes disappeared after they travelled for half-a-day. The clouds parted, the sun light returned and a shore appeared in the distance. "We are here," Amelia smiled. Shemanded the Azure Dragon to circle the shore and drop them in a secluded region. Neo was breathing heavily when they got off the Azure Dragon''s back. He had dark circles underneath his eyes and his muscles were sore. Riding the Azure Dragon for a day without rest wrecked his weak constitution. ''Dammit, why am I so weak after reaching Awakened rank? Am I cursed or what?'' "You don''t look good," Amelia noticed his condition. Unlike ra, who stayed quiet, she did not hesitate to speak right now. "I know." Neo didn''t let his face show the exhaustion. "I was using the Divine Water pond to heal myself." "Is this the side effect from your fight? Who was your foe? Are you gathering Tremor-ranked Magic Spells to increase the chances of your victory for the next time?" Her rapid fire questions and sparkling gaze made Neo take a step back. "Princess, we should go," ra interrupted her before she overwhelmed Neo. He looked at her thankfully. They left the shore and came across a carriage hidden next to the giant beach rocks. It was left there for asions like today. ''A carriage? They are using carriages when the rest of the world has cars. Damn, am I in boonies or what?'' Neo thought. He should not have expected much from a country that followed Monarchy in this day and age. Amelia climbed the carriage first. After entering, she noticed Neo breathing heavily and unable to move his body much due to soreness. She gave her hand to help him climb. Neo frowned. But he was indeed feeling weak. He was fighting sleep and exhaustion through sheer will. Just when Amelia thought he did not need her help, Neo grabbed her hand and stepped into the carriage. A smile blossomed on her face. ra took the reins of the carriage and drove. While on the way, Neo decided to take a short nap. He needed to be in his best condition before meeting the Tyrant Queen. "Wake up, we are here." A melodious voice woke him up. Neo felt irritated. He had fallen asleep for a few minutes before he was told the time was up. Opening his eyes, he saw ra at the door and Amelia in front of him. "It''s already been a few hours. We even dyed our meeting with the Queen to let you rest," ra exined. Neo did not feel he had slept at all. Maybe the short nap was a bad idea. He exited the carriage and saw an extravagant pce. The Azure Spire Pce stood out as a breathtaking marvel. Its massive structure adorned in rich shades of blue glistened like sapphires under the sun. The rich history and the regal opulence meant to be showed through the pce were clear to Neo. They entered the pce. "Are we meeting the Queen immediately?" Neo asked. "Yes. She is busy with the audience but she has asked to meet you as soon as possible," Amelia answered. While the two conversed, ra followed Amelia silently like a faithful shadow. They reached the door of the audience chamber. The guard bowed to them and steeped into the hall to announce their arrival. ¡­ The Audience hall The Tyrant Queen, Elizabeth, sat at the throne. Her silver hair cascaded like moonlight, and her crimson eyes, deep and enigmatic, glowed like rubies, exuding an aura of both allure and danger. Her gaze held the coldness of a distant star, yet there was an undeniable charm that drew all eyes to her. On the both sides of the audience hall, there were dozens of ministers and citizens. Today''s audience had been abruptly halted by the Queen. They did not know what was happening. As they waited, a guard entered the hall. "The princess Amelia de Beaufort is arriving with an Esteemed Guest!" Amelia and ra stepped inside. Immediately, the eyes of ministers were drawn to the doors, waiting for the esteemed guest, like hawks for prey. It was an open secret that Amelia was looking for Divine Water source to save the Queen. However, most of them were against it. So¡­ They had to be vignt. To know if the "Esteemed Guest" was truly capable of saving the Queen. If he was, then he was an enemy. Chapter 10: Private Meeting With The Tyrant Queen If he was capable of truly saving the Queen, he was an enemy. Perhaps reacting to their hostile aura, an overwhelming presence erupted into the hall through the doors. The audience froze and the Queen watched with interest as a dark-haired youth entered. At a nce, he looked weak, not even able to control the Divine Energy leaking from his body. However, they could feel the heavy aura of death on him. The guards reacted. "Who are you!? Apprehend him!" They swiftly encircled Neo and pointed their weapons at him. His aura made him look like a monster ready to pounce on them. They mistook him for an intruder. "Let him be," the Queen spoke. The ministers wanted to advice the Queen against letting such a dangerous person free. However, they noticed something wrong about her expression. She was¡­ Smiling. Her lips, soft and sulent, were stretched into a small, irresistible smile. A chill went down everyone''s back. "It''s the sign of the ughter''s arrival¡­" Someone muttered. The Queen maintained her gaze on Neo. Her eyes were glowing and, hovering before Neo, she could see something no one could. [Name: Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 5 Awakened] [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] The audience hall was enveloped in nket of silence. It was broken by Neo who was in a daze. "You¡­" He stared at the thick aura of Death covering the Queen. His strong Death Affinity allowed him to roughly guess the time of arrival of other''s death. Death had touched her already. She was resisting its call through her overwhelming might. But¡­ "You will die in 3 days." Neo''s words brought a catastrophic change to the mood in the audience hall. Some were sceptical of his words. A few looked distraught. Most of them were happy. Amelia grabbed his wrist. "W-what? How can you be so sure? We have the Divine Water pond¡ª" "The Divine Water won''t help. You can use it to concoct potions and elixirs but it''s already toote for her." She would die. Just like how she died in the novel. The Tyrant Queen maintained a calm expression despite the news. Looking at her, no one could guess she was at death''s door. "Today''s audience is adjourned," the Queen spoke. Her smile snapped the people out of their stupor. Thinking carefully, how could an Awakened Demigod like Neo guess the time of the Tyrant Queen''s death. However, it was weird. The Queen was not killing him after his discourteous words. They suddenly had a terrible thought. Was this the Queen''s n, to see who supported her death, and she nned to kill those who she deemed guilty? While the ministers were dragging their feet out of the hall, the Queen told ra, "Bring him to my office." She stood up and left. Neo turned to Amelia and saw her staring at the floor with a nk gaze and clenched fists. "Please follow me," ra spoke. She took Neo to another room. The door were not as big as the audience hall but equally majestic. "He is here, my Queen," ra spoke after knocking the door. "Send him in." Entering inside, the first thing Neo noticed was the Tyrant Queen, Elizabeth. She was preparing tea with a smile. "I never thought I would meet a kin of the Great Death God, Hades, in my life. A recently Awakened Demigod at that," she spoke while beckoning him to sit. "Why are you here?" "To sell the Divine Water pond." He sat on the sofa. His eyes were unconsciously drawn to the potted nts next to the window. "Is this why Amelia brought you here? I have to refuse your offer. I don''t need the Divine Water since I''m going to die either way." As expected, she knew. However, the fact she called Neo to meet her meant he had something she needed. "However¡­" she added. "I could think about it if you, the Death''s Inheritor, could save me." "I can try, but I need to know what is happening to you." Neo knew why she was about to die. He still needed to hear it from her mouth. Because it would be suspicious if he knew something no one other than the Queen did. "I''m cursed." She revealed the answer easily. Neo thought he would''ve had to bargain more. He faked a thoughtful expression. In truth, there was no need to think, this was the reason why he came here. To collect the hidden piece that allowed the viin to destroy the Mermaid Kingdom singlehandedly. The Tremor-ranked Magic Spell he asked for was just a smokescreen. "I can save you. Of course, you must also give me the Tremor-ranked Magic Spell that the princess promised." The vulnerabilities hiding behind her calm expression showed for a split second. But she hid them quickly. She brought the two tea cups and ced them on the table. As she sat across Neo, she poured tea into the cup. Elizabeth had asked him if he could cure her as he was the blood of Death. Never did she imagine he could actually do it. She stopped her arms from trembling and spoke calmly, "If you have this much confidence, you must have something you want from me." "Your most prized possession." He smiled. "Give it to me." He couldn''t say it outright that he wanted her weapon, the replica of Poseidon''s Trident. His words, however, were direct enough for her to understand him. "You want the Poseidon¡ª" She stopped speaking and turned to the doors. A yful smile appeared on her face. She spoke loudly as if she wanted the person hiding behind the doors to hear her. "My most prized possession. You want my kingdom? You''ll have to marry my daughter for that to happen." "What?" Neo did not understand what she was talking about. Why did she suddenly change the subject from Poseidon''s Trident to the marriage? "Oh dear, I don''t mind it since you have a noble bloodline, but I don''t want to force my daughter into a political marriage. Not when you are weaker than her." "I don''t want to marry your daughter." Neo, irritated, decided to answer back. "If your Kingdom is your most prized possession, I''d rather marry the Queen and be the King, instead of being the princess'' fianc¨¦." The Queen cupped her face with one hand. "My goodness, are you saying you want me?" ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 11: Discussion Between Crazy Bastards While Having A Tea What the fuck was this woman talking about? He gave a metaphorical answer. Why was she taking his words seriously? "Are you sure? If you are okay an old woman like me¡ª" "No!" The doors were pushed open. Amelia rushed inside, followed by ra. The bodyguard looked apologetically at the Queen for being unable to stop Amelia from eavesdropping. "Nobody is marrying anyone!" "Don''t reject him so fiercely. He has quite a few good qualities. If you spend time with him, maybe you wille to like him." At her mother''s words, Amelia''s gaze unconsciously moved towards Neo''s lower half. She looked away with a flushed face. The Queen noticed her actions. "Oh my, what did you two do beforeing here?" "We did nothing! A-and stop changing the subject!" Amelia sat on the same sofa as her mother and red at Neo. If a stare could kill, he would''ve been skinned and boiled a thousand times by now. The Tyrant Queen, Elizabeth, picked up her tea cup and sipped it. "You''ve heard my daughter. I don''t think I can give you my most prized possession." Neo frowned. Only Elizabeth knew about the replica of Poseidon''s Trident. It seemed she wanted to negotiate with Neo in front of her daughter with the code word. While Amelia thought of the ''most prized possession'' as a marriage with her mother and her, in truth, the Queen and Neo would talk about the weapon. "So¡­" Elizabeth continued. "How about another offer?" "I''ll hear it at least." "I will let you live if you promise to save me." She ced the tea cup on the table. Her expression said it was her final offer. As expected of a Tyrant. Neo knew this was going to happen. "Mom, why are you doing this?" Amelia asked with a frustrated expression. She knew nothing was going to change her mother''s thoughts. Simr situations happened countless times throughout her childhood. Although she hoped Neo''s strength would deter her, after hearing everything through the door, she knew her expectations were not going to be fulfilled. Elizabeth looked at Neo to see how he would react. But. He picked his tea cup with a smile. "It''s a realistic offer. Sadly, I can''t ept it." "So you are ready to die?" "That''s the problem." Neo took a sip. "I''m Immortal." "Huh? Are you bluffing again?" Amelia reacted. Her mother and ra pondered over Neo''s words seriously. The Children of the Ten High Gods and the Three Great Gods inherited powerful skills. Zeus'' familia could control lightning and Poseidon''s lineage reigned supreme over the oceans. With that logic, Hades'' descendent should be able tomand Death. ''There has never been a Hades'' child in the history. We can''t predict if his words are truth or lie,'' ra thought as she stood behind Elizabeth''s sofa. Neo''s words took the Tyrant Queen by surprise. However, she recovered quickly. "If that is the case, my offer won''t work." She added. "How about I torture you if you don''t save me? I can start by pulling out your nails, dripping hot wax on your skin and slowly use worse torture." "Sounds painful." Neo maintained his calm. The Tyrant Queen frowned at hisposure. He put his tea cup down. "But I think I can endure three days. After that, I''ll be fairlypensated for my troubles." Neo did not say who wouldpensate him. However, all of them knew the answer. The people in the audience hall were happy to hear about the Queen''s death. Someone ced a curse on the Queen. No one except Amelia was trying to save her. Almost everyone was somehow helping in the rebellion against the Tyrant Queen. Those people, when they find Neo endured three days of torture and refused to save the Queen even though he could, would treat him like a hero. They had to. After all, a rebellion was justified only until they had justice on their side. Not treating Neo as a hero would work against them. So¡­ It was checkmate for the Tyrant Queen. "You came prepared." The Tyrant Queen refilled his cup. "I''ll ept your offer." ''Crazy bastards. They are talking about murder and torture while snacking,'' ra thought she was the only sane person in the room. Even Amelia had been desensitized to death after seeing her mother''s actions for years. While Amelia bit her lips, unable to reject or ept her mother''s deal with Neo, the Tyrant Queen added, "However, I need a proof of your capabilities." "As you wish." Neo stood up and approached the potted nts on the window. The flowers had yellow star-shaped petals. They were beautiful. [Necrotic Touch] Wisps of ck smoke came out of the tip of his fingers. He could feel the blood in his arteries and veins burning. It was exhausting. Maintaining the skill for a single second was as draining as travelling on the Azure Dragon''s back for a day. However, he didn''t hurry. He maintained the fa?ade of calmness and touched the petals. The flowers immediately withered when the ck smoke seeped into them. They lost their colors. Just as they were about to die, Neo called the ck smoke back. And the flowers regained their life. Neo turned around. He smiled. The Tyrant Queen had a shocked expression on her face. Even she could not remain calm after seeing what he had done. "It looked like a curse. You can cancel your curse after it has been casted," she spoke. It was an impossible feat. Curses, once activated, could only be transferred from one target to another. Neo did not correct her misconception of his abilities. His Magic Spell was Tremor-ranked and thus allowed him to have a greater control over its impact. Just like the deal he had with the Tyrant Queen, he had no intention of telling her the truth. He had lied. Only the curse caster could save the Queen. Neo could not do it. And. The caster''s identity was never revealed, since the Mermaid Country was already destroyed by the time this backstory was shown. However. Neo had a n. And he had already executed it. Now he just had to wait for the result. Chapter 12: First Quest Neo had a n. He had already executed it. Now he just had to wait for the result. The Tyrant Queen nodded after seeing his abilities. "We''ll do as you asked." Suddenly, a screen appeared before Neo''s eyes. [Quest] [Objective: Save the Tyrant Queen, Elizabeth.] ¦éThe Mermaid Country is isted in the harsh seas of spa. Its unfavorable location has led it to be exploited by others countries since its establishment. ¦éElizabeth changed the situation through her overwhelming might. With her crowning, she made sure no country and demigod could look down on her homnd or exploit it. ¦éHer radical methods, while uplifting for the Mermaid Country, earned her the nicknamed ''Tyrant Queen''. ¦éAfter years of peace, the people of Mermaid Country have forgotten the times when they were exploited. ¦éIn their eyes, the Tyrant Queen is nothing but an uncontrolled ughterer who is ruining their reputation and making enemies with powerful demigods. ¦éBelieving that the Tyrant Queen''s actions would soon bring retribution, the Mermaid Country has decided to revolt, to remove the Tyrant Queen before her enemies destroys their country in order to eliminate the Tyrant Queen. [Reward: Immortal Exp +50, Water Affinity] [Failure: Ire of Amelia de Beaufort] [Do you wish to ept the Quest? Y/N] There were many important details in the Quest description. He scrolled above and re-read it carefully. The story was as he remembered. The rewards were good. 50 Exp was equal to using the Immortal skill 50 times. It would save him 50 days of training. As far as Neo knew, nobody could gain an extra affinity. They were born with fixed affinities and, in rare cases, the demigods could awaken their dormant affinities after going through a life-death situation. Gaining a new affinity was unheard of. For this type of reward, the failure was only receiving Amelia''s anger. It was clear what he needed to choose. [Quest epted.] "Since you''ve epted the request, we can start now," the Queen spoke. She smiled. "We''ll purge the pce." "H-huh? Mom, are you¡­ going to kill everyone?" "Not everyone, sweetie. Only those who seem to have a hand in the rebellion." Almost all the pce people supported the revolt unanimously. One of them might''ve been the caster of the curse. Elizabeth did know the identity of the caster. She could not do the purge as she might''ve killed the caster unknowingly. If that happened, she would''ve been unable to lift the curse. Her hands had been tied. However, with Neo''s arrival, she did not need the caster to remove the curse. "As you wish, my Queen," ra said. "When can you start the remedy?" The Queen asked Neo. "Tomorrow. I need to make some preparations today," he answered. The Tyrant Queen saw no problem with the Neo''s appeal. The curse casted on her rendered her, an Exalted Demigod, helpless. It happened because she had no defense against the curse and the curse was applied over the years without her knowledge. But that didn''t mean the curse was weak. No. To work on an Exalted Demigod it had to be incredibly powerful. Taking a day toplete the preparations was already a lot less than what she had imagined. If he was not the kin of Hades, Elizabeth would''ve thought Neo was lying. "ra, call my personnel guards and, until tomorrow, you will guard Neo." Elizabeth ordered. "Amelia, you will stay with me while ra is protecting him." She sent them after the short briefing. Just as he was about to leave, he noticed Amelia staring at him with a re. The doors closed and he heard a chuckle from ra. She quickly wiped the smile before returning to her expressionless face. "You don''t need to be so uptight with me," Neo said. "I''ll show you the guest room," she said as she ignored his advice. Two entered a room in a secluded corner of the pce. Neo was appreciating the grandeur of the room when ra locked the door behind him. She swiftly approached him and covered his mouth with her hand. The dagger in her hand pierced Neo''s neck. His eyes widened. He choked on his blood as he stared down at the dagger. "I-it was you¡­" Never had he imagined the leader of the Queen''s personnel guard to join the rebellion. ra grabbed his face and muttered, "Let''s see if you are really immortal." She activated the curse. Neo''s skin twisted and it began to rot at a visible pace. However, before he could even feel the pain, he was already dead. ra let go of the dagger. His body fell with a dull thud. She waited. Would he really stand back? Was he actually immortal? How could a mere Awakened Demigod cheat death? It did not matter. If he was an immortal, she would imprison and hide him until the Tyrant Queen died. Ten seconds passed¡­ Twenty seconds passed¡­ A minute went by¡­ Neo did not revive. He was not an immortal. ra released the sigh she had been holding unconsciously. She felt relieved. "Come." She snapped her fingers. At themand, the shadows inside the room trembled. They shrunk and merged, and transformed into a boy with green hair and yellow eyes. "Why did you kill him, sis?" "He can heal the Queen. I''ve verified his abilities." "That means¡­" His boy''s face hardened. "The Queen will soon do a purge." "Not soon. She is about to start right now." ra looked at the blood spilling out of Neo''s neck. "We need to spread the news of his death to the stop the purge. "The Queen will realize I''ve joined the revolt. So, I''ll go into hiding for a few days." Her brother, Paul, nodded. No matter the cause, ra could not be captured. Because. She was the leader of the revolt. And the caster who used the curse on the Tyrant Queen. The revolt would fail if she were caught by the Queen. "Take his body. We will pin the me of his death on the Queen and say the Queen killed him because he couldn''t save her." Paul did not understand who Neo was to be able to cancel his sister''s curse. However, he knew now was not the time to ask. "I''ll do as you''ve ordered." He shape-shifted to a splitting image of ra and left the room. Chapter 13: Training In Hell Neo opened his eyes beneath the dark sky. His n worked. He met a person who was directly rted to the rebellion. Since it was ra, the original n had to be changed. The job became easier. He could skip most of the steps, and heal the Queen while stopping the rebellion. It was all good¡­ "I feel like shit." Neo knew ra had the ability to use curses. But he never expected her to betray Elizabeth. There was an important reason behind his oversight. In the novel, the resurrection ritual was attempted by the protagonist and Amelia to revive the Tyrant Queen. They used the Divine Water pond for the ritual. During the ritual, the Queen refused to be resurrected. She told them to revive ra who died during the battle with the viin that destroyed the Mermaid Country. For Elizabeth, ra was like her own daughter. She raised her and his brother, Paul, with love and care after she saved them from the pirates. A feeling of disgust rose in Neo''s heart. Not only did ra stab Elizabeth in the back, she took care of Amelia and reced her mother. Was it ra''s way of apologizing for her mistakes? It was revolting. "O Great Child of Monarch, you returned earlier than what we had decided." The grating, yet somehow soothing, voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked ahead and saw the Grim Reaper. "A situation happened and I was sent back here." Neo noticed something. The Grim Reaper was not surprised he came to the Underworld without using the resurrection ritual. ''Does he know about the Immortal skill?'' As if reading his thoughts, the Grim Reaper spoke, "It is fine if you came early. You have evolved and your soul has been strengthened. The limit of corruption your soul can endure has increased." The Grim Reaper continued. "And with your skill, you should be able to enter the Underworld at your discretion. "However, do keep in mind you have to return eventually." The Grim Reaper was not looking at Neo but above him. Neo followed his gaze and noticed the screen. [Time Remaining: 11 hours: 58 minutes] Time passed slower in the Underworld. Two days in there were equal to one day in the world of living. The time on the screen was how long he could stay in thend of death. When the timer reached zero, he would be forcefully revived. He could return before time was up if he wanted. "Can you see this screen?" Neo asked. "We cannot, O Great Child of Monarch." After receiving the answer, Neo thought about what he should do. Returning right now was useless. His body would be with ra. She would kill him again after he revived. Immortal gave him the chance to resurrect once per day, he used the chance already. If he died again tonight, he was dead. [Time Remaining: 11 hours: 55 minutes] Almost twelve hours. It was equal to¡­ Six hours in the world of living. Neo died around 3 pm. After spending six hours (of real world time) in the Underworld, he would be revived at 9 pm. He would gain the revival chance at 12 pm. Three hours¡­ "I can''t risk dying as soon as I revive." "Or I''ll die permanently." Neo had to somehow stay alive for 3 hours after he returned. He tried to think of a way but nothing came to his mind. In the end, it all boiled down to luck. If he was revived in a dangerous ce or a safe ce. "What will you do now, O Great Child of Monarch? Will return or will you wait?" "I will train in the Underworld." There was a high chance the rebels had his body with them. After the revival, he would need to fight his way out of theirir. He was weak right now. His progress in the Underworld would decide if he could hold out his own against the rebels or die without achieving anything. Standing up, he noticed the surroundings properly for the first time. The sea of blood red colors stretched beyond the horizon and somethingrge continuously moved under the sea. His Death affinity red rms as soon as he thought about stepping into the water. Don''t go there, his senses were telling him. The beach, made of ck sands, had a putrid odour. Bones of unknown animals jutted out at irregr intervals. At the far end, a white fog hid everything. The sky was covered in eternal darkness, and three gigantic eyes looked down from above like moons. Underworld was as unpleasant as ever. However, he feltfortable there. As if he had returned home. Afterpleting the survey of the surroundings, Neo came to a conclusion. "There is nothing to train with here." His only Magic Spell was Necrotic Touch. It needed a target to activate. Since he could not use it on the Grim Reaper for obvious reasons, he was left with no way to train. He clenched his feet. He needed to increase his strength urgently. It was impossible without training. "O Great Child of Monarch, do you perhaps need our assistance?" "I need a target to train. Can you help with it?" Neo decided to be shameless and made the request. "It will be our pleasure." Clouds of smoke rushed out of the Grim Reaper''s hand and formed a scythe. He thumped butt of the weapon on the ground. The beach shook. A simple action from the Grim Reaper brought an earthquake. The tremors quickly died down but Neo noticed something was off. His face hardened. ¡­the bones protruding out of the ground were moving. "They are ancient warriors of the Underworld, the Gulwaks, created during the Titanomachy war. "After the war, they outlived their purpose and were allowed to rest. Now, thousands of yearster, all of them have disappeared. "That doesn''t mean they were destroyed, the creation of the Monarch are not so feeble to be defeated by time. "They still sleep beneath the Underworld, waiting for the day they are to be called again; beware their thirst for battle and blood has only increased after years of hunger." An arm crawled out of the beach. Neo could feel the aura of death multiplying by dozens of times. His own aura was a joke in front of it. He gulped. His throat was parched. Slowly followed by the arm, a head and torso appeared. It looked simr to a human skeleton except for the two horns, green mes burning in its eye sockets, and the sword in its hand. Its cracked, dirty bones made it look old and ferocious. Dangerous. His senses were screaming at him to run away. ''What is this? It''s getting hard to breathe.'' A thick aura of Death covered the skeleton. When he used his Death affinity to sense it, all he saw was a human shaped darkness with emerald eyes carrying a sword wrapped in dried blood and flesh. "Would my Necrotic Touch work against it?" Neo asked. "It will, O Great Child of Monarch." There was no time to ask why the spell that corrupted one''s life force could work on a Gulwak. The skeleton rushed at Neo with a blitz. Neo crossed his arm to protect himself. Something snapped when the attack connected and he was thrown away like a rag doll. Chapter 14: Training Like Hell His body bounced several time beforeing to a stop. ''Special lesson, it''s strong even without muscles,'' he thought. Neo''s training with Death skill increased his mental endurance. Thanks to it, he ignored the pain, and looked for the Gulwak''s next attack. Instantly, his vision was covered with a footing down to stomp his face. There was no time to rest. He jerked his head. The Gulwak''s attack missed, but it didn''t let up, as it raised its sword. Neo, on the ground, was unable to dodge. He used the Necrotic Touch and grabbed the Gulwak''s feet. ¡­? The spell didn''t activate. Neo''s Divine Energy control was poor and he tried to use the Magic Spell in a hurry. Thus, he failed to trigger the Spell. Just as the Gulwak was about to swing the de, Neo, in a hurry, pulled its leg, and made it fall over. He grabbed the sword that had fallen out of the Gulwak''s hand and swiftly created a distance between them. "Huff! Huff! Huff!" Gulwak was¡­ strong. The skeleton stood up with a low growl. Its eyes were fixed on the sword Neo stole from it. But. Neo wasn''t looking back at the Gulwak. ''Shit.'' There were multiple Gulwak''s crawling out of the beach. ''It had friends?'' Neo could feel his left arm throbbing from pain. It almost broke during the first exchange. The situation was quickly taking a turn for the worse. He couldn''t use his Spell and¡­ "O Great Child of the Monarch, as I thought, is it too difficult for the current you?" Neo held the sword with his right hand while breathing heavily. ''Should I ask for help from the Grim Reaper, or maybe tell him to lower the difficulty?'' Neo froze, unable to believe the words that appeared inside his head. ''What am I thinking¡­?'' ''Did I try to run away?'' ''Again?'' ''Am I going to be a loser in this world too?'' ''Didn''t I say I don''t want to be mediocre?'' He tightened his grip on the sword. ''I need to make the effort!'' ''There is nothing free in this world!'' ''Fight! If I can''t win, I''ll die fighting! I won''t be a failure again!'' Neo renewed his resolve. "No need. I can do it on my own," he answered the Grim Reaper. Amused, the Grim Reaper watched. Neo calmed his trembling arms and drowned out unnecessary thoughts. The Gulwak rushed at him with a roar. Neo did not move. He just stared at it. Focus. I can''t activate the Necrotic Touch instantaneously. Using Divine Energy is like moving arms or breathing, everyone can do it. Right now, having awakened the Divine Energy recently, I''m like a patient who woke up froma. He continued to analyze himself. The Gulwak covered half of the distance in the blink of an eye. However, Neo continued. After all, knowing oneself was half the battle won. My muscles capable of controlling Divine Energy are weak. They will improve as long as I train regrly. But that won''t help me now. What can I do so win at this moment? The Gulwak was almost in front of him. It stomped its foot and punched. Neo grabbed its fist with his left hand. He heard a crunch, but he ignored it, and swung the sword with his other hand. The de beheaded the Gulwak. Its body, lifeless, crashed. Neo''s left arm iled like a dangling branch. It hurt more than anything he experienced in his previous life. However. Dying was more painful. He experienced it multiple times. Unlike what he heard, it did not reduce the pain he was feeling right now. It still hurt like a bitch. The previous pain did not make the current pain painless. It did, however, teach him to continue moving even if it was agonizing. Two Gulwaks attacked him from different sides. The one of the left swung the axe and the second Gulwak stabbed the spear. Neo crouched. The attacks passed over his head. He stabbed the sword in the axe-wielding Gulwak''s foot and activated the Necrotic Touch. If he could not trigger the Spell instantaneously, he just had to activate it beforehand. ck smokes came out his hand, however, they did nothing. The Gulwak, having received an attack, growled and tried to attack when suddenly Neo let go of the sword and used an uppercut. The Necrotic Touch hit its chin. Its bones began to crumble. Neo was about to continue when he felt a chill. He grabbed the sword and swung it behind him, only to feel a resistance, as he blocked the spear luckily. While his attention went to the spear-wielding Gulwak at his heels, the first Gulwak shed towards his shoulder. The de prated deep into his skin. It slowed, and the Gulwak increased the strength behind the axe. Neo grunted and grabbed the Gulwak''s arm to stop it from cleaving him in half. He struggled to hold back his own against the two Gulwaks at the same time. He was losing his strength. Neo failed to realize his left hand had somehow healed. Before the spear-wielding Gulwak moved, Neo increased the intensity of Necrotic Touch. He applied two more stacks on the axe-wielding Gulwak''s hand Instead of smoke, ck ink dripped out of his palm. It spread on the Gulwak''s arm and its elbow shattered like a ss. The Gulwak lost its bnce after losing the arm. An opportunity. Neo kicked the spear-wielding Gulwak, and rushed at the first Gulwak whose limb was destroyed. He grabbed its head and used thest remaining stack of Necrotic Touch on its head. With another Necrotic Touch applied to its jaw, the Spell''s strength increased and the Gulwak''s face crumbled into dust. Suddenly, the second Gulwak pierced his left leg from behind. Fueled by adrenaline, Neo grabbed the axe logged in his shoulder and smashed it on top of the spear-wielding Gulwak''s head. The Necrotic Touch finished the first Gulwak at the same time. Neo fell to his knees. The three Gulwaks were dead. And. He was at death''s door. His arm, shoulder, and leg were¡­ Huh? Neo noticed his arm was no longer broken and the shoulder stopped bleeding. It was slowly but surely healing. After he pulled the spear out of his leg, the injury started to close itself. "What is this?" "It''s your God Blood. You are the heir of Underworld, and it''s helping you." What the Grim Reaper described was not a skill, but an innate body constitution. The children of Great Ocean God Poseidon were stronger when they fought underwater. Those who carried the blood of High God Apollo grew powerful along with the sun''s ascent and became weak when the sun disappeared. The heirs of the High God Dionysus were gained a boost in the task they did while being drunk. Neo was simr. His stats and regenerative ability gained a massive amplification in the Underworld. "It is also why you, a being of death, are weak in the world of living." "¡­?" Neo''s face stiffened. Was the reason why he was always felt tired, exhausted, and nauseous because of his bloodline? Didn''t it mean he was under a constant debuff? The Grim Reaper hit the beach with his scythe. Tremors, stronger than thest time, appeared. "Trials of today will be your strength for tomorrow." "As long as you keep advancing, you might learn to make the Underworld descend into the world of living." "When that happens¡­." "I''ll be unstoppable." Neo understood what the Grim Reaper meant. The corner of his lips rose as he envisioned the future where he could fight without any restriction and have a constant buff. "Glory awaits you, O Great Child of Monarch." "So¡­" "You must train hard." The tremors died down and eight Gulwaks came out. Neo''s vision of the beautiful future shattered. Beautiful or not, he would have to survive to first. ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 15: Rebellion Azure Spire Pce Paul, who had taken ra''s appearance, met with the Queen''s personal guards. "Leader, is there something wrong?" "Why are you here, captain?" "Captain, who was the kid who came to the audience hall today?" The members gathered around Paul. Despite being far stronger than Paul, they did not detect his disguise. Paul released the false appearance. "It''s you," the members sighed. They noticed Paul was not making fun of them like he usually did after they were caught in his pranks. "Sis¡ª" He changed his words. "¡ªThe leader has gone into hiding because she killed the kid we saw today. He had the ability to remove her curse, so it had to be done." Paul spoke with a grave expression, "The Queen has ordered a purge. It''s time for you all to choose a side." The Queen''s personal guards looked at each other. They understood why a purge was happening. Their gazes grew determined after hearing the Tyrant Queen''s cruel choice. "We''ve made our decision long ago." "That''s right. We have nothing to be ashamed of, we aren''t rebels. We are the patriots who are protecting our country from a tyrant." Paul raised their morale. "The n is to spread the rumors of the kid''s death. It will corner the Queen and make her halt the purge¡ª" "You call that a n?" Suddenly, an old man, the vice leader of the Queen''s personal guards, cut off Paul midsentence. "The Queen will go berserk if she gets cornered. Who knows how many will be ughtered when that happens?" "...That''s true." Paul agreed. "Do you have a better idea, vice leader?" "We''ll do a purge as the Queen ordered." "Wha¡ª" "But instead of the pce people, we will bring out the prisoners and execute them inside the pce. "While the curse has weakened the Queen, her senses are nothing to scoff at. We will use it against her. "By killing the prisoners, we can create chaos and the pce will be filled with stench of blood. It will fool the Queen. "In the meantime, we will evacuate the pce people before she catches on," the vice leader exined. "That''s¡­ That''s a very good n. Why didn''t I think of it before?" Paul muttered. The Queen was at the death''s door. As long as they waited, she would grow weak and would no longer be a threat. "Because you are still green behind the ears," the vice leader snorted. The members of the Queen''s personal guard cheered for the Vice leader. They got to work. Half of them went to the underground prison to bring out the prisoners, while the other half started the evacuation. The pce people were not given the reason behind the evacuation. They found it weird that they were using a hidden exit to leave the pce. However, no one raised a question since it was the order of Queen''s personal guards. The screams echoed in the pce for hours. While most of the Queen''s personal guards were busy with the task, the leader and the vice leader met with the Tyrant Queen in the audience hall. The hall was deserted save for the Queen on the throne, the vice leader and the leader, who was Paul in ra''s disguise. "How is the progress?" the Tyrant Queen asked. "The task is going smoothly thanks to the Queen''s grace," Paul said. He noticed the purple markings appearing on the Tyrant''s Queen body. The curse entered itsst stage. Nheless, looking at Queen''s demeanor, no one could tell she had one foot in the grave. The Queen nodded and looked at "ra". "Since you are here, I take it ask ra is still guarding Neo?" "Indeed, it is as you¡ª" Paul froze. A look of horror appeared on his face. The Queen knew he was Paul in ra''s disguise. How was that possible? While Paul was only an Awakened Demigod, his camouge was perfect. No one, not even Exalted Demigods, could see through his disguise. "Why aren''t you answering?" the Queen asked. "A-ah, yes, Sis is g-guarding him. I took her appearance to smoothen the process of purge." Paul answered despite being shaken. The Queen tilted her head. Her eyes narrowed. "You just lied." She treated ra and Paul as her own children. While she couldn''t tell it if Paul guised himself as other, it was easy for her to tell him out when he became ra. None of their habits were same. Simrly, it was easy to notice when Paul lied after being caught red-handed. She could clearly remember how many times Paul, as a kid, sneaked into the kitchen forte night snacks and lied in the morning when she asked him about it. A small smile appeared on her face and she hid it quickly. "Where is ra and who is guarding Neo right now?" She asked. Paul was frozen stiff with fear after having his lie revealed. He couldn''t think and couldn''t answer. His heart was beating so loudly he felt it would break his ribs. If he lied again and got caught¡­. it would be the end. Suddenly, the vice leader grabbed his cor and threw him towards the door. "Run! Tell others we were exposed! I''ll hold her back and buy time for you!" "O-okay." Paul stood up and tried to rush out of the door. "What are you two doing?" The doors suddenly shut close by themselves. "What do you mean ''you were exposed''?" Hearing the chilling voice, Paul pulled out his sword and got ready to fight alongside the vice leader. The vice leader shouted. "Paul! I told you to run! You can''t do anything against¡ª" He couldn''tplete his words. His body was abruptly crushed into a paste of meat and blood. It was as if he had been hit by an invisible hammer. The Tyrant Queen did not even lift her finger. She just sat there menacingly. "Paul¡­." The chilling voicemanded. "Lower your sword." She was not stupid. She knew ra had the ability to cast curse. But¡­. They were her children. She treated them no different from Amelia. So. Why? Why were her children trying to kill her? An unfathomable amount of pressure descended on the Azure Spire Pce. Anyone inside it was brought to their knees. They found themselves unable to move. They felt like they were being crushed by gallons of water. Cracks started to appear on the foundation of the pce and the whole ce shook. "Drop your sword, Paul." Chapter 16: Mothers Sorrow Paul gritted his teeth and red at the Queen. "I¡ª won''t." His bones snapped. However, he did not heed her words. The pressure suddenly disappeared and the Queen stared at him. Worry and anxiety were hidden deep in her eyes. Her gaze was focused on his bleeding body. But her face remained impassive. The doors of the hall opened. Amelia, along with several her personal guards, rushed inside. "Mom! Are you okay?! What was that!?" "Don''t go there, princess! The Queen has gone berserk due to the curse!" The guards stopped her. They silently ced a sword behind Amelia''s back, warning the Queen to stop, or there would be consequences. The Queen realized Amelia had not betrayed her. ¡­A wave of relief washed over her heart. She could crush the guards with a snap. But¡­ Her gaze returned to Paul. They must''ve killed Neo or imprisoned him. There was a high chance Neo was dead; the Tyrant Queen never believed he was immortal, she only threatened him back then to see how he would react. With Neo dead and ra in hiding, there was no way for the Queen to save herself. After her death, Amelia would suffer. Because she was a tyrant''s daughter. "What are you doing!?" Paul red at the guard who had ced a hidden sword behind Amelia without her knowledge. While he was against the Queen''s tyranny, he knew Amelia was innocent. His words cleared the Queen''s thoughts. She knew what she had to do. "Get out." She waved her hand and a powerful gust of wind threw all of them out of the audience hall. The doors closed behind them. Amelia stammered to her feet and banged her wrists on the door. "Mom! Open the doors! Open¡­ i-it! Hic! Hic! P-please!" Tears flowed out of her eyes. She turned to Paul and held his shoulder with trembling hands. "W-we need to find, Neo. He can save Mom! We have to hurry!" Paul looked away. Amelia did not know about ra''s ability to use curses. In fact, even among the rebels, only the Queen''s personal guards knew about it after they decided to rebel. Curses were frowned upon. In the past, the Tyrant Queen told ra to keep it a secret for her safety. Without knowing anything, Amelia was in the dark and requested for help from the rebels. "We can''t find Neo. He went missing few hours ago. Sis is searching for him," Paul spoke. "What?" The despair in Amelia''s eyes was slowly reced by anger. "Did the rebels kidnap him?" she asked with seething rage. "¡­I don''t know. But, before sis left, she told me his disappearance was strange. He wouldn''t have been kidnapped if he listened to sis. "Sis said he kept wandering in the pce. Almost as if¡­ as if he wanted to be kidnapped." "¡­I see." Amelia''s expression darkened. Thinking that the Queen mighte after them at any moment, Paul hurried, "Amelia, you need to evacuate. The Queen has gone berserk. I''m worried she might harm you too." "But¡ª" "Amelia! Stop hesitating! Face it that we can''t save the Queen now!" Paul shouted. He spoke his next words in a low voice, "You are this kingdom''s future. If you die, we would lose everything." Amelia knew what Paul meant. The Tremor-ranked Spell of the Mermaid Country could be inherited by two people at a time. With the Queen on death''s door, Amelia was thest possessor of the Spell. If she died, the Spell that protected the kingdom would disappear forever. "I promise you, Amelia. I will do my best to save¡­ Mother. So, leave it to me and go." Listening to his words, Amelia broke down into tears. ¡­ Underworld Neo''s back rested against the sandy beach. His clothes were ripped and dried blood was stuck on his body. "I feel like shit." The beach was filled with corpses of Gulwaks. Some were shed in half, some had crumbled into dust, and some had been brutally bashed with fists. He absentmindedly stared at the sky. [Time Remaining: 00 hour: 30 minutes] He had been fighting for only 12 hours? "Wow, fuck." It felt like days to him. "I''ll kill myself if the growth I felt was also an illusion," Saying so pulled up the status screen. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 5 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 1 Awakened] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 19 ¦éSpeed: 21 ¦éDexterity: 17 ¦éConstitution: 14 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: Save the Queen (In Progress)] His strength and constitution increased by three. It was a massive increase. Normally, a demigod needed to train for a few weeks to increase the stat by 3. Neo felt his growth speed was justified. His training intensity, unlike normal people, was beyond Nightmare difficulty. He could not remember how many times he broke his bones and was nearly decapitated. These sick Gulwaks were perverts who liked to behead their enemies! ¡­ Audience Hall The Tyrant Queen stared in the air absentmindedly. Where did things go wrong? She never experienced love. She trained until her hands bled. She stood against the countries trying to exploit the Mermaid Nation alone. Why was she being turned into the ''evil''? Hadn''t she always put the country before her own wellbeing? To be honest, she did not care about the rebellion, being called ''evil'' or how others called her a Tyrant. It happened because of her own choices. She wouldn''t deny them. But watching her own children leading the rebellion broke her heart. She covered her face with her palms. Tears slipped from in-between her fingers. They were the tears of a mother. She could barely maintain the countenance of a Tyrant. How could she care about dignity after what she saw? Time passed. Elizabeth wiped her tears and stood up. She left the audience hall. Her steps carried the grandeur of a Queen, her gaze was cold and confident like a Tyrant, and the feeble mother was no longer to be seen. The pce was empty. The Tyrant Queen returned to her room. To rest. Forever. ¡­ Azure Spire Pce Paul carried Neo''s corpse towards the Queen''s location. It was for an important task. Neo, an Awakened Demigod, could cure Queen''s curse. He was capable and thus might have someone powerful as a backer. If Neo''s backer found out he was killed by the rebels, they would be thrown from fire into frying pan. Paul nned to pin the death of Neo on the Tyrant Queen. This way, the rebels would not be med. And they might be able to befriend Neo''s backer. "Where did she go?" Paul thought. The Queen was not inside the audience hall. He searched the pce and did not find her anywhere. "She is not in the office, not in the treasury, and not in the weapon''s barrack. Where is she?" "Don''t tell me¡­!?" He rushed towards her room. Opening the door, he found her inside. A hollowugh left his mouth. "This fucking bitch¡­" Chapter 17: Meeting The Curses Caster The Queen sat on a chair, her eyes closed, most of her body was covered in purple veins, and she seemed asleep. "Did shee here to die like this?" "How far will she to go to maintain her dignity as the Tyrant?" "It''s because you do things like this that you''ve made enemies everywhere!" She must''ve been in terrible pain. Nheless, her expression remained stone cold. It irritated Paul. "If it''s going to be like this, I would rather kill you with my own hands." He was thankful that ra wasn''t here. Because she would''ve definitely stopped him. Even the reason ra casted the curse was because Paul persuaded her. Paul threw Neo''s corpse aside and pulled out his sword. He approached the Queen. His arms shook and his breathing became ragged. He could not help but worry if the Queen would wake up. While hisplete focus on the Queen, Neo''s corpse moved. The injury on his neck rapidly healed and he opened his eyes. As he woke up, he realized 40% of his Divine Energy was used to heal his body before his soul was revived. "What a shitty skill." Paul snapped his head towards his back when he heard the voice. Before he could see Neo, Neo used Necrotic Touch and grabbed his face. ck ink dripped from Neo''s hand after he applied three stacks. "You''re alive!?" Paul, his face covered in ck ink, jumped back, dumbfounded. He could clearly remember the sensation of Neo''s cold corpse. "H-how? Are you an illusion created by the Queen?" Neo did not respond. He stared at him with cold eyes. In truth, Neo was in a daze. Using three stacks of Necrotic Touch used another 30% of his Divine Energy, leaving him only 30% of the total energy reserves. He was anemic after burning so much God Blood. Slightly out of it, he looked at the room. The Queen, asleep, was resting on the chair, he stood near the wall, and it was dark outside. The only enemy inside the room was Paul. "You! Why aren''t you responding!?" Paul pounced on Neo. Just as his sword was about to hit him, Neo activated the Spell. The dark ink on Paul''s face seeped into his skin and began to devour his life span. "Arghghgh!!! What is this!!! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" Unlike the Gulwaks, Paul''s body did not shatter, and he seemed to be under immense pain. Was it because he was a living soul? Neo watched him calmly. He did not like torturing people but there was no need to show sympathy for those who killed him. "Now, how do I call your sister? If I remember correctly, both of you have an artifact that tells you if the other''s life is in danger." As soon as Neo finished his words, his death affinity reacted. An overwhelming amount of danger wasing at him. He didn''t dodge. The wall next to him broke as a hand came through it and grabbed his neck. "What did you do to him?" ra questioned, enraged. She walked through the wall as if it was made of paper. "Answer me," she spoke in a icy voice. Orbs of liquid metal materialized in the room. The transformed into weapons aimed at Neo. Neo, unaffected by intimidation, grabbed her arm and applied two stacks of Necrotic Touch. ¡­!!! ra sensed something was wrong and hurriedly threw him away. He crashed through the broken wall. "This is¡­?" ra noticed the ck markings on her hand. Her face hardened as she recalled Neo''s "curse ability". She could feel her life span draining at a snail''s pace. It was not dangerous for her, but it could kill Paul, an Awakened Demigod, within a week, and Paul had a stronger curse cast on him. Neo did not stand up. He remained lying on the wall''s rubble and stared at the roof in a daze. "It''s a Death Mark," he exined. "Once that appears on your body, you will die, no questions asked." ra clenched her teeth. Her brother''s blood curling scream filled her with despair and anger. Desperate to stop Neo, she stabbed a sword into his leg and twisted it. "Release the curse on my brother or¡­" Her words were struck in her throats. She thought Neo would scream or cry from the pain, just like her brother, but he stared at her with a calm, unmoving gaze. "I told you," he spoke unhurriedly. "I''m Immortal." "¡­!?" "Death threats or torture wouldn''t work on me." In panic, ra forgot Neo was supposed to be dead. Her face went under countless changes when she realized he was actually immortal. While ra was frozen, Neo stood up and approached the table with a limp. He sat with a thump before he prepared the tea cups. "Where are the tea leaves?" He opened the tea pot. "ra, can you get me some tea leaves? They should be in the cab." "What?" "Tea leaves. In the cab." "....Why are you so calm in the current situation?" Her face twisted into a grimace. "¡­? What''s wrong with getting snacks? I''m parched and hungry." The queen was halfway through the door of death, her brother was screaming in pain, dozens of weapons were aimed at him, and his leg was bleeding. He wanted snacks in this situation? "Crazy bastard." "Just get me the tea leaves. It''s not like you can kill me." ra knew that. Only the curse''s caster could do something about the curse. If she wanted to save Paul, she had to listen to him. Of course, it was a lie woven by Neo. Necrotic Touch, a Magic Spell, would disappear after his death. It would not linger like a curse. Neo took the tea leaves ra brought and started making a tea. "Sit," he said. Both of them stayed silent after she heeded his words. ra was furiously thinking of a way to save her brother, while Neo was appreciating ra. When she attacked him, although enraged, she used a non-lethal attack, and did not dare to kill him before she confirmed her brother''s safety. Unluckily for her, her actions worked against her. "What do you want?" She asked as Neo calmly sipped the tea. "And stop¡­ please, my brother is in pain." Chapter 18: Saving The Queen Neo didn''t agree or refuse to her request. He ignored her and focused on the tea. ra barely held herself back from killing him. "What do I need to do?" she questioned again. Neo answered this time. "Save the Queen." He added, "I will remove the Death Mark from you and your brother if you do that." If ra removed the curse, the Queen could singlehandedly overturn the oue of the rebellion. However, if she refused Neo¡­ ra did not care if she died, but she didn''t want Paul to die along with her. She had to make a choice. The rebellion or her brother. She bit her lips until they bled. Suddenly, Paul called out to her. "S-sis, save me, please. It hurts! It h-hurts so much I want to die!" His face was covered in tears, snot and blood. He continued to w his face and worsen the injuries. ra''s heart shook when she saw the miserable sight. "Are you even human!? How can you do that and drink tea like nothing!?" She shouted at Neo. "I wasn''t the one who killed me." Neo ced the cup on the table. "Why should I be lenient to someone who killed me?" "He did nothing! I was the one who killed you!" "And you will die too if you don''t ept the deal." ra abruptly closed her mouth. She could see it. Neo was calm. Too calm. He was used to Death. Killing others was no different from breathing for him. He didn''t value life. Still, ra could not make a decision. Was it correct to give up the rebellion for only her brother and herself? No, that was too selfish. "Before you refuse¡­" Neo suddenly spoke. "Don''t think this is will end here." "What do you mean¡­.?" "Remember what bloodline I have." "¡­.Monarch of Death." Neo nodded. "If you refuse me, I will make sure both of you go through something much worse for the eternity you will spend in the Underworld." His words were like a bomb dropped on her head. She wanted to say it was impossible. The God of Death, the End''s Jury, and the Grim Reapers were impartial. But. Neo was an exception. He was the Death''s inheritor and¡­ He came back to life, he did something impossible. It was very likely he was capable of achieving what he just said. ra wanted to take time and think before answering, however, every second she wasted thinking was another second where his brother underwent unimaginable pain. "¡­I will do it." She bit her lips. "I will do as you said. So please stop hurting my brother." "Let him be for a few minutes. I want to hear him scream." Neo looked at the time. There were two hours left until the Immortal recharged. If he let Paul go, what was he supposed to do? Dance? He had a reason to stall for time with his answer, even if he looked like a psychopath. As minutes went by, ra thought about killing Neo countless times. However, she recalled his warning and stayed put. She was far stronger than Neo, and still she was helpless. ra felt miserable. It was 1 am when Neo finally moved. "We should save the Queen, she has only a few hours left." He picked Elizabeth up in a princess carry and made her lie on the bed. Her body was hot and she was barely breathing. The injury on his leg sent jolts of pain across his body when he moved. However, he kept his face expressionless to maintain the fa?ade of being the one in control. He ced a chair next to bed and sat on it. "Transfer her curse to me." "Paul¡­ remove the Death Mark on him first." Neo snapped his fingers and Paul stopped screaming. He frothed from his mouth and lost consciousness. "The Death Mark has stopped devouring his life force ''violently'' so he doesn''t feel pain. But he is still losing it at a rapid pace." Neo looked at her with a chilling gaze. "Don''t think about ying any stupid games with me, if you don''t want to win stupid prizes." He warned her. ra nodded. "I¡­ I''ll start the transfer. You need to have physical contact with the Queen first." He grabbed Elizabeth''s palm. ra closed her eyes and focused. Purple hues appeared around her. They seeped into the Queen''s body. A few minutes passed but nothing happened. ra opened her eyes with a snap. She was breathing heavily. "It''s not working. She isn''t letting go of the curse." Neo''s face darkened. "Try again." Another five minutes passed after ra''s new attempt. There was no change. Now it was clear to Neo¡­ "She wants to die." ra stiffened when she heard him. "I guess that makes sense after seeing someone she raised trying to kill her." While he had a calm expression, his anxiety was slowly starting to increase. If the Queen died, he was fucked. There were more rebel members than just ra and Paul. When they returned and found out Neo tried to save the Queen, they wouldn''t let him go. ra was listening to him because her brother was cursed, but others were not the same. Saving Queen was the only way for him to survive. ''Dammit, why is she refusing to let go off the curse!'' Neo would simply die and revive since his Immortal was recharged. He was not worried about it. He should''ve not been worried. The n had gone without a hitch until thest stage. However, the Queen''s refusal was a major problem! "Try again," he told ra. They attempted the ritual several times. All of them ended in failures. The time of Queen''s death slowly approached. Neo''s burrows furrowed. What should he do? Was there a way to motivate the Queen? "Tell her you don''t want her to die and try again," Neo ordered. ra listened to his words. Nothing changed. "Put more sincerity into your request." Again, her words made no difference. Chapter 19: Dreamscape "Put more sincerity into your request," he ordered. ra tried. Her words made no difference. Neo snapped his fingers and re-trigged the violent devouring of Paul''s Death Mark. He woke up with a startle and let out blood curling screams. "W-what are you doing? Why are you harming Paul?" "I''m warning you. If the Queen dies, don''t think I''ll let you two go." Dark lines appeared on Neo''s face. He couldn''t think of anything to save the Queen. Not much time was left. "P-please save m-me¡­ m-mom¡­," Paul spoke in a whimper. Neo frowned when he saw his pathetic actions. However, the Tyrant Queen''s fingers twitched. She heard Paul? Neo looked at ra. His eyes told her what she needed to do. She opened her mouth, "M-mom, please wake up¡­. I¡­ don''t want you to d¡­ die." The Tyrant Queen reacted. Just when Neo thought he found a way out of the situation, he felt an incredible sense of sleepiness attacking him. "What are you doing to me?" He red at ra. "Huh?" ra shouted. "Hey, what''s happening to you!?" Her words hinted that she wasn''t behind the drowsiness. Before Neo could do something, he fell asleep. ¡­ Bright sunlight pierced through Neo''s eyelids. He woke up with a grunt. "I feel like fuck." Rubbing his hair, he scanned his surroundings. He was at a harbor where a proud, wide, broken ship was docked. Countless citizens were gathered in the area. Listening to them, Neo found out that they were celebrating someone''s¡­ their Queen''s¡­ safe return. "Where am I?" Neo remembered falling unconscious while trying to save the Queen. He pushed through the crowds to find out what was happening. His eyes widened. He saw a young Elizabeth, with dark, sunken cheeks,ing out of the ship. She looked famished. In her hands, a little girl, five or six months old, slept. "Elizabeth and Amelia?" he thought. A guard approached Elizabeth. "What about the king and the prince, my Queen?" the guard asked. Elizabeth shook her head. She tried to calm the citizens and the guards, but their sorrow was palpable. No one seemed in their right mind. Biting her lips, she hid her tears, and donned an expressionless mask. "Stop crying. We don''t have much time left." Elizabeth spoke with a firm voice. "The Falcon Pirates will arrive on our ind in a few weeks. We have to prepare and¡­ "There are survivors on the ship. Take care of them." "M-my Queen, what about reinforcements? Can''t we ask other countries for help?" the guard asked with a fearful expression. "¡­I''ve tried but they refused. Our country has no longer anything of value to give them, they have no need to help us." The Queen moved towards the pce. The people were shocked and helpless. They seemed sure of their eventual demise at the hands of the pirates. However. Seeing the Queen, who stood firm, they regained a bit of hope. The soldiers and the citizens got to work. After a bit of the time, Neo noticed familiar people among the survivors of the ship. Paul and ra. Both of them were kids; Paul, only a few months or perhaps of the same age as Amelia, and ra, a year or two older. Neo was scouting the surroundings when he heard someone talk to him. "The Queen had been living with her husband until now. Her ship was attacked on her way here." Turning around, he noticed a ten-year old Amelia. No. She looked simr to Amelia, but something was different. He couldn''t put a finger on it. Still, he could tell she was not Amelia. "Who are you?" he asked. "Guess who I am?" she gave a cheeky smile. "¡­Elizabeth''s secret child." "¡­" She stared at him as if looking at an idiot. "No one can talk or see you except me. Shouldn''t you have thought I was this dreamscape''s owner?" "Oh." Neo''s eyes slightly widened. He looked at her carefully. "I didn''t know you were a pervert who thought of herself as a kid, despite being so ol¡ª" "Old? You weren''t going to call me old, right?" The pressure of the Tyrant Queen surrounded her. Neo took a step back and shook his head unconsciously. "I wasn''t." "Good," she smiled. "Follow me." They walked on the beach alone. Neo knew he had to persuade her to transfer the curse to him, but judging from the situation, it seemed Elizabeth pulled him here for a reason. She must''ve something to say to him. He decided to hear her. "The pirates won''t be able to defeat my country," she told him. "I know. Since the Mermaid Country is still standing, you must''ve won against the pirates." "That''s not it." She shook her head. "The pirates never attacked. After all¡­" She turned on her heels and faced him. "They were annihted when they attacked the ship." "...Why didn''t you tell your people about it? All of them are worrying the pirates will attack again after their ambush on the ship failed." Elizabeth let out a smirk. It was a good thing she was a kid, otherwise Neo might''ve received a heart attack seeing her smile so much. "I couldn''t tell them how the pirates were defeated. Can you guess how it happened?" Neo thought about it. The answer was clear¡­ She did it with the help of the Tremor-ranked Spell of the Mermaid Country. Unlike what everyone thought, the Spell was not the Country''s heritage. It was given to Elizabeth by Amelia''s father, the Great Ocean God, Poseidon, when the pirates attacked. This was revealed in the novel. No one knew the true identity of Elizabeth''s husband other than her. "You can''t guess it?" Neo stayed silent. "The pirates were defeated by my twin sister." "¡­?" It was the first time he heard about Elizabeth having a sister, much less a twin. Sheughed when she saw his expression. "So even you can make a face like that." "Twin sister?" he asked. "Yes, my twin sister. She was Amelia''s birth mother and the wife of the Great Ocean God, Poseidon." "¡­what?" ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 20: The Truth That Was Never Shown In The Novel "¡­what?" Neo was dumbfounded. Elizabeth exined to him. Her sister lived in secrecy. No one knew she even existed. Her sole purpose was to rece Elizabeth if she was assassinated. The heirs of Mermaid Country had been assassinated countless times when the country refused other nations'' demand in the past. The practice of having a hidden heir came into existence due to it. "My sister didn''t like a life like that and ran away. After her disappearance, my parents grew, well, let''s just say my life became not so good anymore. "I was married to a prince of another country and had to live with them. "He never loved me." She chuckled. "Turned out he liked men. To hide the secret, I had to undergo insemination. "I gave birth to ra and Paul." As he heard her, his mind was thrown into chaos. Amelia was her sister''s daughter? ra and Paul were her children? It sounded like nonsense. However, a lot of things made sense. It exined why she would take care of two orphans so much and why was she hurt when ra and Paul tried to kill her. They were her actual children, not just adopted. Thinking logically, since Amelia looked simr to her, and no one knew Elizabeth sister''s existence, she had no choice but to act as if Amelia was her daughter. "When the pirates attacked the ship, my sister returned with Amelia. "She defeated the pirates, and gave me the Tremor-ranked Spell and Amelia, saying she was on a run and had to leave as her life was in danger. "She asked me to protect Amelia before she left." After exining everything, she looked at Neo to know what he thought about her life. This was the first time she told someone about it. There was a single thought in his mind. What the fuck in abracadabra shit was this? Was why something so important never exined in the novel?! ''¡­Maybe the author nned to reveal this during the final arc.'' Neo calmed down after reaching a conclusion. "Why are you telling me all this? I don''t care about your past." His words made Elizabeth freeze. A downcast expression appeared on her face. "Right, why would anyone care about me?" She returned to her Tyrant Queen demeanor. "I don''t want to live. Leave. I have no intention of giving my curse to you¡ª" "No, I won''t leave you." He stared at her with a determined gaze. "You won''t die as long as I''m here." If she died, Neo would be in deep shit. And she had to give him the Tremor-ranked Spell and the replica of Poseidon''s Trident. "What¡­? You just said you don''t care about me and now you don''t want me to die? Are you making fun of me?" A terrifying pressure descended. "Don''t overstep your boundaries, kin of Death." Her chilling voice sent shivers down his spine. However, he maintained his stance. "I''m not making fun of you. "It''s you who are making a mockery of yourself. "What are you trying to achieve by telling me about your past? "You just want someone to acknowledge you." Elizabeth flinched as if he had hit the nail on the head. He continued. "Does your life have meaning only if others say you are important? "No. "Stop trying to look at others for support. "You and only you can determine the value of your life." He stood before her and looked down at her. "Not me, not my acknowledgement, and¡­ not your children." "That''s easy for you to say!" Elizabeth clenched her fist and let go of her mask for the Tyrant. She screamed from the depth of her heart. "No one wants me to live! They curse at me every day as if I''m blight on their life! Even my children think it''s better if I die!" "Not everyone." Neo answered with a calm tone. "I, for one, want you to live.... and Amelia too." He added, "Did you know, after Amelia first met me, she thought I would kill her? "But when the slightest chance appeared, she tried to take the Divine Water pond to save you, even if that put her life in danger." Elizabeth lowered her face. Her shoulders shook. "She loves you." "But I am a Tyrant." "She knows it and I know it too." Silence descended between the two. Only the noise of the sea and Elizabeth''s hups continued. Tears dripped onto the sandy beach. "I... I''m not crying." "I don''t see any tears." "A Tyrant never cries." "Is that so?" "If you tell anyone what happened here, I''ll imprison you and torture you." "Sounds painful." He smiled. "Does that mean you are ready to leave with me?" She wiped her tears but didn''t look up. "¡­Hold my hand if you want to leave together," she said He followed her words. "I don''t care what happens to you after you take my curse." "¡­" "Even if you die, it''s your fault." "¡­" Just as they were about to disappear, he heard a small whisper. "Thank you¡­" She raised her head and smiled at him. It wasn''t scary like her usual smiles. Her smile was lovely. ¡­ Neo woke up with a groan. Not much time passed since he lost consciousness. The hours he spent with Elizabeth in the dreamscape were mere moments in reality. "¡ªwhat''s happening to you?" "Stop shouting," he ordered, irritated. "A-ah, I thought you were about to lose consciousness." "You don''t need to think. Just do what you are told." ra clenched her fists. Her nails dug into her palms, but she did not talk back. Suddenly, the purple veins on Elizabeth''s body wriggled. They moved towards her arm and seeped into Neo''s arm as he held her hand. "The curse is transferring! She let go of it!" ra eximed. Neo grunted. The pain was beyond anything he imagined. He felt he was skinned alive and dipped into salt water. She had been enduring this for days? He shuddered. His skin cracked, revealing purple veins, and his body rapidly deteriorated. He felt someone grabbing his hand. Raising his eyes, he noticed Elizabeth looking at him with a stone-cold gaze. She looked calm, but the warmth of her hand revealed her worries. Elizabeth tried to sit, but Neo stopped her. "R-rest. Don''t worry, these two won''t do a-anything to you." His lips turned ck and his nails started to fall off. It didn''t take long for him to lose his eyesight and hearing. "I¡­ I''ll back." Neo tried to smile, only to fail miserably. It made her heart ache. "D-don''t forget. I''m Immortal." He went limp in her hands. Elizabeth had no choice to believe his words. Because she did not think she could forgive herself if he never woke up again. Chapter 21: Amelias Resolve Elizabeth was snapped out of her thoughts by Paul''s voice. "It stopped. Th-the pain stopped," he muttered. A dark shadow appeared on ra''s face. Neo died and ''curse'' on Paul lifted. It meant¡­. ''He didn''t use curses. It was something else,'' she thought. ''He got us good.'' She was enraged. However, she reined her thoughts and focused. Elizabeth''s curse was lifted only a few moments ago. If it was now, ra might be able to finish her. The weapons floating in the room transformed. They aimed at Elizabeth when suddenly they exploded. ra felt as if a truck rammed into her. Her body flew backwards and she broke through several walls. "Did Neo stop you two alone?" Elizabeth asked Paul. "A-ah..." He was still feeling the lingering pain and unable to answer. "I asked you a question." Suddenly, an intense pressure smashed Paul into the ground. The weight slowly increased. Paul could feel his body crying in pain, however, unlike before, where Elizabeth stopped in the audience hall, she continued mercilessly. Elizabeth hated it. She did not want to see her children in pain. But. She understood. They had crossed the line. It was either them or her. "Krk¡­" The floor cracked as the pressure doubled. "H-he told us¡­ he would kill us¡­ if we d-didn''t save you," Paul answered. "How could Neo, an Awakened Demigod, threaten you and ra. You two are far stronger than him?" The Tyrant Queen added in a cold voice, "Tell me everything without leaving anything out." Just as she finished her words, ra returned with a strong vigor. Her body was covered in a silver armor and she held a spear. She was smashed into the ground, just like Paul, as soon as she entered the room. Paul was horrified when he saw his sister unable to do anything. He exined everything. From how they killed Neo, to how they lied to her about the purge, how Neo suddenly revived, and tricked them into thinking he could use curses. Elizabeth''s gaze softened. She caressed Neo''s hair. He wasn''t as strong as made himself look, in fact, he was extremely weak . Elizabeth saw, and Amelia told her, just how moving from one ce to another was enough to tire him out. Still, he put himself on line to save her. Not once, but twice. Heid his life for her. Elizabeth knew he must''ve a reason to go to this extent to help her. However, it didn''t change anything. He was the only one who helped her when everyone tried to stab her in the back. If it wasn''t for him, she would''ve died, and med herself for everything that transpired. She was in his debt. A debt she wouldn''t be able to repay, even if she gave him her life; after all, she could do it once but he gave her his own life twice. "Leave," Elizabethmanded. "I don''t want to meet you two ever again." A beatter, she sted ra and Paul out of the pce. They wouldn''t die from the attack. However, their injuries would take months to heal. It was weird. Despite everything, she couldn''t kill them. A drop of tear slipped out of her eyes. "W-what is this? I''m crying too much today," she wiped her eyes and looked at Neo''s corpse. He was abnormal. Even if he was immortal, which Elizabeth doubted, he did not seem to care for his own life. True immortality did not exist. Elizabeth, after reaching Exalted Demigod rank, knew this for a fact. Some artifacts and abilities allowed one to circumvent around death. But all of them demanded a huge price. Death was impartial. If you wanted to cheat death, you must pay something of immeasurable value. What price did Neo pay? What kind of life did he live to die twice as if it was nothing? She was curious. It was the first time was interested in a person''s life other than her family. She didn''t understand why she felt like this. "Mom!" Amelia appeared. She was visible through the broken wall. Several of the Queen''s personal guards followed her. "What happened? I saw sis and Paul were hurt¡­" Before she couldplete her words, the guards exploded into gory mist. Amelia froze. "Why did you return? You should''ve evacuated already," Elizabeth asked as she beckoned Amelia toe to her. "I¡­ I couldn''t leave you alone." Despite saying so, Amelia couldn''t approach Elizabeth. The Queen killed the guards brutally. Had she really gone berserk? Suddenly, Amelia noticed the purple veins on Elizabeth''s body had disappeared. "The curse¡­?" "It''s cured." Amelia''s eyes widened and she rushed at her mom. She hugged Elizabeth with a jump. Tears fell from her eyes. "H-how?" "Neo forced the curse''s caster to transfer the curse to him. He died in my ce." Amelia felt shocked. Hearing her mother''s words, she felt she might''ve thought wrong about Neo. "Will he r-revive? He said he was immortal." "Yes, I think he will. But it seems there is some sort of cool down in his ability." If Neo was here, he would''ve been shocked to know Elizabeth deduced his unique skill after hearing about it once and said ''As expected of an Exalted Demigod''. A small smile appeared on Amelia''s face. "I need to thank Brother Paul and Sister ra. If they hadn''t found Neo you would''ve¡­. Hic! Hic!" As Elizabeth patted Amelia''s back. "They didn''t bring Neo to me. Neo brought them." "¡­?" Amelia felt there was something weird about her mother''s words. "Neo¡­ brought them?" "He needed the curse caster to transfer the curse." Amelia blinked. What was her mother trying to say? She understood her words, but the implications behind them made them impossible to be true. "ra could use curses." The words turned Amelia''s world upside down. Her mind froze. She stared nkly into the air while Elizabeth exined everything to her. "N-no¡­ That''s not possible. This guy. Yes, Neo, must''ve tricked you!" "Amelia¡­" "There is no way Paul and ra will try to kill you¡­" "Amelia." "T-there is no way¡­ Hic! Hic!" Elizabeth hugged Amelia as she cried her heart out. No matter how much Amelia tried to deny it, the truth was before her eyes. Chapter 22: Necrophilia Kink No matter how much Amelia tried to deny it, the truth was before her eyes. Neo was dead after ra transferred the curse to him, and her mother punished her siblings for the rebellion. Hours passed. Before long, Amelia stopped crying and remained motionless as she hugged her mom. "I hate it¡­" Amelia muttered. "I hate Paul and ra¡­ "I hate this country. "I hate everyone who tried to kill you." Her words wereced with malice and impure intentions. "Stop it." Elizabeth spoke. "There is no need to take revenge." "But¡ª" "I don''t love this country anymore either. So, let''s leave." Amelia agreed to her suggestion. But she wasn''t satisfied leaving them alive after what they did to her mother. She wanted to make them go through same, no, worse pain. However, Amelia was weak. Only her mother could punish the rebels and she had refused to do so. So. She would bide her time. Until she was strong enough to crush this country and its people. "When should we leave? And what about the international issues? Even if you step down, the major world powers won''t ept your resignation without a proper reason." "I know. That''s why the Tyrant Queen must die today." "¡­?" "Follow me." The Queen stood up with a stagger. Amelia quickly moved and supported her. "Thank you," as Elizabeth said, she flicked her finger and Neo''s corpse floated behind her. Amelia alternated her gaze between her mother and the corpse. "We can''t leave him here. It seems he resurrects in the same vessel." After exining, the Queen opened a hidden corridor inside the wall. They moved through it and appeared on a hill far from the castle. From there, the castle and the capital city of the ind Mermaid Country could be seen clearly. "The Queen went berserk and destroyed everything while killing herself in the chaos," Elizabeth said as she was supported by Amelia. She raised her arm. Her body quivered and a trail of blood left her lips. As if pulling something, she brought her hand down. In the distance, the Azure Spire Pce was ttened. Amelia could not feel the tremors since she was too far from the Pce. However, she could see thendscape undergoing a terrifying transformation with a single gesture of her mother. The city sustained some damages and the pce was destroyed beyond recognition. "With this, the Queen is dead¡ª" Elizabeth puked blood. "Mom!" "Don''t worry. I just overexerted myself." Elizabeth sat down on the grassy ground. She could feel her consciousness slipping through her grasp. "I''ll take a short nap." As her heavy eyelids closed, he saw Neo, whoy next to her. Why hadn''t he resurrected yet? A few hours had gone by since he died. Elizabeth couldn''t help but worry if everything was alright. ¡­ Underworld Neo wiped the sweat. He stared at the corpses of Gulwaks scattered around. "Splendid work, O Great Child of Monarch. You can rest now," the Grim Reaper said. Neo suddenly lost the strength in his body and fell on his back. Knowing he was safe, his body gave out. His time in Underworld was almost up. He didn''t revive immediately after his death, as he knew there was going to be a lot of work in the world of living, and he did not want to deal with it, but training in Underworld was anything but easy. ''Quest,'' he said in his mind. [Quest: Save the Queen (Completed)] [Water Affinity awakened] [Immortal Exp +50] ''Status'' [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 5 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 1 Awakened] [Stats] Strength: 20 Speed: 21 Dexterity: 17 Constitution: 14 Luck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water] Magic Spell: Necrotic Touch [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] Unique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: None] Neo gained only 1 Strength with this time''s training. It was far less than the 3 stats he gainedst time. He needed to increase the training intensity if he wanted to keep up the growth rate of the stats. [Unique Skill: Immortal] [Exp: 51/100] After confirming he received the rewards, he decided to return. "O Great Child of Monarch, we have a proposition," the Grim reaper said. "Will you listen to us?" "Speak." This was the first time the Grim Reaper spoke up. Neo was curious about what he had to say. "Since you have learned the basics of thebat and would soon begin training, we wish you would allow us to assist you." Neo was confused. Fighting multiple Gulwaks at once wasn''t counted as training? In the Grim Reaper''s eyes, what Neo did until now was no different from a kid trying to learn crawling. It was the basics of the basic. "Okay," Neo nodded. This¡­ He was going to regret it. He knew, he would soon curse his past self for agreeing to the Grim Reaper''s request. But it was an opportunity to grow stronger. His growth was already stagnating and the Demigod Academy was about to start. Neo''s current strength would ce him in the bottom 10% at best. He was weak. So very weak. Even though he had Necrotic Touch, he was under a constant debuff in the living world, due to which he could use the Spell not even 10 times. ''I wonder what kind of training he will prepare.'' ''Since he can give a Tremor-ranked Spell like a candy, I bet his training will reap good rewards.'' Ding! [Quest: Complete training of the Grim Reaper, Barbatos (Part 1)] [Reward: Holy Affinity] ''Nice,'' he thought when the Quest arrived. Holy Affinity was as rare as Death Affinity. Moreover, it was strong against Dark-type affinities. In normal circumstances, Neo would''ve been weak against Holy Magic users. However, as long as hepleted the rewards, and got the Holy Affinity, he would not have to worry about it. "I''m looking forward to the training. Goodbye." "We wish you a happy life, O Great Child of Monarch." Neo used the Immortal skill. His vision went dark and he felt a pull. It felt like he was swimming against the current. Opening his eyes, Neo, revived, felt the Divine Energy being drained to heal his injuries. ''Ugh¡­ I''ll need to make sure I die with as less injuries as possible from next time. The energy expenditure to heal is no joke.'' rity returned to his eyes. He was lying on a grassy hill. Amelia sat on top of him, frozen, and stared at him with wide eyes. From the position of her hands on his shirt, it seemed she was trying to unbutton his clothes. "I... I can exin," she stammered. Neo alternated his gaze between her hands and shocked expression. A sigh escaped his lips. "Sorry. I didn''t know you were into necrophilia. Had I known, I would''ve¡ª" Chapter 23: Big Problems Neo apologized. "Had I known about it, I would''ve revived after¡ª" "I told you it is a misunderstanding!" Amelia stood up and moved away. She couldn''t decide if she should feel insulted, angry, or embarrassed. "Your clothes were ruined. I didn''t want to leave you looking like that and you were taking too long to revive, so I decide to¡­ to¡­" "Sneak a peek?" "No! As I said, it''s a misunderstanding! I wasn''t doing anything wrong!" Amelia''s ears turned beet red. Her reactions were funny. He wanted to tease her more but he felt windy down there. Neo looked at his clothes. Calling them ruined was underying it. After ra gave him a beating, his clothes had more holes than a pampered kid''s wallet. "I''ll take the clothes you prepared," He said. "Thanks." He changed into the new set of attire prepared by Amelia. While he was changing, Amelia turned away. "Uh, so, thank you for helping us," she spoke solemnly. "Don''t mind it. I didn''t do it for free." Silence descended. Both of them said nothing. Neo was trying to think of his future ns. He didn''t bother initiating a conversation. The quietness bothered Amelia and she spoke, "Are you really Immortal?" "Yes." "Is that even possible? We were taught something else at the Academy." "Hmm?" Only now did Neo remember Amelia was a 2nd year at Demigod Academy. In the novel, she left the academy since she had to take over the throne after her mother''s death. "Demigod Academy?" "Yeah. The professors taught us things about the Great Death God, Hades. He didn''t seem to be a god who''d let even his children cheat Death." Things, huh. Neo didn''t bother asking about details. He knew exactly how Hades was treated among the demigods and Gods. They feared his powers, and no one truly respected him. The only reason Hades was one of the Three Great Gods was due to his overwhelming strength. "You are awake." "Mom!" Elizabeth returned. She stared at Neo silently. He returned her gaze. "Why are you two looking at each other like that?" Amelia stepped in-between them. "Nothing," Elizabeth answered. "We should go. I''vepleted the preparations." She gave a bag to Amelia. The three moved down from the hill and went into the direction of the beach. They travelled through forests by foot to make sure no one found them. It took them a few hours to reach their destination. Both Elizabeth and Neo were exhausted by the end. "Should we rest?" Amelia asked. "We haven''t had dinner yet too." "We can take a breakter. Let''s eat while we are moving," Neo spoke. Elizabeth agreed with him. She whistled after standing at the seashore. Neo was looking at the sea to find the approaching Azure Dragon when suddenly the clouds parted. The moonlight fell through the gaps and an Azure Sea Dragon descended from the sky. It had silver scales and was at least five timesrger than the previous dragon Neo met. The Dragonnded on the beach. It made a pleasing grunt when it saw Elizabeth and Amelia, and allowed them to caresses its body. "You can touch him," Amelia told Neo. Just as Neo was about to ce his hand on the silver scales of the dragon, it snorted and an invisible force pushed Neo back. Neo heard Ameliaughing beside him. "Gerna, doesn''t like anyone besides us touching him," Amelia smirked and rubbed the dragon''s belly to brag. He looked back at the dragon. For some reason, he could by looking at the Dragon''s eyes. If he tried to touch it again, it would crush him. "Stop being stubborn, Gerna. We have to leave," Elizabeth said. The Dragon whimpered, as ifining, but when it saw Elizabeth wasn''t joking, it relented. Now allowed to touch the dragon, Neo climbed on its back with Elizabeth''s help. She carried Amelia and him with Divine Energy. "Depart," Elizabethmanded. The dragon took off to the skies. It went above the cloud of seas and flew freely in the air. The journey was uneventful. They passed over the clouds and the hurricanes so there wasn''t much to see. After they left the waters area of Mermaid Country, Neo finally rxed. "Where are we going?" he asked. "Amelia will return to the Demigod Academy. As for me, I still have to make a decision." Elizabeth answered. "Where should we drop you?" Neo made a deliberate pause to make it look like he was uncertain. "I have to go to the Academy too¡ª" Amelia and Elizabeth didn''t appear surprised for some reason. He continued. "¡ªBut how about we go to the Divine Water cave first. It would help us speed up our recovery." "Good idea. I''ll give you the things you asked in there." Elizabeth agreed to his suggestion. "Wait, what¡­?" Suddenly, Amelia looked at them wide-eyed. "What are you going to give him!? I''m not letting you marry him!" Elizabeth shook her head and spoke with a sorrow voice. "But that was the deal. How can I, Elizabeth de Beaufort, turn back on my words?" Despite her expressionless face, Neo could see mischief hidden in her eyes. He could understand why she was teasing Amelia. Her reactions were just too cute. The banters between the mother and the daughter continued until they reached the divine water cave. Before the Dragon dived into the seawater, Neo''s brows furrowed. He forgot to bring his diving gear. A smirk appeared on Amelia''s face. "What happened? Can''t breathe underwater, Mr. Exalted Demigod?" Neo shrugged. He didn''t feel bad about tricking her back then. After all, it was a matter of life and death for him. "Stay close to me." Elizabeth created a sphere of air before the dragon dove into the sea. The air bubble allowed him to breathe. They floated towards the underwater cave''s entrance. "I''ll enter first. Follow behind me," Elizabeth said and changed the shape of the air bubble to cover only Neo. Just as she swam in-between the coral reefs, a problem appeared. ¡­Her chest was stuck in the narrow entrance. Chapter 24: It Is Bigger Than My Hand Just as she swam in-between the coral reefs, a problem appeared. ¡­Her chest was stuck in the narrow entrance. "¡­" "¡­" Neo and Amelia stared at her with awkward gazes. Turning his head, Neo subconsciouslypared Elizabeth with Amelia. ''There is a room for lot of development.'' He shook his head in disappointment. It seemed Amelia failed to inherit good qualities from her mother. Or maybe, Amelia took after her birth mother? Neo wouldn''t know since he never met Elizabeth''s twin sister. "Mom, do you need help¡ª" A pulse of wave passed through the undersea and suddenly the seabed was ripped apart until miles. Elizabeth, after changing the underwaterndscape, turned to them. "Amelia is ustrophobic, so I erged the entrance. It shouldn''t be ufortable anymore." "Huh? I''m not us¡ª" "You are, sweetie. You just don''t know because you''ve never been in confined spaces." Her expressionless face was saying to never bring up the topic again. Neo would be lying if he said his eyes didn''t wander to inappropriate ces. He moved his gaze away before Elizabeth could catch him. It was already morning by the time they entered the underwater cave. Thankfully, it was not destroyed by Elizabeth''s rampage. Amelia left the underwater cave after a short rest. They ran away from the Mermaid Country without bringing anything except food. So Amelia was going to buy the basic necessities from the city while Neo and Elizabeth used the Divine Water pond. "You can enter the pond first," Elizabeth told him. Neo didn''t refuse. After making sure Elizabeth was looking in another direction, he removed his clothes and sat inside the Divine Water pond. He could feel his exhaustion disappearing. It was a good idea to listen to Elizabeth''s advice. Just when he thought that, Elizabeth entered the pond¡­ Naked. Neo''s mind reyed the scene like a broken tape recorder Elizabeth''s slender white neck gave way to delicate shoulders, leading down to a perfectly proportioned bust. Her waist was narrow, entuating the soft curves of her hips, which moved with a fluid grace. Every time she took a step, the twin mountains quivered ever so slightly. They were BBB. Big, bountiful, and beautiful. They swayed with the movements of her arms, making him think that they had a strange force of attraction. Neo was slightly surprised when she sat inside the pond and they floated. His blood rushed towards his waist and he felt his little brother saluting at the tear-jerking sight. "You shouldn''t stare so openly," Elizabeth told him with a smile. "I''m not the one who came naked even though there was someone in the pond," he said. "Besides, I''m letting you see me. So, it''s an equal exchange." Elizabeth chuckled at his boldness. She looked below after breaking the eye contact with him. Her eyes slightly widened. She approached him and grabbed his little brother. "It''s bigger than my hand," her voice was filled with astonishment. Neo.exe crashed. All he felt was her hot breath tickling his skin and her soft, small hands on his little brother. It was dangerous. He could feel the dam threatening to burst. "Amelia told me she saw you naked. No wonder she was afraid after seeing this." Elizabeth stretched her thumb and pinky and tried to measure his little brother. She was close enough that a little more and he could touch those mountains. Neo didn''t know what to do. Aftering to this world he learned a lot. But nothing prepared him on how to respond to this kind of temptation! His pain tolerance, aura of death, and otherworldly reflexes. Nothing was useful! Neo moved on his instincts guidance and grabbed a mountain with his right hand. His fingers sunk into the marshmallow-like ground. Acting on autopilot, he pinched the red peak. "W-what are you doing?" "I''m following your lead." Neo answered in a daze. He failed to notice the blush on Elizabeth''s face. Before he could check the firmness of the other peak, she let go of his little brother and retreated. "L-let''s not digress. I came here to teach the Tremor-ranked Spell we had the deal about." "Here?" "The Divine Water pond will help you replenish your Divine Energy quickly. This is a good ce to learn the Spell faster." While Neo''s brain told him the Spell was important, his little brother exined not everything was about strength and some chances came only once in a life-time. Neo agreed with his little brother. He approached Elizabeth. "We can learn the Spell, but shouldn''t you teach me first about¡ª" "What are you two doing?" Amelia''s icy voice rang. Neo turned his head and noticed her at the cave entrance. She stared at him with a cold, disgusted gaze. Seeing her, his little brother returned to sleep instantly. His desires were vanquished and he came to understand the futility of the immoral temptations. Neo got out of the pond. He dried himself with a towel before dressing himself. "Why do you alwayse at the worst time? I''m starting to think it''s your hobby to peek at naked people," he spoke. "Y-you!" She red at him as if he was her mortal enemy. Which wasn''t exactly wrong considering he was getting steamy with her mother. "Why were you naked with him, Mom?!" She turned to Elizabeth after she realized speaking to Neo was like shouting at a rock. "I didn''t want to ruin my clothes," Elizabeth answered with a flushed face. She seemed more embarrassed now than she had been with Neo moments ago. "What do you mean?" Amelia narrowed her eyes. "We don''t have money. If I ruined the clothes I had on me, I would''ve nothing left to wear," she gave an excuse. Amelia''s face stiffened. She had, in anger, refused to bring the money, weapons, and anything else from the Mermaid Country. Even the food was fruits Elizabeth collected from the wild. Back then, Amelia said she would rather die than take anything from their country. It wasn''t her fault they were penniless. But she could''ve brought money if she wanted. She wasn''tpletely faultless. ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 25: Oceans Embrace It wasn''t Amelia''s fault they were penniless. But she could''ve brought money if she wanted. She wasn''tpletely meless. Their reason sounded reasonable¡­ As if! Amelia sat in the corner of the underwater cave. "Why did you return so quickly?" Elizabeth got out of the pond and wore clothes with slow yet hurried pace. "I don''t have money and I didn''t want to use my bank ount because¡­" Amelia pursed her lips. "I don''t want to use anything from that country anymore." "I have some cash on me. We can use it for now," Neo said. He checked his wallet only to remember he left his wallet and Academy Id with the scuba diving gear. Amelia noticed his actions. "You are looking for these?" She pulled out his Academy Id, smartphone and wallet from her backpack. ''Did she take those before removing my clothes?'' Neo thought. ''That''s why they weren''t surprised when I revealed I was an Academy student. They knew already.'' "I was nning to use your money, but I thought I should ask you first. So I returned and found you two being very nice to each other." Amelia''s words were dripping with icy contempt. "You can use my money. Now, go away," Neo spoke. It was doubtful if Elizabeth would give him the weapon in front of Amelia, since it meant revealing its existence. Thus, Neo wanted to send her elsewhere. "Yeah?" Amelia let out a cold smile. "I''m not leaving. If you have to do anything, do it in front of me." If Neo had been forcing himself on her Mom by leveraging his actions in the Mermaid Country, Amelia might''ve taken action against him. But. Amelia knew her mother''s personality. Instead of being ckmailed, she was the type to ckmail others. It was painfully clear who approached who. ''What are you doing, Mom!? He is my junior in the Academy! Why did you have to set your eyes on him of all people!?'' Amelia shouted in her mind. ''You never showed interest in the opposite gender! You used to reject all marriage proposals regardless of their bloodline or strength!'' ''Why now!? Why him?!'' She wanted to pull her hair out. One fact was clear, she could not leave these two alone. A disgusting chill crawled down her spine when she thought what they would''ve done if she did note back. Neo did not care about her thoughts. He turned to Elizabeth. "Can you teach me the Terror-ranked Spell?" "¡­Okay." He sat crossed leg next to the pond. Even though he wasn''t inside the pond, he should''ve faster Divine Energy regeneration at this distance. Elizabeth sat behind him and told him take off his shirt. "Don''t try to do anything funny," Amelia spoke from the side. "¡­" Elizabeth ced her palm on Neo''s back. "I''ll use my Divine Energy to use the Spell with your body. Don''t resist the flow and try to remember the sensation." She was about to begin when she suddenly stopped. There was one thing she had to confirm before teaching him the Spell. "Do you have a Water Affinity? You can''t use the Spell without it." "I do." She puckered her lips. "You have Death Affinity too. Do you have multiple affinities?" "Yes." "That''s surprise. How many affinities can you use?" Neo didn''t answer. He could only use Death affinity. He changed the topic to save himself from the embarrassment. "I thought only two people could inherit the Ocean''s Embrace. Will you lose the Spell if you teach it to me?" "How do you know the Spell''s name...?" ¡­.! Shit! "I saw Amelia using the Spell duringst year''s tournament¡­" He sighed inwardly. It was a believable excuse. Elizabeth felt something was wrong, but she decided to let it go. "To answer your question: No. The part about only two demigods inheriting the Spell was a lie. I created it to stop the ones approaching me for it." ''So it was a lie.'' Neo didn''t know what to feel. It was another fact different from what he knew. In the novel, Amelia actually believed the lie and told the same to the protagonist. Looking at her expression, which was like a fish unable to close its mouth, it was clear Amelia took a bigger hit than him. Neo smirked. He found an important secret rted to her before her. His smile was like rubbing salt on Amelia''s wounds. She knew he was taking revenge for the dragon prank, but what she wouldn''t have done to fire an arrow at his smug face right now. "I''ll start." Elizabeth pushed her Divine Energy into Neo. He groaned. Or. Maybe, he moaned. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see Amelia looking at him with a disgusted face, and focused on the foreign Divine Energy inside his body. It moved through his magic circuits. Neo tried to remember the path of Divine Energy and the activation sequence of magic circuits inside his body. Hours passed. They repeated the training with short breaks. It took Neo three days to use the Spell. [Ocean''s Embrace] [Rank: Tremor] [Mastery: Apprentice] [Effect: Grants the protection of the Water Spirit, Undine.] A thin blueyer appeared around Neo''s skin. It increased his resistance against heat, cold, and allowed him to breathe underwater. His movement speed under the water increased. He could tank physical attacks, and magical attacks to a minor degree, without taking major injuries. It was an all round defense spell. The best part was the Divine Energy expenditure. Ocean''s Embrace consumed a lot less Divine Energypared to Necrotic Touch. He could use for it five minutes! The time would increase with training. With Ocean''s Embrace, he had two Tremor-ranked Spells in his arsenal. Neo might''ve been the first person to learn two Tremor-ranked Spells as his first Magic Spell. It was normal for demigods to start with low-ranked Spells and slowly move towards higher-ranked Spells after they gained sufficient mastery over Divine Energy. "I''ve given you the reward for the Divine Water pond," Elizabeth said while panting slightly. The technique she used to teach him was very burdensome. Only an Exalted Demigod like her could pull it off. "As for the reward for saving me¡­" Chapter 26: Unknown Caller "As for the reward for saving me¡­" She looked at Amelia, who had fallen asleep. "I can''t give it you right now. You should know the reason since you want the weapon." The replica of Poseidon''s Trident was a powerful weapon. But there were weapons stronger than it. The reason the trident was special was due to its Immortal yer trait. It could kill Immortals beings like Neo. He didn''t need the weapon because it was powerful. By taking it himself, he wanted to make sure nobody else got their hands on it. After all, when the news of him being Hades'' kin and an Immortal spreads, the world powers would mark him as a potentially dangerous demigod, and look for methods to contain him in case he went berserk or rouge. It was not just him. A counter strategy was created for every powerful demigod and demigods with powerful bloodlines. It was a necessary practice. Because it wasn''t just once or twice a demigod gave into the temptations of Outer Gods and switched sides. "Don''t worry. I won''t break my promise. I''ll give the weapon to you. "It''s currently sealed under the Mount Columbus. I need time to break the seal. Since I have to visit the Academy, I''ll bring it to you there." Elizabeth had been prepared for her death. She made sure to hide a dangerous weapon like the Poseidon''s Trident. It couldn''t be allowed to fall in wrong hands or the damage would be catastrophic. "I understand," Neo said. He couldn''t wait to get it. They took another day of rest and left for the city. After arriving on a secluded part of Okahama Beach, Amelia and Neo got off the dragon. "I''ll return after leaving Gerna somewhere safe," Elizabeth told them. "You two go to the Academy. We''ll meet there." She was probably going to collect the trident. After she left, Neo and Amelia walked down the beach together. They remained silent. Neo stopped after an hour long walk. He was sweating heavily and feeling tired. The whole event with the Mermaid Country took a lot out of him and training a Tremor-ranked Spell after that broke the camel''s back. "Can we rest¡­?" He asked while he sat on the roadside bench. Amelia stared at him and left without speaking anything. "¡­?" Was she going to the Academy alone? "Maybe I underestimated how angry she was with me," Neo smiled bitterly. Then again, if he had a chance, he would do everything he did back then and more. Fifteen minutester, when he was about to stand, Amelia returned. She passed him a canned drink. "It''s an energy drink," she told him. "It should help you." ''Did she leave to bring this?'' They were on a secluded road that ran next to the shore. Amelia must''ve gone quite far to buy the drink. Maybe his surprise showed on his face, because she said, "I''m not angry with you. I don''t like what happened in the cave, and that''s all. I can never hate you after all what you did for mom. I''m not that stupid." Her words were nice. But the way she repeatedly said she wasn''t angry with him¡­. Yeah, he didn''t believe her. Neo decided to watch his back during the nights, lest he got stabbed by her. "We should move¡ª" Neo''s phone suddenly rang and he couldn''tplete his words. He took it out. The number was from an unknown caller. He might''ve ignored in normal circumstances. But his phone did not have towers before they reached the Okahama Beach. There was a slight chance the caller was someone who knew Neo Hargraves. "Let me pick this up," he told Amelia and answered the call. The caller spoke, "Where the fuck are you, you fucking cunt? Do you know¡ª" Neo cut the call. "Who was it? Your family?" Amelia asked. "It was a misdialed number. He seems quite angry at whoever he was calling¡­." The call arrived again from the same number. "Are you sure you don''t know the number?" Amelia questioned. "...I''ll check." He picked the call. "Hello¡ª" "Motherfucker, how the fuck did you dare cut the call? Do you have a death wish?" "Who is this? I''m sorry I don''t recognize you." "¡­" Suddenly, the caller went silent. He took a huge breath and exploded, "This fucking shit again!? I swear you need to find more excuses, you fucking whore¡ª" "Wrong number." Neo hung up. The call did note again. Amelia stared at Neo with a peculiar expression. The caller was so loud she could hear him even though the call wasn''t on speaker. "There are all sorts of people in the world," she chuckled awkwardly. They were about to leave when suddenly the call returned. Neo ignored it. The call kept arriving. Once¡­ Twice¡­ Ten times¡­. Neo, irritated, answered the call to tell off the caller. "Neo, you fucking asshole. First, you apply to the Academy without telling me, then you disappear for weeks, and now you are ignoring my calls?" He could image the veins exploding on the caller''s neck. "I swear if you hang up on me this time, I''ll fucking kill you." "You know me?" "¡­" "¡­Don''t break the phone again, don''t break the phone," the caller muttered some words that were too quiet for Neo to hear. "Sigh, where are you, Neo?" Neo didn''t answer immediately. The caller knew his name. Was he Neo''s friend? However, it was weird the caller''s name was not saved on the smartphone. ''Since he knows I''m going to the academy, we are going to meet one way or other,'' Neo thought. ''But he sounds dangerous. It''s best if I meet him after we''ve rendezvoused with Elizabeth. She can protect me if something goes wrong.'' Neo was about to hang up when suddenly he heard a second voice from the caller''s side. "Sir, we''ve traced the call''s location." ¡­!? Amelia''s eyes widened. She snatched the phone from Neo''s hand. Before she could break it, the caller began tough hysterically. "Neo, did you hear that?" The caller spoke in a low tone. "You are fucking dead." Chapter 27: Tsundere Villain "Who was this person? And don''t you dare say you don''t know him because the caller definitely knew you." Amelia held his hand and dragged him away. They had to leave before the caller came to find them. Neo could only divert her question. He didn''t know the caller''s identity himself. "Can you contact your mother? We might need her help." "I can''t. Since I stayed with you two all the times, I had no chance to buy a smartphone for her." It took them a few dozen minutes to find a taxi. They asked the taxi driver to take them to bullet train station. From there, they purchased a ticket for the station nearest to the Academy. Neo didn''t know why but he was sweating heavily. It seemed to him that his body recognized the caller''s voice and was afraid to meet him. As soon as they got off from the bullet train, they realized something was wrong. "Get ready to fight." "I know." The station was empty. The people on the train were being stopped from getting off. ''Who is it? Who has the power to evacuate a whole station in broad daylight,'' thought Neo. They waited. But nothing happened. "What should we do?" Amelia asked. "Waiting won''t change anything. Let''s try to leave the station," Neo said. As they walked, they noticed that the staff members were also missing. The station looked like a ghost town. Suddenly, Neo noticed a presence. He signaled Amelia towards the man at the station''s entrance. The man, a blonde, had a scar that ran from his right eye to his lower jaw. He was extremely handsome. He wore a ck suit and puffed a smoke. "You are two minuteste. Do you understand you just wasted my two millions?" the man said. The voice matched the caller. Neo recognized the identity of the man from the scar. ''First Elizabeth and now him? Why am I getting entangled these types of people,'' he thought worriedly. "Get in the car." The man threw the cigarette before sitting inside the car parked at the entrance. Amelia raised her bow. "We should fight. He doesn''t seem strong so¡ª" "No, let''s listen to him." Neo told her with a dry throat. The man, Henry Hargraves, was as dangerous as Elizabeth, perhaps even more. Hmm? Henry¡­ Hargraves? The same Hargraves as Neo Hargraves? "Brother?" Neo asked cautiously. Henry lowered the window and gave him a stare. "What? Did you get your memory back?" Henry scoffed and opened another cigarette. Amelia visibly rxed after knowing he was Neo''s brother. She wanted to ask why Neo had been acting as if he didn''t know him, but, judging from Neo''s expression, she felt there might be bad blood between them and remained silent. "Should we enter the car?" She asked. "Yeah." Amelia and Neo sat in the backseat while Henry drove the car. The car moved through the busy road for dozens of minutes. Just when Amelia felt something was wrong, they stopped at a red light, and Henry looked in the mirror. "Did you go to the Mermaid Country?" "Yes." "tch, you look famished, fucker. Did you fucking eat something or not?" Henry took a puff of smoke. "And why is that bitch''s daughter with you?" Amelia reacted when he insulted a mother. But Neo stopped her by cing his hand over her hand. ''Don''t move. Please don''t move,'' Neo tried to tell her with his eyes. Henry and Elizabeth had bad blood between them. He hated Amelia because he couldn''t kill Elizabeth with his own hands. After Henry went rogue in the novel, the first harem member he killed was Amelia. Henry continued to talk. "Anyway, why did you go to the Mermaid Country?" "¡­To heal the Queen." There was no point in lying. Henry could find the information easily with his contacts. "Fucking shithead, won''t you try to deny the responsibility like you always do?" Henry threw the cigarette butt from the window and pulled out another from the pack. He took a puff. "Fuck. I couldn''t even sleep because of you fucker." "What do you mean?" "Hahahaha, look at his dickhead. Do you seriously don''t know what is happening?" Henry saw Neo''s frown and Amelia''s confused expression. "You really don''t know? Wow, fuck." He pulled out a newspaper from the car''s footwell and threw it at Neo. Neo read the headlines. "Those fucking fishes said you had a hand in bitch''s death and you kidnapped her daughter. "Congrattion, fucker, you are an internationally wanted criminal. Senior Temrs are already after your ass." "What!? That''s a lie! He didn''t do anything wrong! He is the one who saved u¡ª ouch!" Neo pinched Amelia''s hand before she revealed Elizabeth was alive. She looked at him with confused eyes. He shook his head and looked at Henry, "I hope you took care of the issue?" "Of course, there is no way I''d let those damned fuckers harm my little-fucking-shit-of-a-brother." The red light turned green. Henry stopped speaking and focused on driving. "Who is your brother?" Amelia whispered. "Is he an Exalted Demigod? How can he stop Senior Temrs and talk like it was nothing?" "No, he is a normal personal." In simpler terms, Henry couldn''t awaken his God Blood. "Then, how¡­?" Amelia asked. "He is rich. Filthy rich." Amelia closed her mouth and looked at him as if she couldn''t believe her ears. However, he wasn''t lying. Wealth was just another form of strength. The car stopped in front of a high-end restaurant. Henry got off. "Bitch,e out. I can''t stand anymore looking at a starved fish like you. We are going to stuff you until you explode." While Amelia and Neo followed Henry into the restaurant, she leaned towards him and whispered. "He loves you despite how he acts, doesn''t he?" She giggled. "I know what they call people like him. Tsundere." Neo gulped as he noticed her impression of his brother improving. Henry certainly loved his brother. When Henry''s brother mysteriously passed away in the novel, he believed his brother died in Academy''s rankingpetition and turned against the Academy. Inter stages, Henry razed half of the continent to the ground and killed majority of the characters and harem members. Henry did all of this because he wanted to avenge his brother. And¡­. Neo wasn''t his brother. ''I''m fucked if he finds out I took over his brother''s body.'' Chapter 28: Should I Kill Her? Neo didn''t like taking over Neo Hargraves body and living while tricking his family. However, he had no intention of revealing his identity. Neo was a victim too. He never asked to possess someone else''s body. He just woke up one day, and found he became Neo Hargraves. "Eat, bitch," Henry said. They sat on a table filled withvish food. Neo did not touch the food immediately. "Aren''t you curious how I thought I could save the Queen?" "I am," Henry answered. "But we can talk after you aren''t hungry anymore." Neo chewed the food with slow, graceful movements. It was awkward. He was trying his best to imitate what he thought was Neo Hargraves'' behavior. This was must be how rich people ate¡ª "Why the fuck are you eating so slowly? Did you hit your head? Or are you trying to look cool because of that bitch''s daughter next to you?" ¡ªapparently Neo Hargraves was different from his imagination. Neo let go off the weird way he was eating and started to eat normally. He looked at Amelia. "Don''t sit there and stare at me. That asshole just said¡­ eat," he told her. Neo peeked at his brother. Even though he called him ''asshole'' he did not react. ''As expected, these guys talk like this,'' he thought. "How did you stop Mermaid Country froming after Neo?" Amelia asked after she chewed. "They must''ve sent someone after him if they released the news about him." It did not look like Henry had any n of answering her. But he spoke when he noticed Neo staring at him curiously, "I asked them for proof and told them to stop if they had no proper justification." Henry added, "They refused, of course. So I told them I''d nuke their country if they don''t stop." "Ah... I forget that. They don''t have mom''s protection anymore. Mermaid Country is now easy to threaten." "Now?" Henry clicked that tongue. "I don''t fear that bitch. Rather, I wanted to kill her myself. Do you know how much money I lost because of her?" Amelia was ticked off by the repeated insults. She didn''t stop even after seeing Neo''s signal. "Isn''t that too much to say? I don''t like how you¡ª" "Bitch, stop talking. Don''t think you are safe. Depending on Neo''s answer, I might kill you right here, right now." She closed her mouth abruptly. The previous favorable impression of Henry was overturned in her mind. Henry ignored her re and turned to Neo. "Since you''ve finished eating, tell me. What happened?" "I awakened my God Blood," Neo answered. "My skill could save the Queen, and I approached Amelia." He hid the existence of Divine Water pond. If Henry knew about it, he might ask Neo what he did with it. That would definitely lead to Elizabeth and Henry''s meeting. Neo felt a shiver crawl up his spine. He had to stop these two crazy bastards from meeting each other. They were enemies and they would definitely fight over the Divine Water pond. "What''s your skill?" Henry asked. "¡­" "What is it, fucker? Don''t you dare say you forgot. I haven''t forgiven you for registering into Demigod Academy." "¡­.I''m Immortal." Henry blinked. It took him a moment to understand Neo''s words. "You tried to transfer that bitch''s curse to yourself!?" Henry smashed his fist into the table and red at Neo. Amelia didn''t feel afraid, but Neo did. Because he knew Henry''s hidden identity. "You fucking bitch! What would have happened if you died!? Did you forget our promise to mom and dad!?" Henry grabbed Neo''s cor. "Tell me. Why did you put your life on the line? If you don''t have a good reason, I''ll kill you myself." Suddenly, Henry frowned. He turned to Amelia. "Was it this bitch? Or did her cunt mother ckmail you?" Henry pointed his finger towards Amelia. Recognizing the motion, Neo realized to his horror that Henry was about to kill Amelia. He didn''t care if it meant revealing his powers. "Wait a second! She is pregnant with my child!" Neo spoke the first words that came to his mind. "Huh?" "What?" Amelia let out a confused voice and Henry seemed baffled. Neo didn''t care what he was saying and continued, "After I failed to save the Queen, Amelia and I were depressed. We weren''t in our right mind and things happened between us." "Nothing happened! Don''t lie to him!" Amelia became livid. Her face was beet red. However, her embarrassment only supported Neo''s words. "Is that true?" Henry asked. "¡­Yes." "No, it isn''t! Listen to me! Why are you believing him without any proof!?" Amelia wanted to cry but had no tear. She didn''t understand why Neo was doing this to her. As she tried to stand, Henry pushed down on her shoulders. "Sit. It''s not good for the child if your blood pressure bes too high." "I''m telling you I''m not pregnant!" "It''s okay, I understand. Even if it was a mistake, it is my duty as an adult to stand by you two and guide you." "You don''t understand anything!" "Amelia¡­" Neo approached her. "W-what?" Neo looked at her with his usual serious expression. She became flustered when he stared at her intensely. "We don''t need to hide it from our brother. I trust him." "Stop lying, please!" Watching Amelia''s vehement protest, Henry became doubtful. Neo noticed that and used the secret trick up his sleeve. He activated Ocean''s Embrace Spell. His body was covered in faint blue light. "This is the Tremor-ranked Spell the Queen passed onto me. You should know¡­" "Only two people can inherit that Spell. So, it''s really true." Henry clicked his tongue. "Isn''t she an Academy student? Is it safe for her to attend such a dangerous ce in her condition?" Henry asked. "We have no other choice. If the news about our child spreads, others will know I, as her fianc¨¦, must''ve inherited the Tremor-ranked Spell. "It would cause trouble since I''m not strong like her mother to protect the Spell," Neo exined. Chapter 29: Templar Course "Hmm, that sounds reasonable." At the side, Amelia was grinding her teeth inplete fury. She stared at Neo as if she was going to kill him. Neo ignored the chill on his back and asked Henry. "Can we leave for the Academy? I need to reach there by tomorrow to receive my rank." Henry puckered his lips. "Thanks for reminding me, fucker. Care to exin what came over you to register into the most difficult course of the Demigod Academy?" "..." Neo Hargraves was in the Temr course. Afterpleting two years of Academy, he would be a Junior Temr. Temrs were the official knights of a Temple. Among the billions of people living on the continent, only one hundred people received a Junior Temr certificate every year. The recognition, money, and power a Temr wielded was unimaginable. The top 25 Temr of every year could attend the college and try their hand on Senior Temr course. If they passed, they could challenge a Senior Temr. Needless to say, each Senior Temr was an absolute monster. It was rare for a Senior Temr to lose their position to a Junior Temr. The current eighty-one Senior Temrs had been there for one hundred years. "You''ll rest today. The rank registration won''t start until tomorrow." Henry did not leave room for negotiations. After booking two rooms near Academy, Neo decided to crash for the night at 5 pm. "You want to sleep now?" Henry asked. "Yes, I''m tired fromst few days." The reason was simple. Immortal had three charges right now. Another charge would appear at midnight, but it would be wasted since the skill was at max stack. If he slept at 6 pm, and spent six hours of real time in Underworld, he would regain the charge he lost as soon as he woke up at 12 am. He needed Immortal at max stack for the academy''s ranking battle that would happen tomorrow. Because 20% of the students die during it. Henry gave him a dubious look and allowed him to sleep early. For some reason, he sent Amelia with him. Amelia shut the door with a m and sat at the king-sized bed. "Why did you lie like that?" She asked in a calm tone. "You don''t look angry," Neo noticed. "I thought you would attack me as soon as we were alone." "Sigh, there must be a reason why you did what you did. We may have spent only a bit of time together, but I know you aren''t someone who acts impulsively." For someone who seemed rxed she sure was ring hard at him a few minutes back. Amelia always tried to act prim and proper in front of others. And yet, she was somehow always shouting at him. ''Am I such an asshole that she can''t bear my actions?'' he thought. He curbed the thoughts and answered her, "My brother must''ve thought you kidnapped me. It wouldn''t matter even I tried to convince him otherwise. If I didn''t lie back then, he would have killed you by now." "Why would he kill someone without any justification¡­." Amelia stopped speaking. She covered her face. "My mom would. If she thought someone kidnapped me, she would end the kidnappers'' lives, even if they had genuine reasons." Was his brother the same? Amelia looked at Neo sympathetically. She could rte to him. Despite that, she thought Henry was a good brother. Henry, after confirming Neo''s safety, did not try to pry into Neo''s secrets. He never asked Neo about his bloodline or tried to force him into answering the questions he was clearly evading. After answering her, Neo prepared to kill himself (sleep). "Are you really going to sleep now?" She asked. "I have a weak constitution. I need plenty of rest before tomorrow''spetition." He lied on the bed and stared at her. "What?" She questioned. "Aren''t you going to leave? Don''t tell you want to sleep together?" "Wha-!?" Amelia took arge breathe and calmed herself down. "We ''have to'' sleep together if you don''t want your brother to find about your lie." "Fair enough," Neo yawned. "Just don''t touch me while I''m asleep like you didst time." "I told you it was a misunderstanding!" Neo used the Death skill to kill himself painlessly. ''I wonder what kind of training Barbatos prepared for me.'' He tried to be open-minded to ept all kind of surprises. Nevertheless, the Spartan training managed to knock the living daylights out of him. ¡­ Top Floor, Dover Hotel Henry took a puff of smoke. He stood next to the window; his eyes were glued to the sunset. An old man in butler uniform entered the room. "Master, is it true young master made the Mermaid Queen''s daughter pregnant?" "What do you think?" He took another puff. "Young master was lying. He has a habit of trying to smile whenever he lies." A chuckle left Henry''s lips. "That fucker really thought he tricked us. Fucking dickhead, he is a hundred years too early to lie to me." "Master, if I may be so presumptuous to ask, why did you let young master get away with the lie? You never liked when he lied to you in the past." "Why huh?" Henry rubbed the cigarette in the ashtray and took out a new one from the pack. "Because of his eyes when he tried to protect that girl." Neo was a coward. After the day their parents died, Neo became a recluse who would shiver uncontrobly just at the thought of meeting other people. He was pathetic. When Henry found out Neo registered for Temr course and passed the written exams, he thought it was an impulse. Neo just wanted tosh out because Henry treated him like a kid. Henry believed it was a good chance to let Neo meet more people, so he did not stop Neo from trying to enter the Demigod Academy. But, to Henry''s horror, Neo suddenly disappeared. The news of Neo''s appearance at Mermaid Country brought him relief and worry. Chapter 30: Order In Chaos At one point, Henry, unable to find Neo, almost went berserk. If he had found Neo a dayter, he did not know what he would''ve done. "Neo has changed," Henry said. When he met him today, he was no longer shaking in his boots. He looked at Henry in the eyes when Henry cursed at him. His movements and tone was filled with undeniable confidence. Neo had, somehow, grown. How did it happen? What did he go throw in a few days to mature so suddenly? "Young master, is he¡­. possessed by an Outer God?" the butler questioned. "It is the only way I can exin his change." "Possessed, huh." Henry felt a throbbing pain on his scar. He took out another cigarette and took a puff. The pain lessened. "I didn''t sense the presence of an Outer God on him and¡­" He took a drag. "His habits are the same. That wouldn''t be possible if he is a different person." The person was Neo. And he was maturing. ''I guess it''s time for the chick to leave the nest.'' Henry smiled. He was happy his brother was changing. Honestly, he didn''t want Neo to enter the Demigod Academy as it was dangerous. But. In their world, weakness was a sin. Henry wouldn''t be always there to protect Neo. He turned to the butler. "What about the documents I asked?" "I''ve brought them." Henry took the pile of papers from the butler. He flipped through them and clicked his tongue. "That bitch left a protector for her daughter." After the Tyrant Queen''s death, there were countless demigods who wanted to snatch the Terror-ranked Spell from Amelia. However, almost any organization who tried to make a move was suddenly destroyed. It was an open warning. The Tyrant Queen might be dead. But her daughter was not defenseless. "Master, is the protector¡­" "Yeah, it''s that bitch herself. She isn''t dead." After knowing Neo''s skill, Henry was sure his brother saved the Queen and inherited her Spell aspensation. "At least that dickhead has good business senses. He earned a giant profit and removed a roadblock for me." Henry added, "Create a fake identity for the bitch." His words confused the butler. "Why are you trying to help the Tyrant Queen, master?" "I''m helping my brother." Henry inhaled the cigarette. "That bitch owes a favor to him, it''s better for us if she isn''t caught. "Besides, no one would think I helped her. We aren''t in any danger." After discussing the important matters, the butler was about to leave when suddenly Henry called out to him. "Did you prepare the thing I asked for Neo''s rankingpetition?" "Yes," the butler bowed. "It will bepleted by tomorrow morning." ¡­ Underworld Neo opened his eyes. He saw a footing down to stomp his head. Swiftly rolling away, he jumped to his feet. "What?" One, two, three¡­. ten, eleven¡­. twenty¡­ Countless Gulwaks rushed at him. There was no time to get straighten his thoughts or ask Barbatos about the training''s content. He had to fight as soon as he arrived. A Gulwak shed the dagger at his head. Neo twisted his head with minimal movements. He shattered the Gulwak''s neck with Necrotic Touch and snatched the dagger from it. Just as he was about to fight, the Gulwak, despite missing its head, grabbed his leg and wed his feet. ¡­!? Before Neo could stomp the Gulwak, another tried to pounce on his back. He forcefully freed his right feet and, by spinning on his other feet, smashed the right foot in the Gulwak''s face. Without stopping, he used the momentum to drop a hammer kick on the Gulwak wing his left foot. An arrow stabbed into his back. ''They have archers?'' Neo bit his lips. He tried to scan his surroundings when another swift spear stabbed towards his head. ''These damned bastards! They are aiming for my head!'' He barely managed to twist his neck in time, and lost his left ear and a portion of his face in exchange for his life. All the while Neo dodged the attack, he did not move away. Instead he closed the gap and plunged the dagger into the spear-wielding Gulwak''s lower jaw. ''These fucks!'' He dodged another arrow. Before the spear-wielding Gulwak died, Neo took away his spear. He spun on his feet and threw the weapon like a javelin. The attack pierced through three Gulwaks and the nailed the bow-wielding Gulwak to the ground. ''Got you¡ª" A war hammer struck his head. Neo''s vision spun. His ears rang loudly and he stumbled. ''W-what happened¡­?'' Blood poured out of his nose and eyes. He couldn''t think straight. The Gulwak smashed the war hammer into Neo''s stomach and threw him into the sand. The attack, followed with pain, brought rity to Neo''s mind. He rolled away before the war hammer turned his chest into a paste. But. He couldn''t dodge the attackpletely. His fingers were crushed. ''Dammit, what''s up with these guys today?'' Neo used Necrotic Touch to cauterize the wounds. The fingers wouldn''t be regenerated, his eyes watered, but he held on. It was the only way he could continue fighting. He broke the war hammer-wielding Gulwak''s knee with a kick and took a glimpse on the timer. [Time Remaining: 11 hours: 58 minutes] What¡­? Only two minutes passed? Finally, the Ocean''s Embrace Spell activated. His body was covered in a thin-blue film. Suddenly, an arrow struck his nape. The attack bounced harmlessly off his skin and Neo felt a stinging pain. He was huffing badly. What was happening today? Gulwaks were fierce, but they fought systematically. The battles with them were simr to turn-basedbat normally. They would attack, Neo would dodge, Neo would attack and, if they didn''t die, they would attack again. But today? They fought like mad hounds. All of them rushed at him and attacked without caring about friendly fire or self-harm. The worst part was they were cooperating. When Neo eliminated two Gulwaks, it turned out they were baits for the third Gulwak to use. They were fighting chaotically, but somehow there was order in their chaos. ''I''ll die at this rate. Even if I don''t, I''ll tire myself out.'' Neo needed to change location. Preferably to a ce where he wasn''t open to attacks from all sides like he was now. Chapter 31: Capture The Flag, Hell Edition Neo scanned the surroundings. There were three locations he could go to. The beach, the sea, and the mist. He was already on the beach. The sea¡­ As soon as he thought about escaping into the sea, his body shuddered uncontrobly. Don''t go there, his senses screamed at him. ''The mist is the only way,'' he thought and dashed to ind where the mist was. Just when he was about to enter the mist, his death affinity warned him. He crouched instantly. Something flew over him. And¡­. "Huh? The Gulwaks behind him were cleaved in half. All of them. Dead. "The thing had flew over¡­ it was an attack?" He looked at the mist. "What''s in there?" Neo knew he shouldn''t go into the mist, but more Gulwaks were crawling out of the beach. If he remained there, the previous situation would repeat. Staying in the beach was useless. "Seems that you''ve warmed up, O Great Child of Monarch," the Grim Reaper''s voice came out of thin air. "Is this¡­ your doing?" "Do you mean the Gulwaks bing frenzied? It was done by you, not by us." "What do you mean?" When Barbatos spoke, the Gulwaks stopped moving. Neo used the opportunity to take a breather. He asked questions to kept Barbatos talking. "Your blood is a nectar. The Gulwaks, after smelling itst time, became like this." Neo felt incredulous. It seemed, from the next time, he had to make sure he didn''t spill too much blood, or else, the monsters would gain a berserk boost? He really wanted to cry. "Since you''ve warmed up, we will reveal the content of the training." Five gs appeared before Neo. "In thend beyond the mist, we''ve prepared five g bases. You have to insert the gs into them." "¡­" Neo grabbed the gs. The training sounded simple. But it was of nightmare difficulty. Neo could barely survive the monsters on the beach. He almost died when he tried to enter the mist. The Grim Reaper wanted him to go into thend beyond the mist? ''Why doesn''t he tell me to die?'' ''¡­Oh, I''m already dead.'' Watching Neo''s serious expression, the Grim Reaper added, "We know, the training does seem simple. So, to increase the difficulty we''ve decided to do this¡­." Neo heard a snap. He suddenly felt the pressure of Underworld increase by a thousand fold. He couldn''t breathe. His eyes watered and he felt he was under twice the gravity. The Death affinity, which always warned him of the iing dangerous, went out of control. It started to w at his throat. He tried to breathe but, like a fish out of water, he could barely do anything. "We have sealed your blessing of the Underworld. With this, you will feel as if you are in your body in the living world. The increased difficulty will increase the training''s effectiveness.'' Neo''s Divine Energy was reduced to a quarter and he became nauseous. It wasn''t training anymore. He would die if he faced an opponent in this condition. Without the blessing, he was as weak as his real self in the world of living. Neo was on his knees, desperately trying to stabilize his breathing. He felt like an asthma patient. The Grim Reaper continued talking, "We know what you might be thinking, but this is a training, not a punishment." Neo heard another snap. Information appeared inside his head. It wasn''t a Spell. "This should help you survive and grow stronger if you use it wisely." "We hope you seed, O Great Child of Monarch." Barbatos'' presence disappeared. The Gulwaks began to move. They rushed at Neo, who was writhing on the ground, like a tsunami. ''Dammit¡­'' The Grim Reaper gave him an incredibly precious gift. It was something more useful and powerful than the Tremor-ranked Spell. However, Neo was in no position to make use of it right now. He activated the Ocean''s Embrace clumsily and struck an uppercut. The attack pushed back the Gulwak but not before another Gulwak bit his shoulder. There was no serious injury. The Ocean''s Embrace saved him. He could, however, feel the Gulwak''s teeth slightly sinking into his skin. Neo''s mastery over the Spell was not enough to make him impervious to attacks. He bashed the Gulwak''s head against his fist and killed it. Dozens of Gulwaks pounced on Neo. He used the dead Gulwak as a battering ram and broke through the encirclement. The number of Gulwaks was only increasing. Neo had no other choice but to escape from the beach. He held the dead Gulwak before him and ran into the mist. His body movements were not perfect after he lost the blessing. Neo couldn''t dodge when he sensed an iing attack. He raised the Gulwak''s corpse and ced all of his chips into his Spell. A de of invisible air split the corpse before it hit Neo in the chest. The Ocean''s Embrace deactivated. He was left with a bleeding gash on his torso. But. "Cough¡­ Cough¡­" He was alive. His senses suddenly red. Another attack wasing. Without thinking straight, Neo dashed towards the ce that gave of the scent of danger and punched. His attack connected. The sound of the ss shattering rang and the enemy''s invisibility disappeared. Arge mantis with the lower half of snake stood before him. Neo was holding on its tail. The mantis made a shrill cry. Itunched an invisible de from its scythe. Neo instinctively used the mantis'' tail as a cover. The attack couldn''t cut its body and left a huge gash. While the mantis went berserk from pain, Neo dashed and grabbed its head with Necrotic Touch. Its skin started to rot. The monster tried to get Neo off its head. It thrashed around, but Neo protected himself from being squashed with Ocean''s Embrace. How much time passed? Neo, after applying five stacks, diverted his full focus towards maintaining Ocean''s Embrace. Maybe because the mantis was a creature of Underworld, the Spell, powered by Death affinity, took time to kill it. Finally, the monster stopped moving. Neoy over its corpse as ck puss flowed out its rotting head. "I... feel like shit." Neo raised his head. He didn''t know where he was. The mist hindered the visibility. It was hard to see anything more than a few meters away. "We must''vee a long way from the beach. I can''t hear those Gulwaks." As he focused on his hearing, he suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice. Chapter 32: Land Beyond The Mist Neo heard the sshing of water. "...It''s a river." He got down from the corpse and gulped. His body was covered in blood. Back in the beach, the Gulwaks became frenzied due to his blood. If he didn''t wash himself, he did not know what he might attract. Just thinking of facing multiple mantis monsters was enough to make him search for the river. He moved through the mist. His body was crying in pain. The healing seemed to have disappeared with the blessing. "This damned body¡­" Using five stacks of Necrotic Touch and Ocean''s Embrace left him with less than half of his Divine Energy. He would regain the Divine Energy slowly in normal situations. But it wasn''t possible anymore. Because he hadn''t eaten anything. Divine Energy came from the God Blood flowing in a demigod''s veins. It replenished by consuming food. Breathing Divine Energy rich air might help, but it would still take a long time. Neo noticed the mist thinning. He hurried his steps and came out of the white fog. The forest was full ofrge, ancient trees with thick vines falling from their high branches. Clouds floated in the sky. Only then did Neo realize he had no problem with his vision even though Underworld was under a perpetual night. The forest was silent save for the noise of the river. He reached the bank with a heavy breath. The river, full of blood red water, looked ominous to say the least. Neo slowly lowered his hand and dipped it. Nothing happened. The water was not harmful to skin at least. He removed his clothes and washed himself. After rubbing himself thoroughly, he tore his jacket and tied it around the wound on his chest and the shoulder. It stung. He stared at the reflection in the water. His cheek healed and the bleeding stopped before he lost the blessing. But his right ear never regenerated. The tips of three fingers of his left hand were crushed. He could hold a weapon but his grip was weak. His shoulder had bite marks. He was wondering if it might get infected as he had no medications. His chest''s injury, a gash from the top left shoulder to the right waist, was the lightest wound. It looked vicious, but it barely hurt. "It would''ve better it have been if I used the Ocean''s Embrace from the beginning." His low mastery of the Spell was the reason it took him long to active the Spell. At least, it didn''t fail like his first time with Necrotic Touch. After getting out of the river, he sat under a nearby tree. He focused inwards and checked the information Barbatos left him. It was knowledge of how to use Darkness element. Underworld was where Dark-type elements were present in high concentration. After spending a long time in Underworld, the souls get tainted by these elements. The Darkness element had the property to "devour". Darkness was a colour that took the colors from others and painted them into its colour. Simrly, those tainted by Darkness, or with an affinity for it, could absorb other souls/body into themselves. Depending on the mastery and luck, they could gain stats, skills and more from the consumed objects. It was why the number of souls in Underworld did not overflow. They consumed each other and kept growing stronger for eons. Neo had to do the same. If wanted to survive Barbatos'' training, he needed to devour his enemies. His emotions were calm, but his mind told him it was wrong. Until a few weeks ago, he was a normal person. He shouldn''t ept something like this so easily. But another part of his mind rationalized his thoughts. Anyone who spends too much time in Underworld is consumed by insanity. The monsters were no longer their previous self. They were now just monsters. The mantis he fought¡ª ¡­! Suddenly, tremors appeared. They increased in intensity. The silent forest shook loudly. "Do earthquakes exist in Underworld¡­." Neo could notplete his words. They were struck in his throat. He felt it. The source of tremor was moving towards him. And. His senses were crying. His death affinity warned him. The thing approaching him was strong. As strong as Elizabeth, if not stronger. "An Exalted Demigod¡­." The tremors stopped and a huge shadow that seemed to cover the sky fell over Neo. He didn''t move, he didn''t breathe, and he didn''t run. He did his best to hide by trying to melt into the surroundings. The strongest beings in the world of livings. They were Exalted Demigod. There was no way he could do anything against someone who was as strong as Exalted Demigod. Neo did not raise his head. He waited. Time passed. One second, two second, three second¡­. A huge hand came down from the sky and gouged out the river. Silence returned. Neo, fearful, raised his head. He couldn''t believe what he saw. A humongous humanoid being, someone so giant his torso pierced the clouds, was the source of his death affinity''s warnings. The being drank the river it scooped into its palm. "My blood¡­ is it trying to drink the blood I washed into the river¡­?" Neo recalled Barbatos'' words. His blood was a nectar. It called out an Exalted Demigod to his location. The giant finished drinking. It didn''t leave and stood there. ''Is it searching for me?'' Neo could feel his heart thumping crazily. His Death Affinity was warning him. Suddenly, everything went silent. The warnings disappeared. Tremors appeared. The giant covered an unimaginable distance with each step and left. Neo lost strength in his legs. He fell. He was breathing heavily. "Damn¡­ that was scary¡­" He stood up when the gouged outnd began to refill with the help of the flowing river. "...I''ll consume the mantis corpse." The encounter with the giant straightened his thoughts. In Underworld, his morals would not protect him. He couldn''t hesitate. Getting stronger was the bare minimum if he wanted to survive. Chapter 33: Gremlins To use Darkness or to not use it? The dilemma was a luxury a Grade 5 Awakened Demigod like him could not afford. Besides, it wasn''t like he was devouring a human soul. After making a decision, he moved towards the mist. He had barely recovered any Divine Energy and he was steadily growing tired. Consuming the mantis should help him recover. "Yes, I''m not doing anything wrong. I''m just trying to survive." The location of the mantis'' corpse was not far into the mist. Despite theck of visibility, Neo could reach the location fairly easily by referring to his memory. And¡­ "Fuck. Of course, it''s like this." The corpse was missing. He crouched and touched the soil. The ground had marks as if the mantis was dragged away. There were multiple footprints along the path. "Should I follow the traces? The mantis had weak defense but it was fairly strong. I should get a quite few stats if I absorb it." Neo''s mind raced. "Multiple monsters were needed to drag the corpse. They are physically weak." "They didn''t hunt the monster and instead stole the corpse. They are thieves not hunters." "The fact they live in groups means the individual members of their species have lowbat power. They use numbers to protect themselves." All of deduction pointed out to a single conclusion. The monsters were at the bottom of food chain. They were a species that lived on scraps of others. "But a group also signify they have basic intelligence. They might be able to make use or weapons and traps." "Moreover, I don''t know their numbers." "Without the blessing of Underworld, I can''t heal anymore." "Fighting recklessly like I usually do is out of the question." It was dangerous. Moreover, his goal was to search for g posts. But he wouldn''t find them by searching for them blindly. He might encounter a strong monster during the exploration. These monsters, seemingly at the bottom of food chain, were the best choice for Neo to hunt. He made the decision and followed the tracks left by whoever stole the mantis corpse. The tracks took him out of the mist. He navigated through the forest and soon heard unintelligible noises. They wereing from behind and left sides. "One group went ahead and two more are nearby. How many of them are there?" Neo quickly looked for a method to hide. The noises were slowly nearing. He suddenly saw the vines hanging from the trees. There was no other ce to hide. "Return to monkey it is." The vines were easy to hold and climb with. However, Neo, after losing the blessing, became tired easily. He had climbed only half of the way when the monsters appeared. Crude purple skin, short stature, and hideously ugly. Most of them were empty handed while a few carried a wooden club. "Gremlins¡­" Neo recognized them. He climbed the vines while the monsters focused on the path and stood on the thick tree branches. "I should use the tree branches to tail them." With their short stature, they would find it difficult to climb and if Neo was caught he would have enough time to run away. As he followed the Gremlins, he realized something horrible. There were too many of them. He came across five groups and their numbers only increased as they went in the direction where their base might be. They approached area with sparse trees. Neo was forced to a stop and he tried to scout the Gremlins base from the distance. "A few hundreds at least¡­" They lived in rag-tag huts and had created a crude wooden wall to surround the tribe''s border. Judging from the infrastructure, they were either nomadic or poorly skilled. There was a burned bonfire in the center of the tribe. The corpse of mantis was there. The Gremlins seemed to beughing and dancing as they tore a piece of the corpse and ate. ¡­! Neo suddenly noticed a woman next to the corpse. Tears and snot covered her face. He couldn''t hear her and tried to read her lips, Help me! Someone! Sav¡­e me¡­! She was missing her right leg. The Gremlins tore her body apart and ate her along with the mantis corpse. He bit his lips. There was nothing he could do. She was already dead and he was too weak to help. Fighting a group of Gremlins, let alone hundreds, in his current condition was suicide. Still, he didn''t avert his eyes. It was weird. How could he stay calm in the current situation? He was in Underworld where he could be killed any time, yet he never felt afraid. "I feel numbed¡­ Barbatos warned me I''ll be tainted if I touched death too many times." Neo felt it was a good change. He calmly analyzed the situation. "The woman must be a wandering soul. Either a Grim Reaper didn''te to pick her up, or she ran away." She ran away and became food for monsters. It was how things worked in Underworld. There was no happy ending for the weak. Power was the only solution. "Not just Underworld, it''s the same in the world of living. If I don''t be strong, I''ll never survive the cmities." Suddenly, Neo felt the gs inside his clothes vibrate. He took one of them out. The g, as if it came to life, whirred and pointed at the burned bonfire in the middle of the Gremlin camp. A beatter, it returned to its lifeless self. Neo looked at the g in his hand and at the bonfire. "Is it telling me the g post is there?" ¡­ Barbatos was really trying get him killed. Neo really wanted to cry. He took a short breath and calmed himself. It was not the time to mop around. If anything, he should be happy he found the g post quickly. "But how can I go in there and use the g post." Gremlins were not friendly to humans. The woman showed him why. "A small group might be doable, but fighting hundreds is not an option." He stared at partying Gremlins while they enjoyed the feast. ¡­? Partying? "Oh¡­" An idea popped into Neo''s head. "This might work¡­" Chapter 34: Darkness.... Devour Gremlins were social monsters. They hunted when they were hungry, they stole when they found a target, theyughed when they feasted, they moved in groups to use the advantage of numbers, they used clubs as weapons. They had emotions. Not just joy, patience, and ambition. Sadness, rage, fear. They probably had those too. His n was simple and it target those emotions There was just one problem. It was a heinous n no sane person would use. But when he remembered how they ate the woman whileughing, Neo felt no remorse. They were monsters. And he was going to treat them like one. Neo moved away from the camp. He searched for solitary group of Gremlins with no more than three monsters. Maybe it was because there was no predator in trees, and because the thick tree branches did not make noise when Neo moved on them, the Gremlins never checked if there was someone above them. Neo climbed down halfway through the vine and angled himself above a Gremlin. They were a group of five. He used Ocean''s Embrace before he let go of the vine. The first Gremlin was crushed to death as he fell on top of it. A shiver ran down his legs, but the impact was non-lethal, maybe thanks to the Spell or his demigod physique. He grabbed the heads of the nearest Gremlins before they could react and smashed them together. Their heads popped like balloons. Suddenly, Neo felt a stinging pain on the back of his leg. He turned around. A Gremlin was stabbing him with a crude knife. Thest Gremlin pounced on him with a roar just as he was about to kill the knife-wielding Gremlin. Neo allowed the Gremlin to bite his left hand. These little critters weren''t as strong as Gulwaks and couldn''t pierce his Ocean''s Embrace. Neo flexed his arm and hit the Gremlin on his arm against the knife-wielding Gremlin. They let go of him in pain and were swiftly killed by getting their necks snapped. He fell to the ground as soon as the battle ended. "Huff¡­ Huff¡­ My stamina is the real problem here." The scene around him with the heads bashed open was straight out of a gore movie. He looked at his blood covered hands with a sigh. "I spilled too much blood. It will attract other monsters. These corpses aren''t usable for my n." Although it wasn''t his original intention, he decided to devourer them. He suddenly stopped. His ears turned red. "Do I really need to do hand signs to use the element?" After reviewing the information, he found out that using hand signs or words could alter the flow of Divine Energy through his magic circuits. It was a must for an amateur like him. "Fuck, I need to use them¡­" Neo gave up. He curved his fingers inward, while his thumb and middle fingers touched in a precise gesture. "Devour." Divine Energy rushed into his core. Inside, it transformed into something heavier and burst out. His shadow shook. It suddenly stretched in all directions and turned the ground below him pitch-ck. The corpses slowly sunk into the darkness. Neo maintained the hand signs and focused on absorbing the Gremlins. Countless voices appeared inside his head. WhoAmINEoHArgrvaesDIEDINENEEDtodieMyFateISHasEnddedWhoAMIThirdFourthSEcondWhenwillthisendTheyAREEEEcoomingTheOUtersTheGodsAreDEADDEADEADDEAD The voices of darkness made no sense to Neo. A trail of blood flowed down from his nose. He did his best to ignore the voices, lest he let the insanity take over his mind. After a few minutes, the corpses werepletely absorbed. Neo let go of the hand signs and the darkness returned to his shadow. He breathed heavily while wiping the blood from his nose. Hisplexion was better. He felt rejuvenated and his stamina was restored by a bit. [Constitution +2] "Two stats points? It''s a jackpot right off the bat." The corner of his lips rose into a smile. Using Darkness brought immense mental fatigue but, right now, his biggest problem was his stamina, and it was somewhat solved with Darkness element. He took the knife that had fallen to the ground. There was no blood or corpse remaining. If someone came there, they wouldn''t believe the ce had been filled with smashed open heads, cranium, and blood a few minutes ago. "I should be able to stop them from bleeding with the knife and Necrotic Touch." He climbed the trees and looked for another group. This one had three Gremlins. He dropped next to the first Gremlin and slit its throat. The others tried to run, but he threw the knife and caught one of them while the other tripped, which allowed Neo to finish them with Necrotic touch. After the battle ended, he tied them with vines and hung them on the trees. "I need to repeat this quite a few more times¡­ It''s going to be tiring." The corpses dangled in the air. They were low enough for the Gremlins to see, but still high to the point they couldn''t get them off until they climbed. If Neo repeated the hangings, it was bound to affect Gremlins. They had emotions. Fear Or Rage He wondered what they, who could eat other species alive, would feel. ¡­ Dover Hotel, World of Living Amelia stared at the ceiling with a tired gaze. She rolled in the bed again. No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t sleep. Turning around, she stared at Neo. "Hey, are you asleep?" ¡­He was sleeping like a log. She raised her head and stared at him with a frown. Honestly, she didn''t want to think this way but she was suspicious of Neo. In terms of appearance, Amelia was cut above the rest, she was as the same age as Neo, and they were sleeping next to each other. How could a boy in his prime sleep soundly next to her? "He might swing that way." Amelia blinked. Her face brightened. She became surer of her thoughts. Her mother''s advances were bound to fail! Chapter 35: Attacking the Gremlin Camp Dover Hotel, World of Living Amelia stared at the ceiling with a tired gaze. She rolled in the bed again. No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t sleep. Turning around, she stared at Neo. "Hey, are you asleep?" ¡­He was sleeping like a log. She raised her head and stared at him with a frown. Honestly, she didn''t want to think this way but she was suspicious of Neo. In terms of appearance, Amelia was cut above the rest, she was as the same age as Neo, and they were sleeping next to each other. How could a boy in his prime youth sleepy soundly next to her like him? "He might swing that way." Amelia blinked. Her face brightened. She became surer of her thoughts. Her mother''s advances were bound to fail! The thoughts she harboured against Neo dissipated. She did not need to take precautions anymore. Looking again, Neo''s sleeping face seemed a bit cute. She gently touched his cheek with her finger and giggled. He was sleeping so soundly that he didn''t wake up when she pinched his cheeks. His posture remained the same. Not even his chest moved. Almost as if he was dead. "¡­" Amelia suddenly froze. ¡­As if he was dead? "No¡­ that''s not possible." She pressed her palm against his chest swiftly and¡­. "There is no heartbeat." Neo did not have a pulse either. He was not sleeping. He was dead. Amelia''s face hardened. But she regained her calm quickly. Neo was immortal. He had proven it. "Why did he die suddenly? He should be still alive. Was it an assassination or¡­" Was it the price of cheating death? She didn''tplete her words fearing they mighte true. Nobody could die and return to the world of living without paying a price. Neo never said what he had sacrificed. What if his current condition was the consequence of it? She recalled his heavy aura of Death. It was something only those who visited Underworld could have. Did he have to keep visiting that horrible ce as a price of his powers? It was an open secret Exalted Demigods wanted to find methods of immortality. They knew about the Underworld more than anyone else, and they were afraid of dying and going there. Amelia bit her lips. Twice. Neo died twice to help her mother and her. Twice, he must''ve gone to the Underworld, and still, he never told them about it. "Is he trying to make sure we don''t feel guilty?" What kind of nightmares had he seen in that world? What would he do if he could not return again? Amelia did not know how Neo could remain sane. How much courage was needed to visit the world feared by the so called the strongest demigods? There was nothing Amelia could do. She could only pray he would not lose his way. That no matter the horror he faced he would stand strong. Even if he was alone¡­ Even if he had no one to support him¡­ "Please, stay safe." ¡­ Forest Of All Beginnings Land Beyond the Mist, Underworld "I''m finally done." Neo looked at the work that took him hours toplete. Dozens of Gremlins were hanged on the trees. It looked like the work of a psychopath. He pursed his lips. "Maybe I went too far." Shaking his head, he climbed a vine and waited for another group of Gremlins. The monsters arrived. They froze when they saw the dangling corpses. One of the Gremlins shouted. It tried to jump and pull down the corpses. Neo remained hidden. He noticed the Gremlins growing frantic, from rage or shock, before they ran back to their camp. They gathered around the burned bonfire. It did not take long for hundreds of Gremlins to join them. They shouted and made iprehensible noise for minutes. A small group of 15~20 Gremlins left into the direction of hanged corpses. "They are checking if it''s true that Gremlins are hanged, huh?" The group returned after a few minutes. They were livid. Their screeches confirmed the death of their fellow Gremlins. The crowd of Gremlins was about to leave and search for the perpetrator when suddenly another group of Gremlin returned while shouting and roaring. "They found the other sides." Neo had hung the corpses at multiple ces. Since every group of Gremlin went in different directions, he was able to hang them without getting caught. Hundreds of monsters rushed out of the camp. They took out weapons and swept through the forest. The Gremlins looked at the tree branches to see if the killer was hiding there. Unfortunately for them, Neo was in the trees next to the base. Since the corpses were far from the camp, the monster never thought he would hide there. "Now, I can start." The base had only a handful of Gremlin left. Neo''s action pissed them badly. He carefully moved on the trees above the base. These trees had thin branches. If was not cautious the noise would alert the Gremlins or the branches might snap. He failed to notice thin threads covering the area. The threads snapped when he moved through them. ¡­! Bells hidden on the trees rang. Neo''s position was revealed. ''Shit!'' The Gremlins, while not wary towards the enemy on trees, made sure to protect the area above their camp. Neo''s mind raced. Should he run away or should he try toplete the task? There was not much time left until the Gremlins returned after hearing the bells. But if he was fast, he might be able to escape. "I should¡ª" The branch snapped when a Gremlin suddenly hit it with a stone. Neo barely had time to use Ocean''s Embrace before his body hit the ground. He groaned. "I think¡­ I broke something¡­" As if it wasn''t bad enough, he heard the noise of horns. The Gremlins began to surround him. Chapter 36: This Too Is A Part Of Your Training "Fuck, if I''m here, might as wellplete the task." Neo rushed towards the burned bonfire. The Gremlins in his path were pushed away. Their attacks did nothing against Ocean''s Embrace. He kicked the bonfire and a g post was revealed. ''Thank god, it''s actually here.'' If it wasn''t, he might''ve really cried. He pushed the g into its ce. Nothing happened. "It''s done, right? Don''t tell me I have to make sure the g isn''t pulled out¡ª" Neo''s senses red. An attack from behind. He raised his arm. A sword sliced through the Ocean''s Embrace and cut halfway into his arm. When the de stopped in the ce, Neo smashed the elbow of his other hand into the Gremlin who stood behind him. The Gremlin moved its head to dodge the attack. It pulled back the sword and kicked Neo in the back. Neo crashed into the heaps of burned bonfire. Before he could move, the Gremlin jumped on top of him and stabbed the sword at his heart. ''An evolved Gremlin?'' It was bigger than others, almost the same size as Neo, and had defined muscles. Neo was not its match in physical contest. Nevertheless, Neo grabbed the de before it pierced him. Ocean''s Embrace saved his fingers from being sliced off. The Gremlin grunted. It increased the strength and tried to push the de. Before the Spell could be breached again, Neo kicked its shin. The attack threw it off bnce and Neo broke its neck with three stack of Necrotic touch. Neo could only see Gremlins everywhere he turned. They weren''t a threat individually, but even an elephant would fall against an ocean of ants. Neo tried to dash out of the encirclement. He didn''t think. There was no time to waste. He had to escape before the hundreds of Gremlins returned. The Gremlins attacked as if they didn''t care about their life. They tried to stop him even just for a second. When Neo was confused by their vigor, they suddenly threw ropes around him. ¡­! ''These fuckers, they are used to fighting someone stronger than them.'' Neo grabbed the ropes and pulled with a snap. Unfortunately, multiple evolved held the ends of the ropes. It was the end of the rope for him. Neo could not escape. Desperate, he used Necrotic Touch to shatter his left hand tied by the rope. The pain sent throws of agony across his mind. But. He had no choice. The encirclement was stable because it was being pulled from all sides. When one of the ropes got cut, the encirclement lost its stability. Neo crouched and dashed into the group of nearest Gremlins. He used Necrotic Touch to finish the evolved Gremlin that jumped out. His Divine Energy was about to hit rock bottom. The anemia was making him feel as if he was about to die. A sword stabbed into his back and he realized the Ocean''s Embrace had worn off. He could not maintain it any longer. The Gremlins pounced on him. A heavy blow to his head threw him to the ground. He tried to use Necrotic Touch but failed. At the same time, he felt pain in his legs. His bones were being crushed and his flesh was torn apart. Neo didn''t stop fighting. ''Just a bit more!'' He released his aura of death. The Gremlins, residents of Underworld, were not affected in the least. However, they shrieked when Neo used the Darkness element. The groups of monsters feeding on his body backed away. They stood at the border of the darkness stretching below him. Neo struggled to keep his eyes open. He didn''t look at his body, afraid of what he might see. All of his energy was diverted towards maintain the Darkness domain beneath his feet. The Gremlins knew it could devour them. And they understood it was Neo''s dying struggle. ''Just a bit more.'' Strength slipped from Neo''s grasp. The darkness began to shrink. Gremlins pounced on him with a savage grin. And¡­ ''It''s done.'' [Time Remaining: 00 hours: 00 minutes] [Immortal time limit finished.] [You will be revived forcibly.] Neo''s eyes snapped open. He woke up on the hotel bed. ¡­ Underworld Barbatos stared camp of Gremlins. The monsters were in disarray after Neo suddenly disappeared. "We miscalcted. He had a Terror-ranked defensive spell." Barbatos lowered his gaze at the broken branch. It was the same branch from which Neo fell and was forced to fight the Gremlins. A sigh left Barbatos'' lips. "Forgive us, O Great Child of Monarch. But this too is a part of your training. No amount of physical strength can help a weak mind." Barbatos was the reason why Neo got caught and why the Gremlins returned so quickly. He had to make sure Neo lost. Because Neo had to understand defeat. Neo, with the bloodline of Hades, had the potential to dominate the world. But that was all. Potential meant nothing if he could not achieve it. Humans had the potential to run 100 meter in 9.5 seconds if they reached their max potential. How many could actually do it? Only 0.1% of humans at best. If students studied, they had the potential to enter the best universities or colleges. How many actually cracked an exam? Barely a small percentage. Potential was just potential in the end. If Neocked the drive to improve, he could never achieve anything substantial. Barbatos gave him the push. This defeat¡­. It would either break Neo or it would change him for the better. "We hope you will seed, O Great Child of Monarch." ¡­ Dover Hotel "Fuck¡­" Neo covered his face to hide his terrible expression. "I lost¡­ Fuck¡­" The n failed. He almost died. Not almost. He might''ve survived, but he would die the next time he appeared in the Underworld. The location he would arrive in at was where he had left from. So. He would wake up in the Gremlin tribe. Besides, would he even heal? His body was badly injured in today''s battle. If he reappeared with those wounds, he would die within a minute. ... A/N: If you are enjoying the novel, vote with Golden Tickets and Power Stones. It helps me, the author, with visibility on the webnovel app. Over and out, Failedwriter101. Chapter 37: Defeat "I was overconfident¡­ Dammit¡­" Neo''s eyes reddened. He didn''t feel afraid of death or the pain. However, the crushing defeat left a scar on him. There was not a single thing he could do. He was put down with an overwhelming difference. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He muttered while hiding his face. "Why?" Why was he so overconfident? Was it because he defeated the Death skill? Or was it because he saved Elizabeth? Maybe, it was because he had support of the two of the strongest beings? "Shit." He felt like shit. Did he really achieve anything aftering to this world? He thought everything would go his way since he knew the future and had the bloodline of Hades. But when it actually mattered, he couldn''t put up a fight at all. Loser. Pathetic. Mediocre. He didn''t change aftering to this world. Neo removed his hand and stared at the ceiling. Now what? What should a loser like him do? Return to the Underworld? Neo would be killed. He should act like a loser he was and keep hiding in the world of living. With the knowledge of the future, he could protect his life if he lived while keeping his head down. "¡­I''m¡­ not doing that¡­" Even if his choice would lead to his death. Neo clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palm until they bled. [Warning! You''ve left the Quest area!] [Please return!] [Warning! If the User does not return to the Quest area in 10 days, the Quest will be forfeited!] Neo stared at the screen. Ten days¡­ He could ignore the Quest. At best, he would lose the Holy Affinity. But how many times would he ept defeat? It''s difficult right now, I should retreat, I can try again. If he thought like that once, he would do it again and again in the future. That was how he became a loser in his past world. Neo clenched his fists. Ten days¡­ He would be strong enough to crush the Gremlins in ten days. Even if he had to die for it. He would achieve it. "Neo? What happened?" Amelia''s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned around to hide his face. "Nothing, I just woke up." Contrary to the usual, Amelia did not stop talking. "Did you have a nightmare? You are shivering." He¡­ was trembling? Why? Was it because he was afraid of the pain? His body shivered unconsciously when he thought about the brutal death. ¡­Pathetic. Even after dying multiple times, he was afraid of pain. Neo bit his lips. When he didn''t answer, Amelia continued, "It''s okay if you are afraid. Everyone have times when they encounter difficulties. You can tell me." A trickle of blood flowed from Neo''s lips. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask for help, but he abruptly stopped. Ask for help? What would that do? He would only be more pathetic. "It''s just cold," he said as he suppressed the tremors in his voice. "I''m sleepy. Don''t talk to me anymore." "¡­Okay." Amelia continued. "But you can always talk to me if you are having a hard time." Neo didn''t understand why Amelia was talking the way she was. He didn''t want to understand anything right now. His mind was upied with his own problems. The mental exhaustion from using Darkness and everything else he went through in Underworld made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open. He fell asleep. "Neo?" Amelia raised her upper body from the bed. She leaned closer to his face and noticed the blood flowing out of his lips. "Why won''t you ask for help? Even if I can''t do anything, I can hear you out at least." Revealing a weakness would help him reduce the burden on his heart. But Neo had closed off his heart. He would rather suffer alone than ask for help. Amelia could not do anything but wait for him. She wiped the blood from his lips and covered him with a nket. "Sleep well," she said to Neo. That night, Amelia could not sleep at all. ¡­ Neo woke up when he heard the knocks on the door. He felt refreshed. "Young Master, may Ie in?" "Yeah." He noticed the nket. "When did I use this?" Yawning, he was about to get off the bed until he noticed Amelia holding his hand in her sleep. Before Neo could open her grip, the butler entered the room. "Please get ready, Young Master. The Lord has called for you." "I will get ready soon." While he spoke with a serious expression, he was trying to get Amelia open her hand. Why was this woman''s grip so powerful?! The butler ignored his actions and he was thankful for it. He would''ve died from embarrassment otherwise. "Yawn, Neo, you are awake?" Amelia rubbed her eyes and removed the strand of hair on her face. Half asleep, she looked at her hand which held Neo''s hand, looked up at Neo, then back at their hands. "Ah!" Her face turned beet red as she let go. "Good morning, Miss Amelia," the butler greeter her. "G-good morning." "I will be waiting for you two outside. Please get ready." It didn''t take long for them to freshen up. They left the room and had breakfast. After filling their stomach, the butler took them to Henry''s room. The butler knocked on the door. "Master, I''ve brought Young Master and Miss Amelia." "Come inside." They entered the room. Henry sat across the table and he calmly sipped tea. "Sit," he said. Neo and Amelia followed his words. Amelia felt awkward in front of Henry''s piercing gaze. Neo, however, did not feel any pressure. ''He knows I lied yesterday,'' Neo thought. It was easy to confirm the pregnancy with the methods avable in this world. Henry must''ve used one of them. He was probably letting Amelia live as he didn''t want to antagonize Neo or maybe he had other intentions. Neo wasn''t interested in knowing the reason. As long as Amelia was safe until Elizabeth returned, his job was done. "Bring it." The butler ced a suitcase on the table at Henry''smand. "What''s this?" Neo asked. "Your gift for passing the Demigod Academy''s exam," Henry said. Chapter 38: God Slayer Series "Your gift for passing the Demigod Academy''s exam," Henry said. "But¡ª" He leaned closer. "You need to ept a condition if you want the gift." "What condition?" Neo asked with furrowed brows. "Today is your rank battlepetition. You will need to choose a rank and enter a 7-day battle royale to protect your rank. If you survive, you will be awarded with the rank you chose." Henry''s words exined the rankpetition. Neo knew it already. Thepetition was the first major arc in the novel where the protagonist and the main cast were introduced. Moreover, thepetition was a broadcasted live all over the continent. "What rank are you nning to choose?" Henry asked. "¡­" Neo didn''t answer. "Chose any rank below 1500 and you can have the gift." Just as Neo was about to answer, Henry added, "Don''t be so quick to reject. Check the gift, maybe you''ll ept my offer." His confidence made Neo curious about the gift. He opened the suitcase. ¡­! "How is it?" Henry smiled. Neo took out the sword from the suitcase. The hilt had a ck cross pattern and the de was inside the sheathe. His senses warned him. The de was dangerous. He tried to pull out the de from the scabbard but failed. It confirmed his guess. ''I can''t believe I got my hands on it without doing anything.'' "Its name is Obitus," Henry exined. Neo nodded. Obitus. It was a new prototype weapon made by Hargraves Corporation. It would be known as the first weapon of the God yer Series in the future. In a world where Gods were real, it was easy to guess how powerful a weapon was if it was named as the God yer Weapon. "What¡­ is this?" Amelia asked uneasily. She could sense that something was not right Obitus. It felt unnatural. Like something that shouldn''t exist. "It''s our new weapon series. Soul Weapons. These weapons grow with their wielders." "Grow?" Amelia eyes widened. It was the first time she heard about such weapon. "And, what did you mean weapon by ''our weapon''?" she asked. "Yes, it can grow stronger alongside its user. As for your second question, Obitus is thetest product of our Hargraves Corporation." "Hargraves Corporation?" She turned to Neo. "You are filthy rich." Neo nodded. "I''ll ept your condition in exchange for the ''gift''," he told Henry. "Look at this fucker lying with a straight face." Henry tapped his finger on the armrest. "Fuck, take the sword. You will get your ass handed to you if you participate for a high rank without a good weapon. "But, bitch, if anything happens to you, I will kill you. Mark my words. "You better return safe." "Thank you," Neo smiled. Henry clicked his tongue and turned away. "That''s right. Be thankful, fucker. You have the best brother in the world." Neo took the sword and left for the Academy with Amelia and Henry. They noticed the streets filled with people. "They are waiting for the live broadcast," Amelia exined. "The battle rankpetition is one of highlights of Academy. You can say it''s an annual festival." Neo nodded. Thepetition was more famous than Olympics. Moreover, all major battles will be broadcasted for the citizens. Other than the tournament winners, the fan favourite students might get nice rewards too. It was possible to catch a Guild''s eye if one performed spectacrly. "What rank are you aiming for?" Amelia whispered. "I''m thinking about it." She didn''t seem convinced and advised. "Don''t choose anything in Top 100. Those ranks are reserved for children from Great God and High God ns." The top 10 students every year were member of Zeus n and Poseidon n. The rank 11 to rank 100 were a part of High God ns such as Ares n, Artemis n, and Apollo n. "Reserved?" Neo asked. He knew the answer. It was something only Academy students and member of God ns should know, and he was neither of the two. "It''s an open secret in the Academy. If any outsider tries to enter Top 100 ranks, the students from God ns will crush them." "I see," Neo said. "Hey, take this seriously. Do you think I''m joking? "Even the Rank 2000, thest ranked student, will be hailed as a genius outside the academy. "The quality of students improves drastically above Rank 1000, and it improves again at Rank 500. "The Top 100s are absolute geniuses. Some of them must have already reached Grade 3 Awakened rank. "And the Top 10¡­. don''t even think about them. "I was taught by mother and I have a Terror-ranked Spell, and I''m only Rank 11. "Even after one year, I can''t put a scratch on Top 10 students. Your year will be no different. The children of Great God ns undergo the same training. "Please, don''t be reckless. Choose a rank below 1000 for your own safety," Amelia said. While her exnation came to an end, they reached the Academy. Neo and Amelia got off after he said goodbye to Henry. "Bitch¡­" Henry called out to him when they were about to enter the gates. "Go get them," Henry grinned. Neo smiled. He turned around and left. Entering the academy, he had to go towards the first year section. "Goodbye. I''ll see you after the tournament," Amelia said as she left. Neo entered arge hall. He could see multiple lines before the desks. A hologram floated in the air. It showed which ranks had been taken. Neo entered a line and waited for his chance. When he reached the desks, the receptionist was slightly surprised seeing his handsome face. She snapped out of daze and exined the content of the tournament. "One student can choose only one rank, and you can''t take a rank chosen by someone else until thepetition starts." Neo looked back at the hologram. The top 100 ranks had yet to be taken. The children of Great God ns and High God ns were present in the hall. They had yet to choose a rank. It was on purpose. They wanted to show no one had the courage to take what rightfully belonged to them. "Sir, what rank do you want to opt for?" "I¡ª" Chapter 39: Morrigan di Montaigne "I¡ª" Neo was an extra. If he tried to take high rank, he would affect the plot of the novel. But. This world was heading for a destined doom. Neo would die if the future was not changed. He wanted to live. He never had any intention of not interfering. "¡ªwant Rank 1." "What!?" The receptionist looked at him as if he was crazy. "S-sir, maybe you misspoke." She noticed the students ring at her desk. Her eyes watered at the pressure of the children of God ns. ''This crazy bastard! He looks good but his head is empty!'' The receptionist wanted to cry when Neo did not budge ''If he wants to die, die alone! Why is he trying to get me killed along with him!?'' "Can you give me the rank token?" Neo asked. "S-sir¡ª" "Is it not allowed?" "No¡­ tha-that''s not the problem." She bit her lips and gave him the Rank 1 badge with trembling hands. Any student who wanted to be rank 1 needed to take the batch from him. Neo could hide it inside his clothes, but it must remain on his body at all times. He ignored the stares and sat on the benches at the back of the hall. The hall was enveloped in murmurs. Someughed at Neo, some mocked him, and some pitied someone as handsome as him wanted to do a suicide. Neo blinked. Suddenly, the seat next to him became upied. The girl with ck hair that were golden underneath, and had golden eyes appeared like a ghost. Neo didn''t notice her until she sat on the seat. She held a sheathed sword and sat with crossed arms. Her gaze was fixed at the hologram. "Do you know the consequences of your actions?" She spoke without looking at him. "Maybe, maybe not. Why should I tell you?" Neo wasn''t startled. He expected someone to approach him when he chose the rank 1 token. Though, he didn''t expect it to be her. "Because that rank belongs to me," she said. "You took what is mine." Her face remained as calm as ake. "If you don''t want to die a dog''s death, give up now." "That''s quite a threat," Neo said. He noticed other member of Zeus n slowly circling them. "Will your siblings attack me if I say no?" "They aren''t my siblings and I don''t need help to take care of someone who can''t even control his Divine Energy." Neo could only smile when she poked where it hurt. His Spells were strong because his Divine Energy Purity was Grade 1 Awakened rank and the Spells themselves were Terror-ranked. He improved drastically after he started training, but he had a long path ahead. Silence descended between the two. They stared at the activities in the hall. "Morrigan di Montaigne," she suddenly said. "Neo Hargraves." They stopped talking. Morrigan stood up after a few minutes. "Your brother won''t be able to protect you every time you act out of the line." She added, "You should''ve understood your limits after the incident in the Mermaid Country." The members of Zeus n tried to approach Neo until she told them to let him go. "I will deal with him myself when the tournament starts." She left with them. Neo was not surprised she knew about the Mermaid Country incident. Even though his brother tried to suppress his involvement, the important members of Great God and High God ns would know the news with their connections. Neo exhaled. He closed his eyes and sank back into the chair. Seven days and hundreds of demigods who bore grudge against him. It wasn''t going to be easy. "Attention, students!" The announcer gathered them. "All rank tokens have been distributed! "We will now exin the rules and rewards!" The rules were as Neo remembered. He focused on the rewards. "Rank 1 will be awarded with Starplum Divine Fruit!" "Rank 2~10 will be awarded¡­" "Rank 11~100¡­" "Ra¡­" Starplum Divine fruit increased the purity of divine energy by directly one grade. Since Neo''s purity was Grade 1 Awakened, he would rank up and reach Grade 5 Mythic rank Purity after consuming the fruit. The rank increase would give his Spells a major boost. "I must get my hands on it." It was the only method for Neo to survive the Underworld. He had to win the Starplum fruit. "The tournament will start tomorrow. You can do anything you want until then." The students were sent to the dormitories. There were five dormitories. First one was for rank 1~10, second for rank 11~100, third for rank 101~500, fourth for rank 501~1000, and thest building for rank 1001~2000. These dormitories were cheap knock off of the real dormitories. The students had to use them until the tournament ended. Neo entered his allotted dorm. It was big and luxurious with four rooms, a kitchen, a hall, and a private gym. He had to share it with three more students. Instead of waiting, he decided to eat and pump his blood with Divine Energy. He ordered the food to his room. "I''d rather not go eat with everyone in the cafeteria. There is no need to go there and get harassed." Neo wasn''t afraid of bullying. He just didn''t want to waste Divine Energy on useless battles. While he ate the ordered food, a member of the dorm entered. The girl had unkempt pale blue hair that covered her sapphire eyes. She walked while looking at the ground, wore long-sleeved clothes and repeatedly pulled down the hood to hide her face. She noticed Neo in the hall. There gazes intersected. "C-can you stop looking at me? It makes me f-feel dirty." She clicked her tongue and entered her room. Neo was left stunned. ''What did I even do to her?'' Actually, he knew what he did. Leonora was supposed to take rank 19 token. But perhaps due to Neo''s action, the original top 10 students all took lower rank token. It forced students like Leonora, who werete to the registration hall, to take a top 10 tokens. She was in deep waters. At least ording to her. Chapter 40: You Are A Loner Too? After the lunch, Neo trained until dinner and started training again after it. He could not help but look at Obitus. The sword couldn''t be pulled out of the scabbard. For now, it''s only noteworthy quality was its off-charts durability. "How am I supposed to get its acknowledgement?" He needed the sword''s permission to be able to pull it out. Unfortunately, he had no idea of how to achieve that. There were several weapons ced inside the private gym. Neo stood before a sword. "I need a weapon for thepetition. I guess I''ll take one of these." He grabbed the sword. Suddenly, Obitus let out a jolt of electricity and tazed him. The sword from the private gym fell out of his hands. He could hear a small voice in his head. Don''t¡­ Neo looked at Obitus helplessly. "Are you saying I shouldn''t use any weapon other than you?" A wave of emotions appeared in Neo''s head. Excitement, happiness, trust, and jealousy. The sword was throwing a tantrum..? Neo was exasperated. "Can you let me use you then?" Cant¡­ I''m¡­ weak¡­ Need¡­ to feed on you¡­ more¡­ The train of thoughts appearing inside his head was unsteady. Talking seemed to take a lot out of Obitus. It returned to sleep after answering Neo''s questions. "You are quite demanding, aren''t you?" Neo chuckled. The sword ate the Divine Energy leaking from his body. He had to keep it close at all times. "Well, it''s durable. I can use it as a club if nothing else." He left the gymte into the night. After he took a shower, the other two dorm members entered. One was a young male with golden locks and the other hadvender hair. Both of them were extremely handsome. Their sour expression, soiled clothes and bruises said quite a tale. ''Did these two go to the cafeteria together? Thank god, I ate in my room,'' Neo thought. ''Still, it''s a wee surprise to see them together. I thought the plot would''ve changed after I chose to be rank 1.'' Neo approached them with another set of towels. "...Thank you," said Arthur, the protagonist, tensely. He helped Felix walk and crashed on the couch with him. "You two look terrible," Neo said while he ordered food. "We had a fight in the cafeteria," Felix said. "The delivery. Is it¡­" "Yeah, it''s for you two. It''s clear you used food to paint your clothes instead of eating it." "Hahaha, the beating made me forget I hadn''t eaten anything for a week," Arthur chuckled with a bitter sigh. Felix snapped his head towards Arthur. "We didn''t take a beating. We fought them." "R-right¡­" Arthur let out a troubled smile. Before the delivery arrived, Neo used the kitchen and prepared coffee for them. "I appreciate the coffee, but¡­" Felix frowned. "I need to sleep to be in my best form for tomorrow''s battle royale." "What about you?" Neo turned to Arthur. "I''ll take it. Again, thank you." While they chatted casually, Neo could tell they were nervous around him. "Did you two take a beating because you chose top 10 rank tokens?" Neo asked. "We weren''t beaten. We just didn''t fight back because the rules forbid battles before thepetition," Felix retorted. "And, you don''t need to be sorry. While we had to choose the top 10 tokens because of your incident, we would''ve still been harassed if it didn''t happen," Felix said awkwardly but bluntly. "Yeah, it''s my fault," Arthur sighed. "Felix was involved because he was with me." "Huh? No. It was because of me. Those guys were there to harass me. You got involved in my mess," Felix retorted. The three looked at each other awkwardly. All of them had reasons to be targeted by the students. Their expressions were saying ''You too?''. Turns out, they were all loners. "I guess we don''t need to know why the students are after you," Felix said to Neo. He turned to Arthur. "But why would they target you? You are a new face." "It''s because of my name, I think. Everyone was shocked when I told them my full name." Arthur scratched his cheek. "What is your name?" Felix asked. While they spoke, the delivery arrived. Neo stood up and took the order from the door. The other two waited for him to return before they continued talking. Neo unpacked the food while Arthur opened his mouth. "Arthur Kingsley." "What!?" Felix jumped to his feet. His eyes and hands quivered as he pointed at Arthur. "Y-your family name is Kingsley...?" "Yeah. Is it a weird name? I don''t know why everyone was reacting so strongly." "You don''t know?! Neo, tell him¡ª" Felix stopped speaking when he noticed Neo unpacking the delivery calmly. "Hey, he just said his name is Kingsley! The Kingsley! Why are you soposed!?" "I''m shocked. See?" Neo tried to fake a surprised expression which earned a chuckle from Arthur. Felix held his head, wondering what rotten luck he had to meet these lunatics. He took a deep breath. "Sigh, do you really don''t know what''s special about Kingsley surname?" "No." "¡­Were you living under a rock?" "Not a rock, but, yes, I was somewhere simr." Talking to Arthur made Felix''s blood pressure high. He took repeated breaths to calm himself and spoke, "Kingsley is the family name only the direct children of Great Sky God, Zeus, can use." "¡­?" Arthur tilted his head. "And? It''s not like anyone else can''t use the family name." "It is like that! There is no rule against it but it ismon sense to not use Kingsley as your family name! You aren''t the son of Great Sky God, Zeus! You aren''t even from the Zeus n!" Felix plopped to the sofa. He was tired. Why did he have to meet an idiot like Arthur? Felix''s cause of getting harassed was nothing in front of Arthur''s cause. He turned to Neo with an exhausted expression. "Please don''t tell me you chose rank 1 because of a stupid reason too?" Chapter 41: New Quest Neo shook his head and it brought a smile on Felix''s face until Neo spoke. "I wanted to train by fighting stronger enemies." "¡­What?" Felix covered his face. Seeing his exaggerated actions, Neo smiled. While his answer was not a lie, his main aim was the Starplum fruit. He could always fight stronger enemies. However, he could get Starplum only from thepetition. The clock pointed at midnight. Suddenly, a screen appeared before Neo. [Quest: Win the rank battle tournament and be ''The Ruler'' of the first year students.] [Reward: Essence Breath Spell, Immortal Exp +50] [Failure: -90% stats for one week.] [ept/Reject?] The rewards were generous. Essence Breath Spell would allow Neo to draw the Divine Energy from air. He would not need to depend on food to regain the lost Divine Energy. Immortal Exp would save him 50 days of work. The failure condition, however, was brutal. His stats would get suppressed for 7 days if he couldn''t get the first rank. Going to the Underworld in that condition was no different from asking to be killed. ''I can reject the Quest. There is no need to take such a risk¡­'' ''Who am I kidding? I''m going to ept it.'' [Quest epted.] Felix called out to him. "We should team up," He continued. "It benefits me and both of you. "The others will target me after I spent the day with Arthur. It''s better for me to have allies. "You two, on the other hand, don''t belong to the God ns and don''t know about the specialities of the students from them. I can reveal everything to you if you help me." His words were true. Neo''s chances of bing the first rank would increase if he had someone as strong as Arthur on his side. There was, however, one problem. "Are you strong enough to¡ª" Before Neo couldplete his words, the wall facing the yard exploded. A shadowy figure dashed into the room. Felix, closest to the wall, barely had time to block the attack. The shadow struck him in the chest and threw him across the room. Dust and gravel flew in the air. Just when the figure moved again, a bolt of golden lightning hit it in the chest. "Felix! Are you alive!?" Arthur shouted while he fired the second lightning bolt to stall the figure. "I... d-don''t think so." Felix stood up with a stagger. He held his chest and tried to stop the bleeding. A sigh of relief left Arthur''s lips. He stared to the shadowy figure. "Who attacks us? The tournament rules clearly said fighting is banned until tomorrow." "The time is 12:01 am." Neo stood next to Arthur. "It''s already tomorrow." Both of them waited for the dust to settle. Arthur drew a sharp breathe when the assaulter was revealed. A humanoid shaped shadow. It wore a knight armor made of shadows and held a shadowy sword. "¡­A shadow summon. It''s a otherworldly monster." Arthur''s face hardened. "How did it enter our world?" The Shadow Knight crouched. It suddenly dashed, covering half of the hall in a split second, and shed at Arthur. He didn''t have time to use a shield spell. The sword was about to hit him when Neo appeared in front of him and blocked. A shockwave rippled. The metallic noise of the sh forced Arthur to cover his ears. Neo twisted the de, causing the Shadow Knight''s sword to slide down on the de, and hit the Shadow Knight sword''s hilt. The sword fell from its hand. At the same time, it closed the gap and punched towards Neo''s face with the other hand. Suddenly, arger lightning bolt appeared from behind Neo. It hit the Shadow Knight and the Knight''s upper body exploded. "Huff, huff, thanks for helping me," Arthur said. He had to use a stronger attack to defeat the Shadow Knight before it took them out. "No problem. You covered for me too." Arthur noticed Neo''s condition. Despite his calm expression, his palms were torn when he blocked the attack. He probably took internal damage too. Nevertheless, his quick reactions saved Arthur. "Watch out!" Felix called out to them. The Shadow Knight''s body trembled. Its torso regenerated and became whole again. "It''s alive." Arthur prepared to cast Spells. "We need Holy Affinity to defeat it for good." "You have Holy affinity?" "¡­I have yet to awaken it. Sorry." ''Figures.'' Neo bolted towards the regenerated Shadow Knight. "Get me close to it!" Neo said. "Okay! But can you defeat it?!" Arthur casted multiple weaker lightning bolts. His precise Divine Energy control made Neo jealous. "I have a n!" The Shadow Knight swung its sword in arge arc to stop the lightning bolts. The momentum of the attack caused the air to stir. Neo slid beneath its sword and behind it. The Shadow Knight, distracted by Arthur, couldn''t respond immediately when Neo grabbed its nape and casted two stacks of Necrotic Touch. Arthur shouted. "That''s dangerous! Get away from¡ª" The monster froze. Cracks appeared on its body and it crumbled into nothingness. Arthur was left agape. "What was that? It didn''t look like Holy Affinity." "Because it wasn''t." Neo tried to control his breathing. He felt tired. ''Curse this damned body. I''m exhausted after a single fight.'' He approached Felix. "Can you move?" "Cough¡­cough¡­ forget about me. How did you defeat the Shadow Summon?" "Good, looks like you have enough energy." He picked the sword Felix dropped and gave it to him. "Get ready. We aren''t safe yet." The building suddenly shook. Noises of monsters appeared from the yard. "Is that¡­" Felix gulped. "Yeah, there are more Shadow Summons." Neo helped Felix stand. "Looks like the first student to target us is a Shadow user." They stood at the edge of the broken wall. Felix covered his face with as if he wanted to cry. The yard was filled with Shadow monsters. The ones with the bug shape were eating the buildings foundation to bury the dormitory along with Neo, Arthur, and Felix. Chapter 42: Might Of The Protagonist Neo jumped down from the second floor. He didn''t need to use Ocean''s Embrace for such heights. A Shadow Centipede was crushed under his feet. Before it healed, other Shadow Summons pounced on him. Arcs of lightening bolts descended and swatted the monsters away. Neo entered the group of monsters. Felix and Arthur came down after him. "What''s the n this time!?" Arthur shouted over the noises of monsters. "Look for the Shadow Summoner!" Neo swung his sword to crush the Shadow Mantis. Behind him, Arthur and Felix split up for the search. Neo did not use Ocean''s Embrace or Necrotic Touch. He had to conserver Divine Energy and he would face a worse situation when he entered Underworld. This was his chance to train. He grabbed the head of a Shadow Monster and smashed it into the ground. While he fought, Arthur shouted. "I can''t find the Summoner! What should we do!?" Neo swung his sword in a wide arc to create a room for himself. The monsters backed away. ''There are too many of them. I can''t use my Death Affinity to locate the Shadow Summoner.'' His affinity warned him of dangers and allowed him to detect the bloodlust. However, it was useless in current situation. "Can you do something about the monsters!?" Neo questioned. There was no answer. Neo, being swarmed by Shadow Monsters from all sides, could not see Arthur or Felix''s condition. He doubted those two could find each other either. "I can!" Arthur shouted after a while. "But it''s dangerous! Felix and you will be hit too!" "I can handle it! What about Felix!?" "Don''t worry about me! Do it!" Felix''s answer brought a frown on Neo''s face. But he didn''t delve on it. "Okay! Cover me for a minute!" Arthur created a hand symbol and swiftly chanted a Spell. Sparks of lightning leaked from his body. While he was defenseless, they monsters tried to attack him, only to be stopped by Neo who rushed to buy time for Arthur. The air prickled Neo''s hair on the nape stood. He knew Arthur was using a powerful attack. The Shadow Monsters understood the same. They went feral and pounced on them without caring about their own safety. Neo used Ocean''s Embrace. He put his body on the line to protect Arthur. Soon, Arthur spoke, "I''m done. Get away from me." His body was coated in golden lightning. It was bright enough to force Neo to wince. "Thunderburst," Arthur muttered. The lightning covering his body went berserk. Giant bolts of lightning flew out without rhyme and rhythm. The thundering orchestra continued for a few seconds. When it stopped, only the charred ground and a burnt smell were left. Arthur fell to his knee. His clothes were soaked in sweat and he was panting badly. "I can''t¡­ Huff¡­ Huff¡­ fight for a few¡­ Huff¡­ minutes¡­" The Shadow Monsters were obliterated. Nheless, Neo could see shadows squirming on the ground. They were recovering. He had to be quick. Neo focused on his senses. He scanned the surroundings. Bloodlust¡­! His gazed went to the tree at the end of area out of Arthur''sst attack range. The shadow of the tree suddenly moved. It looked like a normal shadow. But. Neo could see the thick bloodlust radiating from it with his eyes closed. A smile appeared on his face. Suddenly, the shadow started to run. It knew it was caught. "I-it''s him¡­. Go¡­" Arthur urged Neo. Neo picked a stone from the ground, checked its weight, and threw it. The Shadow tried to dodge only to tumble after a misstep. Before it could stand back, Neo was next to it. He grabbed the Shadow''s neck. "Let''s look at our friend''s face." He used a weakened Necrotic Touch. Not strong enough to kill him but make him feel the worst pain of his life. The Shadow let go of the Spell with the scream. Its real appearance was revealed to be a boy with sunken cheek, ck hair, and ck eyes. The boy grinned. "H-hahaha. You''ve lost!" ¡­! Neo realized something was wrong and looked back. Arthur was walking towards him but¡­ Felix was missing. "That''s right! We''ve taken your friend hostage!" The boyughed. "Don''t try to fight me if you value your friend''s life!" Neo frowned. ''It wasn''t Felix who said he could block Arthur''s attack. I should''ve understood it sooner.'' Arthur''s face hardened when he found out what was happening. "Go search the area. His friends or maybe Felix might be nearby. I''ll try to get information out of him." Arthur nodded at Neo''s words. His muscles were sore and he could hardly stand straight. But there was no time toin. Death happened every year during the tournament. If they werete, they might never see Felix again. Arthur left. The boyughed when he saw the despair-filled expression on Arthur''s face. He looked Neo in the eye. "It''s no use! We''ve already delivered your friend to¡ª" "The Zeus n?" Neo spoke calmly. The boy, Nathan, frowned at hisposure. "You think I''m joking? Your friend will die if you don''t listen to me!" "Yeah? I don''t care." Felix was weak, but not useless. The one thing he was best at was survival. Even cockroaches could learn from him. "He got kidnapped and it''s his responsibility to get away," Neo said. It was a good thing he sent Arthur away on a useless errand. He wouldn''t have liked Neo''s words. "Y-you are lying." "Want a proof?" Neo increased the intensity of Necrotic Touch. The boy grunted and bit his lips in order to suppress the screams threatening to overflow. "I don''t care if you or that guy dies." Nathan tried to use his Shadow Summons only to find himself unable to concentrate due to the pain. "W-what do you want!? Why are you doing this to me!?" He started to scream as if Neo had done something wrong to him. It confused Neo. Wasn''t he the one who came to kill them? Why was he ming him when he received the same treatment? Nevertheless, the question was a waste of time. There was another reason why Neo wanted to talk to Nathan alone. Chapter 43: Hoarder There was another reason why Neo wanted to talk to Nathan alone. "Give me your Shadow Spell." "W-what?" Nathan''s re was useless thanks to his teary eyes. "You should know no family shares their Spell to the outsiders! "I¡­ I won''t give it to you! I''d rather die!" Nathan shivered, not from the pain, but from the thought of what would his family to do him if he leaked the Spell. Neo could take him time increasing the pain to force the Spell out of Nathan. However, he didn''t like torturing people and he had a faster method. "You''d rather die?" Neo''s smile sent chills down Nathan''s spine. The temperature plummeted. Nathan''s teeth ttered and he sensed something was wrong. He looked below¡­ The darkness beneath Neo''s feet moved It wasn''t a shadow. Nathan would''ve detected it with his Shadow Affinity if it was. "D-darkness element! Why can you use that ursed power?!" The darkness stretched. "What are you going to do to me!?" "Nothing much," Neo answered. "But if you would rather die, I hope you will let me eat you." Nathan was unable to retort. He felt true fear for the first time in his life. As someone who delved into a dark-type element, he knew what being devoured by Darkness meant. "You wouldn''t da-dare. The teachers won''t let you." "They don''t care if students die. Why would they care if I consume a soon-to-be dead participant? "Of course, if you were from a Great God n, they might''ve protected you. But I don''t think you are?" Nathan tried to get away from Neo''s grip. However, the pain made him unable to put strength into his limbs. He soiled his clothes. "Talk quickly. I don''t have time to waste on you." Neo''s cold words made Nathan lose all hope. He stopped struggling and opened his mouth. "I have a Whisper-ranked Shadow Insect Summon Spell and an Echo-ranked Shadow Knight Summon Spell. It''s¡­" Neo listened to the exnation carefully. After memorizing the details, he tried to use the Spell. He failed miserably. He couldn''t sense his Shadow Affinity at all. ''I can''t trigger the Spell since I haven''t awakened my Shadow affinity yet.'' ''tsk, I was hoping to use the Shadow Summons to help me in the battles.'' When Nathan saw Neo standing silently, he spoke, "I¡­ It''s not a fake Spell. I swear if you give it to a Shadow User they will be able to use the Shadow Insect Summon Spell immediately. "The Shadow Knight Summon Spell might need a bit of training¡ª" "What about the other Spell?" Neo interrupted. "¡­?" "You kidnapped Felix right under our nose." "I-It was my friend who did¡ªArghh!" The Death Mark on Nathan''s neck red. "It was me! It was me! So, stop!" Nathan panted. He exined. The Spell, Shadow Snare, was a Whisper-ranked Spell. When it hit the target, they were teleported to a pre-marked location. Since it was the lowest-ranked Spell, the target could resist the teleportation. "Why was Felix teleported if the Spell can be stopped?" "Heh, you need to have some amount of strength to resist. How can he, the weakest demigod in the history, do that?" Neo clicked his tongue. Nathan and his friend targeted the weakest link of their group. "Can you let me go?" Nathan asked. "I answered all of your questions." Neo shook his head. "I need you to use your Spells and help us rescue Felix." "¡­! You said you didn''t care about your friend!" Neo didn''t care. But Arthur would definitely want to save Felix. And the Zeus n would attack Neo because he took the first rank token. One way or another, he was bound to sh with them. It was better to go with Arthur. When they finished the discussion, Arthur returned. He had a pale face. "I can''t find Felix or anyone else." "I see. Guess we will go meet the Zeus n members and get him back." "¡­!? It''s them!?" Arthur couldn''t believe Neo. "They are students like us! How¡­ how can do to these things?" Morrigan was not the type to resort to cheap tricks. The kidnapping must''ve been the n of someone else from Zeus n. "Bring that question up when we meet them." Neo patted Arthur''s shoulder. "Let''s go." He turned to Nathan. "Lead the way." "¡­?" Arthur was confused. Before he could question, Neo answered, "He had a change of heart and decided to join our side." Nathan wanted to retort, but the slight pain from the Death Mark made him shut up. He had no choice but to follow their orders. ¡­ Elderglen Valley Northwest region of designated area for the Ranking Tournament "What are you doing?" Morrigan stared at the student, Daniel, bowing to her. Her gaze shifted to Felix who was tied behind him. "I''ve brought gift for the Zeus n." Daniel let out a crafty smile. "My friends and I were deeply offended when a certain someone dared to take the rightful thrown from the genius of Montaigne Family. "We decided something must be done. Thus, we, the devotee of the mighty Zeus n, fought them valiantly and captured a traitor following that wretched devil. "With this trash bastard on our hand, we can easily defeat those losers who dared to covet the thrown of the ruler!" Some of the Zeus n members cringed at his words. However, Daniel continued to smile, proud of his achievement. This was the moment of his life. If he could get in their good graces, he would never have to worry about anything. Morrigan stepped forward. Her body disappeared and a faint noise of thunderbolt sounded before she reappeared before Daniel. "Raise your head," she said. Daniel was dazed when heid his eyes on her. Although he heard about the beauty of the Montaigne Family''s genius, he felt the rumours underyed her elegance. The faint noise of thunderbolt echoed again. A blow hit Daniel in the chest and he was smashed into the tree behind him. The burnt smell and Daniel''s blood-soaked coughs chilled Felix''s heart. Chapter 44: Confidence Or Overconfidence? Felix was bewildered. Why was she attacking her own people? He tried his best to understand the situation in order to escape, or survive at least. Morrigan approached Daniel. "W-why did you attack me? I was following your orders!" "My orders?" While her voice was calm, the faint thunderbolt noise reverberated and another invisible attacknded on Daniel. There was no time to dodge. He felt as if he was about to die. "I''ve made my words clear. Do not touch Neo Hargraves. He would die by my hands." "Lies! I was clearly told by¡ª" Before he couldplete his words, a sword pierced his neck. He gagged on his blood. "No need to waste your time on idiots like him," Lucas said. He wiped the blood from his sword before returning it to the sheathe. "Why did you kill him?" Morrigan asked. "I ryed your words to everyone in the tournament and he still did what he wanted. We can''t let them make mockery of our n." Morrigan stared at his sly grin. It had to him who ordered Daniel to kidnap Felix behind her back. He killed Daniel to hide the proof. "I don''t remember asking you to intervene," she said and sted him with a much stronger attack. Lucas was hit, unable to do anything. He crashed into a rock. "I apologize." He smiled as he stood up. Watching him irritated Morrigan. She turned to Felix. Felix spoke before she could say anything. "W-wait! I can help you guys! Don''t kill me!" His expression mirrored his mental state. ''These Zeus n lunatics! They killed a student for no reason!'' ''Fuck! I was following Arthur because he was strong! If I knew I would get involved in this mess, I wouldn''t have approached him!'' Felix, a weakling, was confident in his ability to assess people''s strength at a nce. He followed Arthur because he was strong. Only monstrous geniuses like Morrigan, Leonora, and Mars, could defeat Arthur. Felix nned to hug Arthur''s thigh and reach a higher rank with his help. But. Dammit! "I don''t need your help," Morrigan said. "You do! You definitely do!" Felix shouted before she could refuse him again. "Ask your siblings, Arthur is strong!" Among those who harassed Felix and Arthur were Zeus n members. Arthur only defended against their attacks. It was unthinkable for a no name demigod to be able to stop geniuses like them easily. The Zeus n members reacted. "Don''t lie! We didn''t go all out¡ª" Zoe was interrupted by Morrigan. "Is he stronger than you?" Morrigan asked. "No." "Are you sure?" Zoe bit her lips before she answered. "¡­I couldn''t get a proper grasp on his strength. But I''m sure I''m stronger!" "I hope you didn''t lie." Zoe and a few others shivered. Morrigan ignored them and looked at Felix. "As you can see, we don''t need your help." "Now, now, please don''t be so hasty." Lucas intervened with a smile. He held the wound to stop the bleeding. "We might not need him. But there is no harm in taking precautions." "Yes, that''s right. I will help you guys. There is no need to eliminate me. I''m not your enemy." Felix did not feel ashamed of backstabbing Arthur and Neo. He was just trying to survive. Morrigan frowned. She stared at Felix and Lucas. "Do whatever you want. But don''t touch Neo Hargraves." ¡­ Elderglen Valley Northwest region of designated area for the Ranking Tournament Neo, Arthur, and Nathan were at top of a mountain with a steep cliff. They chose this ce for teleportation mark on Neo''s advice. "Why here?" Arthur asked. "Does fighting on a mountain top give you a boost? Or are you nning on preparing traps?" "Something like that." The three descended down the mountain after Nathan was done. "What are we going to do? I don''t think it''s a good idea for you two, ahem, us three to barge into their base," Nathan questioned. Arthur, curious, followed Nathan''s gaze and turned to Neo. He knew Neo was weak physically. It was easy to notice. However, Neo''s Divine Energy purity was high and it allowed him to use strong Spells. Thanks to it and Neo''s perfect directions during the previous battle, Arthur trusted him to have a n. "Have you seen the members of Zeus n?" Neo asked Arthur while they followed the mountain trail. "Yes. I saw them in the cafeteria." "Can you defeat them?" "I can. Easily." His swift and confident words shocked Nathan. The ten members of Zeus n participating in the tournament were geniuses among geniuses. They belonged to the top 0.1%. He could defeat those high and might existences? ''Why don''t you say your Kingsley name is real and you are Great Sky God, Zeus, son.'' Nathan scoffed. "What if you have to fight all at once?" Neo questioned. "That¡­ I can''t guarantee I will win." Arthur pursed his lips. "Actually, I take my words back. I am stronger than them, but there is one I can''t see myself winning against." "Who is it?" "Morrigan di Montaigne. That''s her name, I think." Neo went silent after hearing his words. "I will deal with her," Neo said. "Take care of others while you rescue Felix." "I can try, but are you sure? She has a Lightning Seed." "I don''t think we have another choice." They reached the mountain''s base and entered the jungle. Nathan couldn''t contain his curiosity anymore. "What is a Lightning Seed?" "It''s a booster of sorts." Arthur tried to put his thoughts into words. "It gives a major raise to overall abilities. At her mastery level, she should be able imbue her normal attacks with lightning." His vast knowledge shocked Nathan. Although he wanted to believe Arthur was lying, there was undeniable certainty behind his words. "Do you¡­ have that lightning seed?" "No? It''s too draining to use." Neo could only sigh inaudibly. Lightning Seed was one of the secret techniques of Montaigne Family. If they knew Arthur was dissing it and calling it inefficient, they might''ve lost their sanity. It didn''t take them long to reach the Zeus n base. "We are here," Nathan said. Chapter 45: Aura Clash "Okay," Neo nodded. "Follow the n." "A n?" Suddenly, the crackled and Morrigan appeared next to them. "You think your n, whatever it might be, has a chance to work?" Arthur reacted. He fired a small lightning bolt. Just as it was about to hit, Morrigan disappeared and reappeared at another ce. The other Zeus n members revealed themselves. They surrounded Neo, Arthur, and Nathan. ''They were waiting for us,'' Neo thought. Arthur prepared his next attack. Before he could do anything, Neo stopped him. "Let me talk first." He looked at Morrigan and spoke, "We are not here to fight. Our friend has been kidnapped by some unscrupulous people. We are searching for him. Have you seen him anywhere?" "Maybe, maybe not. Why should I tell you?" "Fair enough." Neo smiled when she answered back with his words. Suddenly, Zoe, a member of Zeus n, stepped forward. "Hey!" Although, she tried to hide it, she looked anxious as if she wanted to prove herself. "Speak with your heads down! You are talking to the people of Zeus n!" She let her aura slip out. The air crackled and the pressure descended on Neo and Arthur. She grinned when she saw Arthur''s paleplexion. Suddenly, an aura, heavier than hers, appeared. It covered the area like thick nket. Zoe felt as if she couldn''t breathe. She stared at Neo, the source of the aura, with wide eyes. "W-what is that aura?" The others realized something was wrong. They thought Neo was stupid to choose Rank 1 token. However, his dense aura of death shocked everyone. It was almost tangible. Arthur and Morrigan, while not bewildered, were still surprised. The nine Zeus n members, except Morrigan, released their auras. Theirbined presence bore down on Neo. Their expressions turned into an ugly grimace. Neo, even if only for a moment, could resist them alone. "You fucking bastard!" They could not let such a shameful situation be broadcasted to their families and the world. Their auras turned wild. The massive presences charged at Neo''s aura and tried to subdue it in one go. Neo''s sphere of presence shrunk. Just as he was about to losepletely, he, for the first time, released his aura of darkness. Instantly, his aura exploded and the Zeus n members'' aura was pushed back. The sh shook the trees and the shockwaves rippled as if a typhoon arrived. "I''ll ask again," Neo said. "Have you seen my friend?" "Yeah, and we killed him!" Zoe, unable to bear the defeat, charged. Her attack was interrupted by Arthur. "Do it!" He shouted. Suddenly, the Divine Energy in the air moved. They noticed Nathan at its source. "Shadow Snare!" The Spell required a long time to cast. It should have been impossible to trigger it in front of the enemy. However, due to the aura sh with Neo, they unconsciously ignored the weak presence of Nathan. They were distracted and he sessfully trigged the Spell right under their noses. The shadows below Neo and Morrigan surged. They climbed up their bodies. "How about we settle this somewhere else?" Neo asked. "Fine." Morrigan didn''t interrupt the teleportation. There was no need to be cautious. Neo''s aura surprised her, but aura and actual strength were not always linked. Anyone could tell Neo was weak by looking at his bruises and wounds from the battle against Nathan''s Shadow Summons. The two appeared over a tall cliff. Morrigan scanned the surroundings. "You should use the traps you''ve prepared." "There aren''t any." Neo held his sword and dashed at her. ¡­ Arthur looked at the Zeus n members with a vignt gaze. He covered Nathan behind himself. They prepared for battle until Lucas suddenlyughed. He held his stomach. "Hahahaha, crazy idiots, did your n involve splitting us off from Morrigan? "Did you think you could defeat her if she was alone?" Since the remaining nine members were not teleported, it was clear Neo and Arthur nned to deal with Morrigan first. The two probably thought it was better to eliminate the strongest opponent before dealing with others. The Zeus n members stared at Arthur with mockery and pity. "I will exin it to you inyman terms since you aren''t from God ns." Lucas smiled. "The Zeus n is divided into three families. "Montaigne Family, Valemont Family, and Mistraven Family. "Every family sends four to seven children to academy every year. These children are cream of the crop of their batch. "But this year was different. "Morrigan singlehandedly defeated all participants from the Montaigne Family. "She left her opponents in a miserable state. They couldn''t even join the Academy anymore. "This is why she is the only one from Montaigne Family this year. "Even all nine of us together aren''t her match. There is no way you and your friend can defeat her." Arthur grimaced when he heard Lucas. But. He could do nothing expect believe Neo. Lightning crackled around Arthur. "Are you seriously trying to fight us alone?" Lucas scoffed. "Yes." Arthur pointed his finger at Lucas and fired a lightning bolt. The lightning bolt was about to hit Lucas when it changed its path and flew towards Zoe. Arthur frowned. He lost control of the Spell. Zoe absorbed the lightning bolt. She smirked. "I can eat suck weak lightning easily¡ª Cough! Cough!" She puked blood. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw her blood-stained hands. "Are you stupid?" Arthur looked down at her. "Even if you can overpower my lightning, absorbing others'' Divine Energy is no different from eating poison." "Y-you!" While his words were true, Zoe never encountered a simr situation. The absorption would harm her only when the opponent was far stronger than her. ¡­? The faces of Zeus n members hardened. Zoe, while weakest in the group, could fight against them on equal footing, and sometimes even win. Her strength was not too far from everyone else. Before they could react to the horrible realization, Arthur activated another Spell. "Banshee Scream." His voice tore through their eardrums and stunted them. Their vision shook. The noise of the Spell continued to echo. They felt the ground spin beneath them. "Focus! He has disappeared!" Lucas shouted while he pressed his bleeding ears. He took out the shield and the sword. No matter where he looked, he couldn''t find Arthur. Invisibility? It was an advance technique of Air Element. ''Lightning, Sound, Air.'' ''He can use three elements?'' ''How!? There is no way he is a no name demigod!'' Lucasmanded. "Use your senses to search for Divine Energy activation. He will sneak attack anytime¡ª" "Argh!" Zoe screamed. She held her bleeding torso. Lucas ran to her and checked her injuries. "A physical wound¡­?" Judging from the size, it was made with a dagger. "Hiding and attacking. This isn''t how a mage fights." Lucas felt hismon-sense being challenged. Why could Arthur, an assassin, use three elements perfectly? He was curious, afraid, and bewildered. While he wasted his time dazed, another member was attacked. But. Just when Arthur cut Harrison''s tendons, he received a sword sh to his chest. "I''ve got him!" Harrison shouted. Arthur jumped back with a pained face. The blood dripping from his wound revealed his location. It made his invisibility useless. ''I took two of them out in a surprise attack. It''s good enough.'' He cancelled the invisibility Spell and used a lightning re Spell. The sh blinded the group. Lucas didn''t make the previous mistake. He didn''t wait. Closing his eyes, he rushed towards Arthur and attacked. He couldn''t let Arthur take the initiative. Their swords shed and a shockwave¡­. Sword? Arthur had a sword? Lucas opened his eyes as soon as he could see again. "Dammit!" A Shadow Knight stood in front of him. Arthur had, somehow, disappeared. Chapter 46: Who Do You Think Will Win? It didn''t take long for Lucas to subdue the Shadow Knight. Arthur never attacked him during that time, even though it was a perfect opportunity. "Where is the Shadow Summoner?" Lucas felt something was wrong. Could it be possible for Arthur to use the invisibility on the Shadow Summoner? "If that true, it has to be a Resonance, or maybe a Reverberation-ranked Spell." How could Arthur have a Reverberation-ranked Spell? Normal demigods would never see in it their lifetime. Lucas bit his lips, unable to understand the situation, when he heard Orion''s shout. "Snap out of it, Lucas! "Don''t just stand stupidly! You are our leader after Morrigan disappeared! Give us orders!" Lucas nodded. He scanned the area while the others covered him from all sides. They prepared for a sneak attack from Arthur or Nathan. Time passed. Nothing happened. Suddenly, Lucas came to a realization. "Dammit! He went to rescue his friend!" Dozens of Shadow monsters sprang up from the ground before Lucas and others rush to Felix''s location. The monsters blocked their path. "They are stalling for time! Ignore them!" When they reached their destination, they found it empty. The area should''ve been locked with Morrigan''s Eight Trigram Lightning Prison Spell. After she got teleported, she was too far and couldn''t maintain the prison. "tch, they got lucky. Who would''ve known Morrigan''s whim would cost us this way?" Lucas didn''t know all of this was nned by Neo. From choosing a faraway ce for teleportation to cancel the prison Spell, to ordering Arthur to fight everyone alone as Neo knew about his invisibility, to¡­ "Well, it doesn''t matter. Felix should know what is good for him." Felix had no choice but to betray his friends. Lucas was sure of it. ¡­ Arthur, Felix and Nathan ran through the jungle. They continued to move without looking back. "H-hey, let''s take a break," Felix said while panting. His endurance was at rock bottom after suffering at the hand of Zeus n members. It didn''t help thest time he ate was over a day ago. He was hungry, hurt, and on a run from Zeus n. "You don''t look good." Arthur passed him fruits. He found them after foraging in the forest. Felix ate like a starved wolf. He felt a heavenly taste burst into him mouth when he took a bit from the ripened mango. "Thanks." They continued to move away from the Zeus n''s base after the rest. On the way, Felix noticed Nathan staring at him. "What?" "Uh, what about the guy who kidnapped you?" "He is dead." "...how did he die?" "The Zeus n participant, Lucas di Valemont, attacked him when he said the Zeus n ordered the kidnapping." "But he was the one who..." Nathan sighed and didn''t speak further. There was nothing he could do even if it was unfair. He continued to run with a gloomy face. They had been on the run for a few hours when Arthur stopped. He frowned. "Why aren''t theying after us? I thought they would want to get revenge." "They are probably waiting for me to backstab you." Felix''s answer made Arthur go wide-eye. He shrugged. "They are members of the Great God n and I''m a wastrel of the weakest God n. "If I don''t do what they told me to, they''ll make my life hell after thepetition ends." "What!?" Arthur suddenly took a step back. "A-are you going to betray me?" Watching the guy, who fought several Zeus n members without flinching, afraid, made Felix chuckle. He shook his head. "Of course not. My life is already hell. They can''t make it worse than it already is." Felix might''ve betrayed Arthur before. But, after seeing his strength with his own eyes, he changed his ns. "And¡­" Felix took out rank tokens from his pocket. "They don''t have time toe after us if they want to receive a rank." "¡­.!" Arthur could help but exim. "Why do you have so many rank tokens?" "I stole them when they weren''t paying attention." Felix grinned. ¡­ Student Council Office Demigod Academy Amelia stared at the broadcast with a clenched fist. She didn''t notice it her nails digging into her palms. Percival, who sat next to her, stared at her through the side eye while drinking coffee. "This year''s Ranking Tournament is quite different, isn''t it?" He continued. "The Zeus n was made aplete fool and the Poseidon n isn''t trying to get a high-rank. "The other ns are moving quietly because they are worried about Zeus n''s warning. "Out of all tournaments, this year''s might be the least brutal one. "But isn''t that wrong? "I find this year''s tournament the most exciting." He grinned. "The wastrel of Aphrodite n yed the Zeus n for a fool. "An unknown demigod with the family name of Kingsley appeared. Surprisingly, he might be on par with the geniuses of this generation. "And finally him¡­" Neo was disyed in the broadcast. "The demigod involved in the controversy of Mermaid Country, the younger brother of Hargraves Corporation CEO, and a crazy bastard who is trying to fight the strongest genius alone." Amelia didn''t answer. She didn''t notice him talking. Her focus was directed at the screen disying Neo''s battle against Morrigan. "Are you worried about him?" "¡­!?" Amelia''s head snapped towards him. "Y-yes, I guess. He tried to help mother, so I''d rather not see him lose." ording to what she told Percival, Neo tried to save her mother. He had to escape the country with Amelia after he failed, and the rebels ced a bounty on him to catch him. "Hmm¡­" Percival slid the curtains. He could see the students outside staring at the broadcast with bated breath. Everyone knew the genius of Morrigan family. There was no way Neo could win. That''s what made the battle exciting. They couldn''t wait to see why he was so confident. Quite a few students ced bets on the possible victor and loser. "Who do you think will win?" Amelia asked. Percival was the student council president and the Ruler of 2nd year. She believed he could predict the result with his extensive battle experience. "If he is going to do what I think he will, he might win. But¡ª" He stared at her. "He will die." His answer made Amelia concerned and relieved. Because.... "Is that so?" Neo was Immortal. Chapter 47: The Winning Move Orbs of lightning floated behind Morrigan. Electrical discharge shot out of them. Neo used the Ocean''s Embrace before the attack hit him. His senses red. He dodged the ones he could dodge and twisted his body to avoid the fatal hits. A grunt escaped his lips. Morrigan frowned when she saw him rtively unharmed. "How are you standing?" The attack should''ve been enough to deal with him. Neo''s defence couldn''t be credited to the Spell alone. "Your Mana Purity is higher than mine," she said. "That''s why you are so sturdy." Her frown worsened. Even if his Purity was high, his total Divine Energy was nothingpared to her. She could tire him out Neo to defeat him. However, it wasn''t her style. "There is no shield that won''t break." The faint noise of a thunderbolt reverberated. Morrigan disappeared. Neo barely had time to raise the sword. A heavy blow struck his de. He saw Morrigan''s figure for a split second before she disappeared again and the air crackled. Neo twisted his hand to block the attacking from behind. The air crackled again. His senses calmed down. Morrigan appeared far from his location. She stared at him with a tight frown. ''She is irritated,'' Neo thought bitterly. ''I guess she hates how her attacks failed twice.'' The simple blows rattled his bones and his muscles were nearly torn apart. He couldn''t help but feel he was royally fucked. ''How high is her Grade? Grade 2 or Grade 1?'' Morrigan took a step. She appeared before him in an instant and brought her sword down. Neo swung his de. The sh created shockwaves. Morrigan''s eyes glowed. The world slowed down for her, and she continued to move at normal pace. Neo responded to her attack in slow motion. He let the non-lethal attacksnd on the Ocean''s Embrace while he diverted her strong attacks by a hair breadth. ''He is ignoring the feints,'' Morrigan thought. It was as if Neo knew which attack would take him out of the fight and he dodged only those. His Death Affinity was working wonders, not that Morrigan knew. Sparks flew in the air. From a bystander point of view, their sword shed hundred of times in a few seconds. Cuts appeared on Neo''s body and blood began to pool beneath his feet. It was wrong. He wasn''t going down as easily as she had thought. Morrigan didn''t want to use Spells, not against a weaker opponent. It would sully her name. But¡­ "That''s it. I''m done holding back," Morrigan said. She kicked Neo in the stomach. The blow, swift, strong, and precise, knocked air out his lungs and threw him back. His body rolled in the dirt. He stabbed the sword into the ground to stop himself. Suddenly, he twisted his head and a lightning spear whizzed past his cheek. The attack flew behind him before it exploded. Lightning shrapnel dug into Neo''s back. He ignored the pain and made a hand sign. "Darkness!" The shadows beneath his feet slithered. "Heed my call!" They shot forward, coiling and twisting like snakes. ck lines appeared on the ground. They circled Morrigan and suddenly flew out, and formed a dome. Neo changed his hand signs as soon as Morrigan was captured inside the Darkness domain. "Devour!" The dome of darkness shrunk rapidly. In midst of his attack, Neo heard a fleeting whisper. "Render." Cracks appeared on the dome of darkness and golden light slipped out. A beatter, the dome exploded. The world was dyed in a golden sh. Morrigan stepped out the crumbling dome. She couldn''t find Neo and noticed several domes of darkness on the cliff. "Trying to hide now?" She raised her foot. Sparks of lightning gathered under her sole. The golden lightning continued to shrink andpress until Morrigan stomped. It went underground. But instead of dispersing, the lightning surged again, and returned to the surface. The ground split apart. Continuous thunder echoed. The random discharge of lightning from the ground destroyed multiple domes of darkness at once. Neo''s figure, hidden inside the dome near the cliff''s edge, was revealed. "Let''s end this," she said. Morrigan dashed towards him. Just when Neo tried to block her, Morrigan used Physical Reinforcement Spell. Her speed and strength improved drastically. She changed the sword path midway. Neo couldn''t react on time. The de stabbed into his stomach. Morrigan swung the sword to the side and shed it out of his waist. "Urk..." Neo bit his lips. Blood gushed out from his injury. Ocean''s Embrace could barely provide him any defense against her. The difference in their stats was too vast. Neo tried to use Necrotic Touch on her, only for her to dodge easily. She rammed the de into his forearm. "What is that disgusting Spell¡ª" Morrigan froze. She couldn''t pull out her sword from Neo''s forearm. It was stuck between the gap of his bones. ''Was it on purpose?'' She looked up at Neo''s face. "You have a defensive Spell." His words brought an ominous premonition. "Use it and¡­" She suddenly noticed they were on the cliff''s edge. "Hey¡ª" "Try not to die." Neo used his other hand to bring her in a tight hug and he stepped back. His feetnded on empty air. They fell off the cliff before Morrigan could do anything. ¡­ "Urgh¡­ I¡­ feel like shit." Neo tried to stand. His body wouldn''t listen to him. He raised his head and looked around. Green trees, red dirt, and a corpse. ¡­!? rity returned to his mind. The red dirt was his blood soaked into the mud. He heard a groan. The ''corpse'' moved. Morrigan stood up with a stagger. Her figure was covered in blood, her right hand was not facing at the correct direction, and she red at him with intense hatred. She took a step towards him. It was slow and painful. Neo stood up with a grunt and got ready to fight. The sword stabbed into his arm fell off somewhere during the fall and blood continued to flow out of the injury on his stomach. Both of them had a foot in grave. Neo punched towards Morrigan''s head. Despite being heavily injured and out of Divine Energy, she dodged and hit his chin with an uppercut. Neo stumbled. His vision spun and he fell to his knees. She kicked him in the stomach. Neo grabbed her foot before she could hit his injury again and wrestled her into a hold. Chapter 48: End Of The Brawl A clear snap resounded. Neo looked at Morrigan''s broken leg with wide eyes. Her injuries must''ve been bad if the bone broke with a slight pull. "You¡­!" She bit her lips. Just when Neo thought he won, his stomach burned. The feeling was the same as a hot knife, stabbed into his injury, being twisted. He looked down. Faint lightning sparks slithered around his injury. ''This damned woman! She used Lightning Seed''s energy when she stabbed me!'' Morrigan''s divine energy, rampaging inside his body, wouldn''t disperse unlike normal situations. She could kill him if the situation continued. Neo grunted. He wrung his blood dry to use Divine Energy. He touched her with Necrotic Touch. Morrigan, within his hold, could not dodge. She let out a subdued scream when the Death Mark appeared on her leg. At the same time, she used her divine energy to mess up Neo''s inside. She red at him. "Stop if you don''t want to die¡­" "You first¡­" Neo increased the intensity of Necrotic Touch. The two did not back down. To break the stalemate, Neo used the Darkness. The shadows on the ground quivered. That was all. Neo, after losing too much blood, had only a bit of Divine Energy left, and he used it for Necrotic Touch. The appearance of Darkness element surprised Morrigan. She let the control of her Divine Energy slip. Neo used the chance to increase the Necrotic Touch''s intensity to maximum. He waited for her to retaliate. But. Nothing happened. Morrigan was knocked out. Neo let go of the hold and sprawled on the ground. He stared at the sky. "Hahaha, this is crazy." Neo won. Against the strongest Demigod of his generation. He defeated Morrigan. He basked in the glory of victory until the reality mmed him down. His injuries hurt and he lost too much blood. "I can cauterize the wound with Necrotic Touch, but¡­" He was in no condition to fight. If someone found him, they wouldn''t hesitate to take him out. After all, Neo painted a target on his back when he chose the rank 1 token. "I need to hide until I recover to a better state." He pushed his lead-like limbs and staggered to his feet. The injury on his stomach was not lethal, or maybe it was, and he couldn''t think straight due to anemia. Neo was about to leave when his eyes wandered to Morrigan. She was alive. Anyone who found her would rescue her to curry favor with Zeus n. But there was no guarantee it would happen. It was possible for her to die of blood loss because no one found her. He covered his face, trying to think if he should do it or not. "¡­Dammit." He was fucked if she died. The Morrigan Family woulde after him. Not to mention, he would lose a powerful future ally. "Hey, wake up." Neo hit her cheeks. There was no response. With no other choice, he carried her on his back. "Fuck, she is heavy." Blood trickled from the corner of his lips. His eyes were bloodshot and his ears rang. Wasn''t carrying a girl supposed to make him feel something positive? Why did he feel like shit? Neo did not know for how long he kept walking. It was night when he found a cave after he followed the cliff''s base for hours. He entered the cave. The tunnel was long and there was no sign of a monster living in it. Neo ced Morrigan inside before he left. He retraced his steps and removed the tracks, brought some fruits, and took a few bushes to hide the cave''s entrance. Morrigan was awake when he returned. He tossed her the apple and ate the other one. "There is no need to fight. Both of us are out of Divine Energy and weck blood to recover it anytime soon. "I know you must''ve a breathing technique. "But don''t forget your leg is broken. There is no way you can fight anymore." She red at him and used Physical Reinforcement Spell. Her muscles tightened. They crushed the broken bones and sent jolts of pain across her leg. She cancelled the Spell and coughed blood. Her body went into seizure since she forcefully used Divine Energy. Neo waited for her to recover a bit. "Eat." He gave her the apple she dropped. "You can''t recover if you don''t eat." Morrigan''s gaze alternated between his face and the apples. Tears welled in her eyes. She took the apple and nibble on it silently. Neo was left frozen from shock. He couldn''t believe the scene before his eyes. Morrigan, the future War Empress, cried? Her sobs grew louder. "Uh, are you okay?" "Shut up! I¡­ h-hic!... don''t want to talk to you! Hic!" She nibbled on the apple while her tears stained the ground. "I was the stupid one. Hic! Hic! I t-tried to save him and what did I get in return? Hic! He... He almost killed me," she mumbled. "What do mean¡ª" "I''ll make your stomach explode if you try to talk to me again!" She red at him with red puffy eyes. Neo could feel the lingering energy from her lightning seed inside him. ¡­She wasn''t joking. He decided to shut up. Morrigan continued to cry. She turned to him after she ate the apple. "...." Her gaze was locked at the uneaten apple in his hand. "¡­You can have it." She ate the apple with small bites. "You are stupid," she said after a long time. Morrigan stopped crying. Her eyes were swollen. "Are you going to talk now?" He asked. "No." She stared at him. "I don''t want to talk to you." That was theirst conversation of the day. Morrigan entered meditation to recover her Divine Energy. "What did she mean she was helping me?" He had an idea to what it was. "Maybe..." *** Bonus Chapter Goals (For September): Every 300 Power Stones = +2 Bonus Chapters Every 100 Golden Tickets = +3 Bonus Chapters Chapter 49: I Dont Trust You "Maybe it''s true." Morrigan repeatedly warned others to not touch Neo. Did she do that because she was worried Neo, a weak demigod, would die if hundreds of demigod attacked him at once? "No, that''s not possible." Morrigan wasn''t so kind. But... "This injury." Neo traced the wound on his stomach. It nearly split his torso in half and somehow the injury wasn''t lethal. The attack missed his vital points. "If she didn''t do this on purpose, it has to be a crazy coincidence." Neo found it hard to believe Morrigan would make a mistake like this. It had to be intentional. "Dammit¡­" Morrigan had to punish Neo. He insulted the Zeus n by trying to take the first rank. She tried to find a way to punish him on the live broadcast while her true intentions were different. She didn''t want to kill him. In return, Neo nearly ended her life. "I''m just imagining nonsense." The wound could be a coincidence, or maybe she had other intentions. He shouldn''te to a conclusion without hearing her side. Neo turned away from Morrigan. He trained his Darkness affinity to pass time. The shadows stretched and spread out. It was difficult to sustain the domain of darkness for a long period of time. The longer he maintained darkness the harder it got to control. The shadows slithered and tried to devour him. Strange noises spoke to him. He cancelled the domain of darkness when he reached his limit. The darkness and the noises disappeared. "Why are you using that element?" Morrigan spoke to him. Herplexion improved. It seemed hours went by while he was immersed in training. "I have an affinity for it." "That''s your only reason?" Morrigan looked like she had a lot to say. "Don''t use it too much." She pursed her lips. "When you devour others, the darkness devours you. "Stop while you still can." "Thank you for the advice." Neo had no intention of stopping. The two went silent. Before Neo could return to the training, Morrigan spoke, "I''m hungry." "¡­?" "Go, get me something to eat." Neo didn''t move. "I''m hurt because of you. Take responsibility." She stared at him with silent hate. Neo was about to tell her off when suddenly his stomach rumbled. "..." He sighed. ''I lost my sword when I fell. Guess I''ll go and search for it while looking for something to eat.'' He left the cave under Morrigan''s watchful eyes. It was night. He went around collecting fruits from the trees. There was no clue about Obitus. "I can''t call it back since our connection isn''t strong yet." He wanted to curse at himself. "I lost a god yer weapon." Neo could only wait for the tournament to end to get his sword. While outside, Neo made sure to not leave tracks, or engage in battles. His Divine Energy was far from sufficient. He stood in front of a tree. "Can I recover the Divine Energy if I devour it?" Neo used the Darkness. The ground turned pitch-ck and the tree sunk into it at a slow pace. He could feel himself reaching his limit when he tried to eat something as big as a tree. It tasted like a dry bark. "Wow, fuck." The tree didn''t restore his stamina or Divine Energy. If anything, he felt more tired. His mental energy took a huge hit after he devoured a living being. "Note to self, don''t eat trees." Neo returned with the fruits he collected. He gave a few to Morrigan. She started meditation after eating her fill. Neo trained his Darkness element. Their routines were simple. They would train and recover all day. Neo would leave at night to collect fruit and return before sunrise. He did it to reduce his chances of encountering students. After all, he was in no condition to fight. Consuming only fruits barely recovered any Divine Energy. Moreover, he did not sleep a wink. He couldn''t trust his back to Morrigan. There was no guarantee she wouldn''t try to take his rank token when he let his guard down. Simrly, Morrigan, wary of him, never slept. The two rarely talked. They only trained. Living inside the closed cave and being forced to sneak around at night was burdening Neo. His mental state was worsening. Neo had not seen the sun in days. He was slowly beginning to lose his sense of time. Every day it was the same dark cave, same dark night, and same dark forest. His physical condition took a turn for worse. "Cough! Cough!" He began to puke blood every few hours. While the wound on his stomach was not lethal, he had being moving around without receiving any medication. Morrigan was not any better. Her internal injuries were a lot worse than she let him know. As days went by, she started to have trouble breathing and a fever came over her. "Hey, just sleep," he said to her. "I¡­ don''t trust¡­. you." She spoke with a barely audible voice. Her injuries worsened over time and she lost a lot of energy. "Cough! Cough! Fair enough," Neo spoke. "I don''t trust you either." No matter how nice or kind she was, she would still want the first rank. Neo could not sleep in front of her and risk the reward he was about to get. During past days, he tried to find another cave or a hiding location. But he failed. "Wake up. Let''s eat." Neo brought fruits from outside. Morrigan didn''t respond. He got closer to her and noticed she was barely conscious. Her body was burning from fever. "Well¡­ I''m not any better¡­. myself¡­" Neo was already physically weak. The tournament pushed him beyond his limits. Heid Morrigan in a better position and sat beside her. "On the bright side¡­. I can finally sleep¡ª Cough! Cough!" Neo wanted to sleep. He dug his nails into his arm to keep himself from falling unconscious. Or else, he might wake up in the Underworld. Morrigan groaned in her sleep. "Wake up, sleeping princess." He talked to her. "You lost quite easily for someone who is the strongest of our generations." "S-shut¡­ up¡­" She mumbled in her sleep. "I suppose it''s normal. There is no way I would lose." "I didn''t l-lose¡­" Her expression twisted and she showed her signature frown. Chapter 50: Quest Completed Neo let out a smile. "Oh? So¡­ how¡­. about this? The one who¡­ sleeps first¡­ would lose¡­" They had to stay awake no matter what. Falling unconsciousness in their state would kill them. "Hey, princess, why aren''t you¡­ saying anything?" Neo burned his energy to talk. He kept asking her questions, taunting her, making sure she would respond and not fall asleep. There was no deep reason behind his actions. After surviving for days together, he didn''t want her to die. Neo felt it. He was close to his limit. Death was just around the corner. For her and for him. Suddenly, he heard a chime. [Questpleted] [Essence Breath Spell acquired.] [Immortal Exp +50] [Grade 5 Immortal has been mastered.] [Initiating upgrade¡­] Neo screamed. He clutched his heart and bled from his orifices. Hecked Divine Energy for the rank up. His body began to eat itself topensate for it. He felt like he was being stabbed with thousands of needle. Neo tried his best to stop his rank up. Suddenly, the pain stopped. [Insufficient energy.] [Temporarily stopping the upgrade.] Neo sighed in relief. The pain washed away all sleepiness. It, however, weakened him. Neo chuckled. He was at death''s doorstep. But. The Quest confirmed it. The tournament finished. Neo won... He won! An unfamiliar presence appeared inside the cave while he was high from dopamine. "Hahaha, you areughing in that state?" The man, half-horse and half-human, picked him up carefully. "I guess you need to be that crazy to challenge the Great God ns." He returned Obitus to the barely conscious Neo and smiled. "Congrattions, kid. "You are the victor of the 526th ranking tournament. Rejoice, today, you''ve made history." ¡­ Sarnie Maze Beneath Mountain Columbus Elizabeth moved through the maze. Her heels cked against the broken tiles. The walls on the sides were painted with murals. They spoke of the future, of an age where the gods disappeared, and a world heading to its doom. She reached giant door. They creaked when she pushed them. Waves of thick Divine Energy hit her when she stepped into the room. A trident, made of blue ethereal metal, floated in the centre, chained. It leaked Divine Energy strong enough to obliterate weaker demigods as soon as they got close. Elizabeth held the trident. The chains snapped. Otherworldly power flowed into her body through the trident. It rampaged. The Divine Energy inside the room went berserk. Cracks appeared on the floor and the pirs supporting the roof shook. "Stop." The Divine Energy calmed with Elizabeth''s onemand. After iming the trident, she looked at the final murals at the roof. They showed the tale of four horsemen¡­ Death, the first horseman, rode the red horse. Conquest, the second horseman, rode the white horse. Famine, the third horseman, rode the purple horse. War, the fourth horseman, rode the golden horse. "¡­" Elizabeth''s eyes were fixed at the first horseman. The Sarnie Maze hidden beneath the Mount Columbus was created by Elizabeth''s ancestor during the Age of Gods. It was a warning for the future. "Death¡­ Is it him?" Elizabeth tightened her grip around the trident and shed upwards. The ceiling was destroyed along with the murals. ¡­ Infirmary Demigod Academy The smell of alcohol and antiseptics stung Neo''s nose. He opened his eyes. "Cough! Cough!" The noise rmed Henry who sat beside him. "Don''t try to move, dipshit." Henry grabbed Neo''s forehead and forced him to stop moving. He only let go when Neo nodded. Henry returned to his seat after clicking his tongue. "Five broken bones, twentycerations, swelling at multiple locations, anaemic, starved, and mild traumatic brain injury. "It''s a miracle you survived a week in that condition. "Fucking asshole, what''s the point of winning the tournament if you are the one who was beaten the most?" "What¡ª Cough! Cough! What about Morrigan?" Henry''s face hardened when he heard Neo''s question. He red at Neo. "Is that the first thing you ask after waking up?" "I¡­ I''m sorry?" "¡­" "How are you, brother?" "¡­." "Ahahaha, aren''t you happy I won." "¡­" Henry red at him silently. "I''m fine. Don''t worry¡ª" "Stop speaking if you don''t want me to bash your face in." Neo shut his mouth. Henry clicked his tongue. His hands moved towards the pocket, but he remembered his location, and stopped. "Sigh, fuck! I can''t even smoke here. Fuck!" Henry stood up. He picked two stacks of documents from the table and threw them at Neo''s infirmary bed. "That is your speech for tomorrow''s opening ceremony. "The first one is given by the academy. Don''t use it. It''s full of bullcrap. "Read the other one I wrote." Coincidentally, Henry''s speech was one only page long, while the academy issued speech was of five pages. Neo didn''t have to be a genius to know Henry speech''s contents. "I understand." Neo continued. "But what about Morrigan¡ª" "Don''t say her fucking name in front of me. "I don''t care why your stupid ass helped the bitch who tried to kill you. "Just be happy I''m not murdering you for being a dumbass." Henry''s anger answered Neo. He wouldn''t have been so restless if Morrigan died. ''So she survived.'' Neo was relieved. Her death would''ve affected the future negatively. "Fuck, I can''t stand seeing you like this. Why is it taking so long to heal you?" Henry was pissed off as he wasn''t allowed to use his healers to heal Neo. Apparently, Neo, having Dark-type affinities, couldn''t be healed with Holy Affinity. It would destroy his body. They had to use elixirs and medicines to save Neo. The fact that he cauterized the wound on his forearm and let the injury on his stomach fester for a week made it harder to heal him. If Henry hadn''t been annoyed after seeing his brother nearly dying on the broadcast, the ipetence of Demigod Academy did the job. "I''m okay," Neo spoke. "Calm down." "You should be thankful you are okay, bitch. Or else, I would''ve resurrected you and killed you with my own hands." Neo smiled bitterly. It was a good thing the broadcast showed only battles. Had Henry seen Neo suffering for a week, he might''ve just broken into the tournament area and wreaked havoc. Smiling, Neo shifted his gaze to the doors. He could see two people peeking into the room. Chapter 51: Rewards Henry followed his gaze. "tsk, you can talk to them. They were pretty worried about you." He opened the door, revealing Arthur and Felix behind it, and left. Felix ran up to Neo with an excited face. "You defeated Morrigan! I saw the fight! It was awesome! Everyone''s going crazy over your battle!" Arthur came behind Felix. He stared at Neo awkwardly. "Congrattions." "Thanks." Felix noticed the awkwardness. He didn''t understand the reason for it. "Congrats for the first rank! "You might not know it but you are the first Ruler who isn''t from Zeus n or Poseidon n. You''ve made history!" Felix was evidently excited. "What about you two?" Neo asked. "I''m d you asked." Felix grinned. "The Zeus n members couldn''t find us until the end. "And since, I stole their rank tokens, they had a hard time in the tournament." Felix''s actions in the tournament were more or less as Neo expected. He continued. "Also, guess our ranks?" "Top 10¡­?" "Yup! I''m Rank 2 and Arthur is Rank 3!" Felixughed. "Though, in my case, Arthur let me have the second rank." "It wasn''t much," Arthurmented. Neo clicked his tongue. ''Look at him acting humble.'' ''I bet he would''ve attacked me during thest days for the first rank if we were together,'' Neo thought. Arthur noticed Neo staring at him. He let out an embarrassed smile. "I don''t know if I should be happy or sad. The students are calling us ''The Fraud Triad''." "¡­?" Neo was confused. Seeing him, Arthur exined. Neo used trickery to defeat Morrigan. Felix became Rank 2 because Arthur helped him. Arthur, despite having Kingsley in his name, wasn''t from Zeus n. All three of them were frauds. Hence, the Fraud Triad. "Heh, let them be. They are just jealous," Felix snorted. Neo nodded. The three ate lunch together. Arthur and Felix left after it. "Rest well." "We wille to pick you up tomorrow. Let''s go the entrance ceremony together!" Neo waved at them. After they left, Neo checked his rewards. [Essence Breath] [Rank: Tremor [Mastery: Apprentice] [Effect: Allows user to breathe in ambient Divine Energy and purify it.] "Another Tremor-ranked Spell..." Neo massaged his forehead. It would''ve been better if it was a low-ranked Spell. Tremor-ranked Spells required tremendous time and effort to be learned. On the other hand, Whisper-ranked and Echo-ranked Spells could be learned effortlessly. It was easy to raise their masteries. Moreover, low-ranked Spells would help him learn Divine Energy control. High-ranked Spells were tooplicated to be used regrly as a practice tool for Divine Energy control. [Immortal] [Exp: 103/100] Neo could start his breakthrough any time. He decided to wait until he received the Starplum fruit. Consuming the fruit before the breakthrough would increase his gains. Neo closed his eyes and practiced the Essence Breath Spell. He took a deep breath. Small motes of Divine Energy entered his lungs. From there, he pushed the Divine Energy into the blood vessels. It was only a tiny amount. He repeated the cycle. Late into the night, Henry arrived with dinner. They ate together. Henry grumbled the academy wouldn''t let him stay over and left after telling Neo good night. Left alone, Neo resumed the Essence Breath Spell training. He fell asleep without realizing it. Felix and Arthur came in the morning to wake him up. They brought the Academy uniform with them. Neo''s uniform was different. He wore the ck pants, a ck shirt, and a ck coat. The tie, also ck, had red patterns simr to the coat. "What is this? Why is it all ck?" The Rulers could decide their uniform color and design. It was a privilege given to only first ranked students. "Your brother chose the design. He said it was your favorite color." "I see¡­" The uniform was, strictly speaking, stylish. Nevertheless, Neo felt embarrassed. Even with the cast, he wore the uniform easily. The cloth stretched without ripping itself apart. Neo, cast on one arm and crutch on another, left with Arthur and Felix. They walked towards the destination. The closer they got to the audience hall the more students began to appear. Most, no, all of them pointed at Neo, Arthur, and Felix. Neo didn''t need to use his Death Affinity to sense their bloodlust and negative intentions. The top three ranks were revered designations in the Demigod Academy. Having three ''frauds'' as the top three was an insult to the academy as well as the students. "Oh," Neo spoke. "I forgot to bring the speech." Before Arthur and Felix could say anything, he waved his hand. "Let''s just go. I''ll improvise on the spot." If it was before, he might''ve been intimidated. Giving a speech in front of thousands of students would''ve made him nervous. But after dying and facing worse threats, he didn''t feel anything. The hall was massive and it was filled to the brim. Neo noticed only a single teacher next to the podium. The old man wore a cap and a knitted sweater while he read a newspaper. He noticed Neo, stood up, and went to the podium at the stage. "Quiet," He said into the mike. "The Ruler will give his speech. You lot will receive your rewards after that." He returned to seat and picked up the newspaper. It didn''t look like he had anything more to say. Arthur and Felix left. They sat on the front line seats. Neo could see some familiar faces there. Leonora, Lucas, Harrison, and a few more. Most of the Zeus n members were between Rank 20~30. ''They took a big hit.'' Shifting his gaze, he stared at empty space above Leonora''s head. His affinities didn''t react. ''So I can''t see her spirit.'' Neo scanned the other seats while he approached the podium. He didn''t see Morrigan anywhere. What he saw was hostility, mockery, and derision in the eyes of most of the students. "Ahem." He tapped the mic to check if it was working. "I''ll skip the pleasantries." His eyesnded on Lucas. "I''m sure most of you know about me from the registration day." A trickster¡­ A fraud¡­ A weakling¡­ "All of you must''ve seen my battle with Morrigan di Montaigne and there must be a lot you would want to say." If they fought Neo, they could defeat him. If he fought Morrigan again, he would lose. "But¡ª" No one epted him as the true first rank. He cheated. That''s what their eyes were saying. "I don''t give a fuck what you think. Shut up and keep your heads down like the loser you are." Chapter 52: Entrance Ceremony The air turned hostile. Thousands of students red at Neo. Neo didn''t shrink back. He weed their ire. "What? "Why are you all looking at me like that? "Is it because I called you losers?" Neo swept his gaze around the hall. He saw clenched fists, strained expressions, and the hundreds of auras waiting to explode. "You called me a fraud, a weakling... What about you who are ranked below me?" Neo smirked. "Useless trash that can''t be recycled. That''s what you all are. Someone who lost to a weakling." Their angry expression made Neo smile. ''That''s right. Get angry.'' ''You must be hoping for a chance to prove you aren''t a trash.'' ''But¡­'' ''You all know I won against Morrigan even if I used traps.'' ''There is no way you can defeat who triumphed over her.'' ''All of you need to train, to be stronger, if you want to defeat me and...'' ''Survive the cmity that would soon arrive.'' Neo knew his actions would put him in danger. However, he was ready to gamble his life if he could push the students to grow stronger. They, after living a luxurious life, became conceited. Only a defeat against a no-name demigod like him could take them down from their high horses. Some of the students were about to shout when suddenly the doors opened. A young man followed by Amelia walked in. He pped once to draw attention of everyone. "Okay, that''s enough for the Ruler''s speech." Percival, the Student Council president, smiled bitterly. ''Crazy bastard.'' He stared at Neo. ''Was he nning to start a fight?'' Thankfully, he was peeking into the entrance ceremony. Although his actions were against the rule, he saved the dignity of the entrance ceremony with the interruption. "Neo Hargraves, thank you for your kind words. I will take it from here," Percival said. Neo nodded and sat beside Arthur and Felix. After Percival took the stage, he spoke the actual entrance ceremony speech. Most of the students ignored Percival. Their attention and hatred were aimed at Neo. "Their stares sting," Felix said. Arthur smiled ruefully. He couldn''t agree more. Suddenly, they heard Harrison''sment. "Fucking frauds thinking they are hot shit." "Don''t be like that, Harrison. "There are some people who don''t know they were lucky to seed and think it was their skill. "Even if they are foolish, we shouldn''t admonish them," Lucas replied. Harrison snickered. "I''m sorry," he said. "Ah, I can smell the jealousy in air," Felix spoke. "Must be some sore losers." "¡­!" Arthur spat. His attempts to suppress theugh only served to irritate Harrison. "Hey, you¡ª" Percival''s aura suddenly descended over the first row. He stared at them with a side-eye while he continued his speech. ''Shut up,'' his gaze said. His masterful control made it so no one, except the students in the first row, would know he used his aura. Felix and Harrison groaned. The others were not much better. After warning them against causing amotion, Percival retracted his aura. The entrance ceremony ended. Neo and others were guided to their dormitories. They arrived at a crossroad. "Each road takes us to one of the five dormitories," the guide exined. He had a lower-half body of a horse and the upper body of a human. Neo recognized him as the one who saved him and Morrigan in the tournament. "The dormitories will be divided ording to your ranks," Damian said. Seraphim Hall for Rank 1~10. Cherubim Hall for Rank 11~100. Archangel Hall for Rank 101~500. Guardian Hall for Rank 501~1000. Celestial Hall for Rank 1001~1876. Neo, Arthur, and Felix were brought to the Seraphim Hall. The building stretched as far as Neo could see. It had an empty area in the middle, which wasrge enough to house a caf¨¦, a pool, amon training area, and an entertainment zone. "Is that all?" Harrison questioned Damian. "I thought the Top 10 would receive better facilities than this." "Yes, after all, this isn''t the Zeus n''s vi, but the dormitory for students training in Demigod Academy." "tsk, useless." Damian continued to smile without retorting. After he exined the basic rules of the dormitory, he gave everyone a few palm-sized boxes. "These are your rewards. You must use them on yourself. If it''s found you shared or sold it, there would be heavy penalties." He left after the exnation. The students split up. "What will you guys do?" Felix asked. "I''m not sure." Arthur shook his head. "I''ll decide after listening to you two." "Then how about we go to the gaming zone!? It will be fun!" Arthur nodded with a subdued expression. "Games¡­?" "¡­Are you for real? You don''t know what games are?" "Hahaha, I''m sorry. My circumstances areplicated." Listening to him, Felix decided they would go to the gaming zone. He turned to Neo. "You areing too, right?" "I can''t." Neo showed his reward box. "Starplum fruit needs to be consumed a week after it''s plucked. "I don''t know how many days passed since the Academy got their hands on it, so I''ll consume it now." Felix''s excitement reduced. He made Neo promise he woulde along with them next time. "We''lle to your room before the dinner. Let''s go together." "See youter." "Bye." The two left. Neo went towards his room. It was simr to the knock-off dorm he used before the tournament. Only this one was bigger and had more facilities like a TV, a refrigerator, and king-sized beds. Neo sat cross legged on the training room''s ground. He opened the reward box. There was a golden pearl inside it. It had a sweet intoxicating aroma. Neo put it into his mouth. The sweetness rolled over his tongue. He let go of the hold over his core. [Restarting upgrade¡­] Neo bit down on the Starplum fruit. Divine Energy rushed out of it endlessly. His body devoured everything like a ck hole. His injuries healed rapidly. He gained muscles and hisplexion improved. A sense of unforgettablefort surged inside him. His body evolved and his Divine Energy pool increased. [Unique Skill ''Immortal'' Grade 5 has been upgraded to ''Immortal'' Grade 4.] [Rank: Grade 5 Awakened ¡ú Grade 4 Awakened.] Chapter 53: Grade 5 Mythic Purity The rush of Divine Energy increased over time. It enveloped Neo in a golden hue. He took a deep breath and sucked the Divine Energy surrounding him at once. His core bloated like a balloon about to burst. Hepressed the Divine Energy and forced it to stay inside the core. When thepression reached the limit, he let go and the Divine Energy exploded into the surroundings. It was denser than a moment ago. Neo sucked it in again andpressed it. He let it all out when he was done. After repeating the process several times, his core cracked. It let out a thunderous-roar and shattered. Another core,rger, formed from its pieces and it stored his dense Divine Energy. [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 1 Awakened ¡ú Grade 5 Mythic.] Neo''s blood gained a strong shade of gold. His skin became fair and his scars disappeared. He could tell his affinities became stronger. Specifically, his attunement to his elements increased. Neo opened his eyes slowly. He let out a putrid breath and noticed his body covered in ck gunk. His nose scrunched. "It smells." Neo was about to take a bath when suddenly a faint lightning bolt hit his window. He saw Felix and Arthur below at the ground. Scanning the area, he could see several students who were simrly staring at Neo''s window. "What was that?" Felix shouted to ensure his voice reached the third floor. "¡­?" "Your Divine Energy just went berserk! Are you okay?" "Yeah, I had a breakthrough. My Divine Energy didn''t go berserk." Felix went silent. He, along with Arthur, stared at Neo with wide eyes. "Breakthrough?" Felix spoke with trembling voice. "You were sessful in digesting the Starplum fruit?" Neo nodded. "...Mythic Purity?" Felix questioned in disbelief. "Yeah." "Wow, fuck." Felix covered his face. He suddenly turned around andughed hysterically. "Hahaha, everyone, you called him a weakling? "No, he is far stronger than all of you! I bet none of you have Grade 1 Divine Purity, let alone Grade 5 Mythic Purity!" Harrison and Lucas frowned and left without saying a word. The other students, irritated by Felix''s boasting, returned to their rooms. Neo just shook his head. "We''ll have a party tonight! It''s your treat!" Felix shouted before Neo left. "Okay." Neo closed the window. He smiled at Felix''s antics. After he returned from the bath, he cleaned the room. It took a bit of time to remove the smell. "I''ve achieved my goal of Mythic Purity." Neo sat on the sofa and opened a drink. He let himself rest as a reward for the hard work he did during the tournament. "There are still two and a half days left. "What should I do now?" Underworld was anything but safe. Neo knew he had to prepare more if he wanted toplete Barbatos'' training. "Since mybat techniques should be sufficient, I should focus on survival." Food and water. Neo needed them after he lost the Underworld''s blessing. Battles exhausted him greatly. It made him hungry and thirsty. He could ignore hunger for the 12 hours he spent in Underworld. Water, however, was a problem. "I guess that decides it. I''ll learn to create water. "It should be possible with my Water Affinity. "And I''ll use the remaining time to awaken my Shadow Affinity." Neo needed training manuals. He was about to visit the library when someone rang his doorbell. "Delivery. Please sign this," Damian said. Neo took the parcel and returned inside. "This sender''s address¡­ It''s the previous Neo." The parcel was sent from the apartment where Neo woke up in this world. It was sent one day before his arrival. Neo opened the parcel. The box was empty save for the slip of paper at the bottom. "What''s this?" The paper had nine dots simr to a phone''s lock pattern. A line joined multiple dots. "Is this my phone''s password?" Neo checked. The pattern wasn''t for the phone. "Strange¡­ "Why send this?" The suspicious timing and address of the parcel made Neo frown. Looking back, Neo never knew what happened to the original Neo. He, ording to Henry, was an introvert, who often acted as if he lost his memories and ran away from home. It was against his usual self to register for the Demigod Academy. ¡­!? Suddenly, a thought appeared in Neo''s head. He looked at the paper in his hand. "Is it the private app password?" He used the Akashic Record (Inte) to know how to open the privacy settings. After watching a tutorial, he opened the private app space. It asked for a pattern-type password. Neo used the pattern on the slip of paper. ¡­! The pattern worked! There was a single video in the private space. "Why am I nervous?" Neo noticed his heart beating loudly. He gulped. There had to be a reason why the previous Neo left a video behind and used a roundabout way to send the password. It was as if¡­ He knew someone else would possess his body. "No, that is impossible." Neo took a deep breath to calm himself. He clicked on the video. ¡­ The recording started with a static noise. It showed an apartment. The original Neo sat on the sofa. He scratched his face repeatedly, leaving red marks over his face that caused him to bleed. His eyes shook and he seemed to be out of breath. ¡­He was afraid. "I-If you are seeing this video, then I a-am dead." The original Neo took a deep breath. He tried to smile, but it only revealed the intense fear he was trying to hide. "I''m leaving this video as a wa-warning for my sessor. "Run away¡­" There was a noise as if something fell in the kitchen. The original Neo jumped and tried to run away. He came back after a few seconds. He smiled bitterly. "I g-guess you must be thinking I''m p-pathetic. "Hehehe¡­" His body shivered. "S-sorry. Is the v-video weird? I g-guess I''ll start from the beginning." He picked the camera and held it in his hand. His sunken cheeks and hollow eyes made him look like a corpse. "I''m Neo Clinton, th-the second person to possess Neo Hargraves." Chapter 54: Neo Clinton "Hehehe¡­ "You must be shoc- shocked, right?" He scratched his cheek. "I''m the same as you. My world was destroyed b- by ¡ö and I suddenly woke up in this body." ¡­ Neo paused the video. It glitched when Neo Clinton revealed the name of those who destroyed his world. "I couldn''t hear it." He reyed the video from ten seconds ago and listened carefully. ¡­ "I''m the same as you. "My world was destroyed b- by ¡ö¡ö and I suddenly woke up in this body." ¡­ "Again?" The video glitched and he couldn''t hear the identity. Neo bit his lips. His world could have been destroyed by the zombie apocalypse. Was it done by someone intentionally? He had to know the answer. No matter how many times he reyed the video, it would glitch weirdly. Neo sighed and decided to watch theplete video. ¡­ "I- It must been hard, right? "Trying to survive in a dying world only to die and wake up in a world with a horrible family." Neo Clinton smiled. "I... I don''t know who you are. But run away and hide. "You can''t d- defeat them. "No one can defeat them. " He gulped. "It really do-doesn''t matter though. I will die, you will die, eve- everyone will die. "S- still, I h- hope you will survive. "This message is to warn you of something else. "S-someone is after Neo H-Hargraves'' life. "The original Neo Hargraves and my predecessor were killed by that per- person. "I don''t know who it is. "But. "That pe- person will definitelye after you." Neo Clinton took a deep breath. "Please, survive for as long as possible. "I d- don''t want to be forgotten, so, please, live for me." ¡­ The video ended. Neo put down his phone and massaged his brows. "Someone murdered the original Neo and the other two people who possessed the body of original Neo?" Despite receiving the shocking news, Neo kept his calm. "I can''t trust this video. It''s too weird. "It''s entirely possible the original Neo found out about someone aiming for him life. "Coupled with his weak personality, the shock might''ve made him insane. "He started to think the story of two non-existent people possessing his body, and left the video behind not knowing someone would actually possess his body." It sounded like a far-stretched theory to Neo. However, it had a high chance of being correct. After all, wouldn''t Henry notice if his brother''s personality changed three times? And, if Neo Clinton was afraid of people forgetting him, he could''ve revealed he wasn''t Neo Hargraves. He didn''t do that. There were too many strange points in the video. "Sigh¡­" Neo burned the slip of paper on the kitchen''s stove. "I can''t do anything either way. "It''s not like I can confirm the truth about the video." He clicked his tongue and decided to focus on the task at hand. The library was far from the Seraphim Hall. Neo used the Akashic Record (Inte) app for the navigation. It took him time to reach his destination. The campus was horrendouslyrge. Neo smiled. He didn''t tire out after walking! The breakthrough gave a nice boost to his physical condition! He felt like tearing up. The day, where he could run without feeling like dying, wasn''t far off. On the way, Neo checked his status. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 4 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 5 Mythic] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 23 ¦éSpeed: 24 ¦éDexterity: 18 ¦éConstitution: 16 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: Barbatos'' Training (Part 1)] His stats increased by 7. It was, as expected, a big jump. When one''s Rank increases, their stats receive a boost, but it is only a side effect. Divine Energy pool and Unique skills are the ones that get a huge amplifications. Neo could tell his Divine Energy reserves doubled after the breakthrough. "I bet my skill got a huge¡ª" [Immortal] [Exp: 0/150] [Effect: You gain an extra life every 24 hours (Max Stack: 4).] "What?" "The stack increased by one." "¡­" "That''s it¡­?" Neo really wanted to cry. He expected something like this to happen and it still made his heart break. Unique skills upgraded in a linear fashion. It is only when they evolve, that they change drastically. Like how ''Death'' became ''Immortal''. Neo reached the library with a heavy heart. "Today is a holiday. The library is closed¡­." The guard was about to tell him off until he saw Neo''s clothes. Ruler of the first years. He bowed and opened the door. "Wee, Sir Ruler." The library, while closed, could be used by special students like top 10 students or student council members. "Now where are the books on Water element and Shadow element." The reception was empty. While Neo was trying to find a solution to his predicament, he noticed Percival and Ameliaing down from the second floor. "Neo?" Amelia noticed him first. "Hmm?" Percival followed her gaze. "Oh my, if it isn''t the suicide-loving first year." They came up to Neo. "What are you doing here?" Percival asked. "Looking for books on Water element and Shadow element." Percival smiled, half-shocked, half-surprised. "You can already use Death and Darkness, and you are trying to use more elements? "Wow, maybe I should call you the crazy suicide-loving first year." "You''ll confuse him if you exin it like that." Amelia shook her head. She turned to Neo. "Sorry, he doesn''t mean bad. He is just annoyed his tournament victor predictions were wrong." "They weren''t wrong, just slightly off. "No one could''ve expected his defence Spell to be strong enough to survive the fall," Percival retorted. "Not even the great me." Amelia ignored him like the air and checked Neo. "Why are you outside? Your injuries shouldn''t be healed already." "They did." Neo released a bit of his Divine Energy. "I had a breakthrough." Amelia and Percival understood he healed after the rank up. However, they couldn''t help but be surprised at Neo''s attitude. Chapter 55: Elizabeths Arrival Anyone would be jumping around and boasting if they reached Mythic Purity, not to mention Neo was far ahead of others. Yet, he didn''t do that and continued to train. "Whatever, it''s nothing special." Percival let out a mocking smile. "I had Mythic Purity far before others. "The great me attained it before joining the Academy." Amelia was exasperated. She never expected much from Percival but he managed to hit a new low today. "Don''t be jealous of your juniors," she sighed. Percival shrugged and left. He told her to exin library rules to Neo before she returned. "The library is divided into two floors. First years can only use the first floor. "You can get Spell Books for all 108 elements from the library, but only if you have the element''s affinity. "You must pay to rent the Spell Books and you can''t share them with others. "Since you don''t have any credits, you can''t take anything." Neo frowned when he listened to her exnation. "I don''t need Spell Books, only books with basic elemental knowledge. I need credits for them too?" he asked. "Yes," Amelia smiled bitterly. "The academy is based on meritocracy. You get rewards if you show results, but you don''t get anything if there are no results." Credits could be earned through missions or be awarded by professors. Neo had to wait until tomorrow, when the sses started, if he wanted to earn credits. Seeing his frown, Amelia got closer to him. "Show me your phone." "¡­?" "Just do it." Neo took out his smartphone. Amelia clicked on her phone a few times and held it above Neo''s phone. A notification arrived. [Amelia added you to her friend list.] [You are now friends with Amelia.] [Amelia has sent 10 credits.] [You''ve exhausted 20% of your credit transfer limit.] "Oh?" Amelia spoke, "The new Ruler gets 50 credits transfer limit? I''m jealous." She tapped her phone on her chin and smiled. "Anyway, congrats on bing the Ruler. Think of the credits as a gift from me. You should be able to buy the books you need with them." "Thanks." "Don''t mind it." She left after exining a few more rules to Neo. Alone inside the library, Neo went around the library to get two books. He didn''t waste much time since Amelia told him the where he could find them. [Water Element: How to use your affinity. For Toddlers.] [Shadow Element: Awaken, my powers!] He went to the reception. The table had an empty box. Following Amelia''s advice, he ced the book inside, and typed his name on the keyboard next to the box. The box shed a light on Neo to confirm his identity. A notification arrived on his phone. [Two books have been rented.] [10 credits deducted.] [Deadline to return the book: 1 month] He left the library. The guard at the door confirmed thepletion of renting process before Neo was allowed to leave with the books. Neo returned to his room and opened the Water element book first. What he needed now was not a Spell. He only wanted to learn to create water using his Water Affinity. Magic was simr to architecture. An architect could create a house with his own experience or he could use precise equipments to build the house. Spells were a magician''s equipment. A demigod could use a Water-affinity Spell to create water or they could use their experience to produce water without a Spell. It depended on one''s mastery over the element and theplexity of the magic they wanted to use. Creating water was the most basic process. There was no need for a Spell to achieve it. "I should start training." Neo took a deep breath. He kept the book aside. His veins glowed and he burned his Divine Energy. ¡­ An unfrequented area on the border of Demigod Academy Elizabeth moved through the ce. She held arge gig bag on her back and had her presence suppressed. While she was trying to secretly visit Neo and Amelia, she suddenly sensed a powerful presence moving towards her at a rapid speed. A beatter, a gigantic phoenix appeared in the sky. It blotted out the sun with its huge body and stared at Elizabeth. An old woman, barely 150cm, with bob cut hairstyle and a face full of wrinkles, jumped down from the phoenix''s back. Shended in front of Elizabeth. "Tsk, I thought you were dead," the old woman, Charlotte, said. "¡­" Watching Elizabeth''s silence, Charlotte became livid. "You never visited your master in ages, and now you did, you won''t even greet your master?" "¡­It is good to see you, master." "If you are happy, then stop making a face as if you stepped on shit!" Charlotte raised her cane and shouted. She huffed. "Anyway, why are you here?" "To meet them." Her answer made Charlotte frown. "That''s all¡­?" Charlotte asked. "What will you do after you meet your daughter and that boy?" "I''ll return." "Return to where, you dumb girl!? The entire world thinks you are dead! Where are you going to live!? "Are you thinking of wasting your life while living in hiding after you finally left that damned country behind!?" Charlotte stopped shouting. She was out of breath. Her re was aimed at Elizabeth. "Then what should I do?" Elizabeth asked. "If I stay with them, I''ll only put them in danger." She couldn''t ask for help. Not after ghosting Charlotte for decades. "tsk, you might''ve be a Queen, but you are still foolish. "I can''t believe you faked your death without any contingency n." Charlotte, the principal of Demigod Academy, turned around. She whistled and the phoenix flew down. "Follow me. "I knew you woulde to meet them, so I''ve prepared a disguise and a job for you. "You are going to be the teacher of the first years now and live here," she said. Charlotte jumped on the phoenix''s back. Elizabeth didn''t follow her immediately. She didn''t know how to respond. Even though she never fulfilled any duty of a disciple, her master still cared for her. "Thank you..." Chapter 56: Late Night Dinner Neo exhaled as hey on his back. "Damn, this is fucking tough." It had been hours since he started training. He made zero progress. Water Element and Shadow Element. Neo could not manipte them at all. "I can use Ocean''s Embrace, even if it''s a Water affinity Spell, because Elizabeth ingrained the technique on my magic circuits. "Otherwise, I can''t use Water element." He knew it was normal. Only two weeks passed since he came to this world. His speed was already fast. It would be too much to expect a newbie like him to gain mastery over 4 elements so quickly. "Sigh, why am I trying to find excuses again? "It doesn''t matter if my growth-rate is good. "There is no genius on a battlefield, only victors and losers. "My growth pace doesn''t matter if I can''t win." Neo had to do better. His enemies wouldn''t wait for him to grow stronger. He had to breakthrough his limits if he wanted to survive and win. Sighing, Neo stood up. "I''ll eat something and refill my energy before I start training again." The cafeteria would be open even though it was night. He left the room. Arthur and Felix sat on the bench outside his room. The two were asleep, with their Felix leaning his head on Arthur''s shoulder. "Yawn, how did you training go?" Felix opened his eyes when he noticed Neo''s presence. "So-so," Neo answered. "What are you two doing here?" "Waiting for you to treat us." Felix yawned before he continued. "We would''vee earlier, but we met the Student Council Vice President. "She told us you were training and we shouldn''t disturb you. "So, we''ve been waiting for you toe out for dinner after your training ended." Felix yawned while he tried to wake up Arthur. The protagonist was half-asleep. He only nodded and his eyes remained close. "Did you guys eat anything?" "No, we were waiting for you." Felix continued to yawn. He was only a little better than Arthur. "Then, let''s go eat," Neo smiled bitterly. He didn''t expect them to wait for him until the midnight. The Seraphim Hall had its own cafeteria. "Are you going to treat us?" "I can''t. I don''t have credits," Neo told Felix. The cafeteria had specific meals that were provided for free. If the students wanted to eat something different, they had to buy it. Most of the times, the meals differed for everyone. After all, they had a choice to get high-quality and limited amount meal set, or low-quality and high-amount meal set. "Yawn, let''s just eat what we can get. We can have the treatter." The trio entered the cafeteria. Felix had to support Arthur throughout the way, since he walked with his eyes closed, half-asleep, and almost hit several walls face first. "He ispletely different right now since he is sleepy," Felix smiled wryly. Neo nodded. Arthur was like a kid who couldn''t stay awake past the bedtime. The door of the cafeteria tingled. They walked towards the counter when suddenly they saw Morrigan. She sat on the seat at the front. Her te was filled with dozens of bread pieces. She wore ck leggings and ck tank top that revealed her navel. Her body was covered in sweat and a white towel rested at her neck. Her cheeks were stuffed, filled to the brim with the bread. Morrigan gulped the food and froze. She exchanged gazes with Neo and Felix. Neo went to the counter after staring at her for a few seconds. Felix followed after him. "H-hey, we should go. I''m not hungry anymore." Felix noticed Morrigan''s murderous gaze at them before he whispered. "Let''s get out. She looks angry!" "Wait for me. I''ll get my food first." Neo ordered four burgers. Felix altered his gaze between Neo and Morrigan. Unlike Neo, Felix knew what was happening with her. She had been called back to the Zeus n as she lost the first rank, and to a low-rank, no-name demigod at that. Rumors were circting that she was no longer the leader of Zeus n''s circle inside the academy. From a revered genius to aughing stock. Neo destroyed her life. "Sigh, I''ll get something to eat too," Felix said. He followed Neo closely and made sure to stay away from Morrigan¡­ Until Neo sat in front of her. "What do you want?" Morrigan frowned. "¡­" Neo didn''t talk and focused on eating. Felix sat next to him nervously. He couldn''t eat any under Morrigan''s stare. Suddenly, Arthurughed. He woke up and stared at Morrigan''s te. "You eat like a pig." His head drooped and fell asleep. Felix closed his eyes. His expression was one of a soldier about to die. He thought Morrigan would attack without hesitation until he saw her lowering her head. Her ears were bright red. She stared at the ground, almost as if she wanted to dig a hole and hide in it. "Don''t mind him. He talks nonsense when he is asleep," Neo spoke up. He passed two of his burgers to Morrigan. "What is this¡­?" "You can have them. It must''ve been exhausting trainingte into the night." She red at him, but it wasn''t scary when she was on verge of tears. It was weird for her to show so many emotions. He wanted to get closer to her and find out why she was different from the novel. And what was better way to befriend a glutton than to feed them? Morrigan pursed her lips. Her dignity and emotions told her to flip the table and leave. "You don''t need it?" Neo grabbed the te with burgers. He was about to pull it back when Morrigan suddenly grabbed the te. Tears welled up in her eyes. Morrigan didn''t say anything. She wanted to refuse, but couldn''t. Neo let go. He didn''t say anything else, since he didn''t want to make things awkward for Morrigan. He left with Felix when they finished their dinner. "Wow, she''s different from rumors," Felix muttered. "How so?" Chapter 57: Who Is She? "She''s more normal than I thought," his smile faded and he frowned. "Though it''s weird how she didn''t seem angry with you." Neo agreed with him. It didn''t feel like Morrigan cared if she won or lost. She was the opposite of the bloodthirsty, power-seeking Morrigan he knew. "Good night." "Sleep well." They split up after a bit. Felix took Arthur, saying he would bring him to his room. After returning to the room, Neo trained for a bit and slept. He woke up in the morning. "The sses start today," he said to himself. "I still can''t use Water and Shadow. Guess I need to ask for help from the teacher." He wanted to sigh. The ssrooms were assigned when he was unconscious after the tournament. Neo was in the ss with the main cast. Their teacher was a extremist who favoured God ns'' descendants. "Arthur faced a lot of problems in the novel thanks to him and now I will too." He initially didn''t want to ask for help from the teacher. But there was no choice left. Just as he was about to leave, there was a loud knock on the door. "Neo! There is a problem!" He opened the door and found Arthur on the other side. Arthur was drenched in sweat while his face was filled with concerns. "What happened?" "I can''t find Felix! I''ve searched for him everywhere and there is no clue where he went. "He isn''t even picking up his phone." Arthur became restless. "Do you think the Zeus n got him?" he asked worriedly. There was a high chance Felix was targeted, since he made a fool out of Zeus n and he was the weakest among the three. "Calm down." Neo added when his words failed to assure Arthur, "The Academy''s Principal can monitor the whole academy premises at all times. "There is no way the Zeus n members will act out while she is watching." "Then, where is Felix?" Arthur asked. "He might be busy. We should go to the ss. I bet we will find him there." Arthur wanted to ask why Neo was so sure. But he decided to believe his words for now. They entered the ssroom. The chatty atmosphere turned deathly silent as soon as they stepped in, Neo ignored them. He wanted to sit at the backbench. Unfortunately, he had to choose the middle seats in order to be with Felix and Arthur. Arthur on the right, Neo in the center, and Felix would sit on the left when he came. ''It feels weird to receive so much attention from the main cast,'' he thought. Neo was not going to push away Arthur just because he was the protagonist. He saw no reason to not befriend the future leader of humanity. While he was waiting for the ss to start, he turned to Arthur. "I''m stuck with Affinity control. Can you help with that?" "Yes? Of course, I will help if I can." Neo exined his problem with Water and Shadow Affinity. He did not want to ask for help from the homeroom teacher if possible. "Oh, just that? You have to feel your affinity and ask it to work. That''s all. "You should be able to use Water Affinity with this method since you can use it''s Spell already." Neo wanted to punch Arthur. Did he not know not everyone was a genius like him? Noticing his expression, Arthur gave more solutions. They were all useless. While they chatted, the main cast arrived. Morrigan scanned the ssroom as she stood at the doorstep. Her gaze hovered on Neo. A beatter, she sat on the front seat. After her, Leonora entered the ss. She wore a jacket over the academy uniform and walked with her head down. Leonora sat at the backbench Neo nned to sit. A few minutester, a boy, with red ming hair and a wild aura about him, arrived. He went to the back of the ssroom. "Can I sit here?" He asked Leonora while pointing at the seat next to her. She raised her head and looked at him with a nervous expression. "N-no, please keep your u-ugly face away from my eyesight." Mars was stunned. The students knew not tough. Except for one of them. "Pfftt!" Arthur''s attempts at suppressing hisughter were worse than Neo''s excuses. Before Mars could say anything to him, a hand hit Arthur''s back. "I told you my jokes are funny." The girl, beautiful and proportionate, withvender hair, continued to hit his back. She turned to Mars. "Sorry if we interrupted you. I had a bet with him." Mars nodded, still unable to recover from Leonora''s answer, and he took another seat. "Thanks," Arthur told the girl. He understood she saved him from a troublesome matter. "But who are you? I''ve never seen you before," he said. "You don''t recognize me?" The girl seemed surprised at Arthur''s confusion. "Dude, it''s me. Did you forget I have Aphrodite Bloodline?" she said. Arthur tilted his head, unable to understand her words. He turned to Neo for an exnation. "The Aphrodite Bloodline''s first Unique Skill allows them to change their gender." "Oh." Arthur stared at the girl, then at Neo, then back at the girl. "Felix¡­.?" He was too shocked to form proper words. "I''m really curious about your childhood now. How can you not know about my n''s skill?" Felix shook her head and sat to left of Neo. Soon, the ss was filled with students. At exactly 9:30, the homeroom teacher entered the ss. Her ck hair with dark blue undershade and her red eyesplimented her perfect nose, small lips, and cold expression. She wore a light blue shirt, a ck tie, a leg slit skirt, and a fashionable overcoat that went well with her clothes. "Good morning, I''m Anna Rose. Your homeroom teacher." She stood at the podium and swept her gaze around. Her eyes stopped at Neo for a brief second. Chapter 58: First Class On Aura Manifestation Neo didn''t notice her gaze. His mind was preupied with other thoughts. ''Anna Rose¡­?'' ''Who is she?'' This was the first time he heard about her. What happened to the original homeroom teacher of the ss? The present changed. It was not the same as Neo knew. ''Did our homeroom teacher change because of my actions?'' A butterfly effect. Small ps of a butterfly could cause tsunamis on the other side of the world. Neo''s minor actions might possibly change the future drastically. He would lose the advantage of knowing the future if this continued. But¡­. ''So it began.'' Neo smiled. ''It''s possible for me to change the future.'' ''I don''t how much changes the Fate would allow, but this confirms my actions aren''t meaningless.'' Neo never wanted to maintain the status quo. The future was a meaningless world ravaged by wars and destruction where¡­ ¡­The protagonist failed. ¡­The heroes died. ¡­The gods fell. Nobody could stop the cmities. So. Neo would protect his future by taking the matters in his own hands. "We''ll take the attendance before starting the ss," Anna said. After the attendance, Anna exined about the curriculum. "The first month sses will teach about the basics you''ve already learned. "It is to allow students from outside of God ns to catch up to their peers." She continued. "There is no minimumpulsory attendance. "But beware the professors might hold a grudge if you keep bunking their sses." Neo listened carefully. While he knew everything beforehand, he needed to make sure there was no gap between his knowledge and the actual information. "Credits are the currency used inside Demigod Academy. "You can buy anything with them. "Spell Books, equipment, holidays, extra lessons from the professors. There is no limit to what the credits can buy. "Just remember one thing. "You need to pay with credits if you want to sit in exams. "If you don''t have any credits, you won''t be allowed to take the exam and you will be failed. "Now, I''ll exin about the Temr Course." The students straightened their backs and focused on her words. All of them came to the academy to receive the Junior Temr Certificate. It was important. "You can convert 1000 credits into a Star. "Only those with 3 Stars or above can attempt the Junior Temr Exam. "If you are able to gain 5 Stars, you can be a Junior Temr without challenging the Junior Temr Exam." "You will receive credits forpleting Missions, special tasks, or they will be awarded by the professors. So work hard." The exnation was easy to understand. It took a few minutes toplete. Some students asked about their doubts. Anna answered them patiently. After half-an-hour, Anna changed the topic. "Since the exnation has been given, we will start the ss. "I will be teaching you about ''Aura'' and ''Aura Maniption''. It''s your core subject for the first semester." Everyone grew visibly excited. Aura Maniption was an advanced branch of elemental maniption. It was easy to use Aura to intimidate others. However, that was just the beginning. High-level demigods used Aura attacks to battle their foes. "We''ll start with basic elemental control today. "I want all of you to use your secondary elements and manifest its aura." The students followed her words. Neo closed his eyes and tried to do the same. Death and Darkness. He was familiar with them. They were his primary elements. His mastery over Water element was poor, thus it was a secondary element for him. Minutes ticked by. Neo couldn''t do anything at all. Unlike others, he failed to manifest the slightest bit of Aura using Water affinity. Anna noticed him. She picked a piece of chalk and drew on the ckboard. "Elemental Maniption is divided into three steps: [Core], [God Blood], [Magic Circuits]." Her words drew the attention of the ss. This information was not in the books Neo took from the library. He tuned out the distractions and focused on the ss. "[Core] helps you convert your non-elemental Divine Energy into elemental Divine Energy." "¡­?" Neo frowned. That sounded too easy. It was something he never heard before, and he doubted it was so simple to use elemental Divine Energy. He had been training for days and he had been unsessful. Still, he followed Anna''s words. He controlled his Divine Energy and pushed it into his Core. ¡­! His mind went through a tremendous change. He felt enlightened. As if he was a blind man who could suddenly see, or if he found the wallet, he was searching for, inside his pocket. ''How didn''t I notice this sooner?'' Neo felt bewildered. Whenever he used Spells, he had been using his Core to create elemental Divine Energy. It was a gap. He was directly fed with information of Spells. The instant mastery allowed him to use the Spells without former training. In exchange, it left huge holes in his basic knowledge. Anna stared at Neo expressionlessly. Her eyes gleamed at his sess. "Your [God Blood] carries the elemental Divine Energy and it distributes the energy throughout your body. "The amount of Divine Energy your [God Blood] can store determines your Divine Energy reserves. "The purity of the Divine Energy is decided by the concentration of Divine Energy per unit [God Blood]." The process of infusing Divine Energy with Water element was slow and tiresome. He was not dejected at his snail-like pace. After all, he could finally sense his Water Element! It was a huge progresspared to a day ago where he couldn''t feel his Water Affinity at all! He, however, still couldn''t use the water element infused aura. The lecture continued. "[Magic Circuits] are the outlets that allow you to pour your Divine Energy out of your body into the surroundings. "They are like muscles. "The more you use a [Magic Circuit] on a certain part of your body, like your palms, the faster you can let out your Divine Energy through your palms." Neo closed his eyes. He tried to sense the Magic Circuits on his body. After locating a few of them, he pushed out his water element infused Divine Energy. ¡­! He manifested a pale blue aura. Chapter 59: Aura Blade A smile appeared on Neo''s face. After manifesting the aura, he tried to create water. Neo failed. He tried again. And again. And again. The result was the same. ''I guess I''m still far off from reaching the necessary level.'' Neo smiled bitterly. He had a lot to learn. When he was busy practicing, Anna exined. "Looks like all of you can use your Auras. "Now, I want you to create an Aura de." The faces of students hardened. Aura de was the firstbat technique of Aura Manifestation branch. A person needed months of training to manifest an Aura de. "Take your time. It''s a difficult technique, so there is no need to feel pressured to create an Aura de in today''s ss," Anna said. They practiced. Only Morrigan, Arthur, Lucas, Harrison, and Mars, could create an Aura de among the sixty students. The students felt the gap between geniuses and themselves. While their eyes wandered around, someone spoke. "Hey, look at him." The student pointed at Neo. He was enveloped in a pale blue aura. His aura was weak and it flickered like a candle me soon to be extinguished. The level of one''s elemental mastery determined one''s aura strength. Neo''s control over Water element, even as a Secondary affinity, was far below average. Harrisonughed. "Look at our Ruler. The fraud can''t do anything if he isn''t cheating." Harrison''s words broke Neo''s focus. Disturbed, Neo''s aura shattered. It only made Harrisonugh more. "I can''t believe someone could lose to a fraud like him." Morrigan ignored the jab. Neo was about to do the same when suddenly Anna opened her mouth. "Student Harrison, every person has their own speciality and weakness. "There is no need to put someone down because they cannot measure up to you in your speciality." Her words made Harrison crease his brows. "What? I didn''t say anything wrong. You can ask anyone in this ss. "That weakling became the Ruler because he cheated. That''s his only speciality, "Oh wait, he has a loud mouth too." A few students snickered. Their mocking gazes were aimed at Neo. Neo pursed his lips. He was about to ignore them when his eyes met Anna. "Both of youe up on the stage," she said. "¡­?" Neo didn''t understand her intentions, but he followed her words. He stood next to the podium alongside Harrison. Anna turned to the ss. "They will now demonstrate the usage of Aura de." She turned to Harrison. "You first." "Okay." Harrison smirked at Neo before he took the stage. He picked a ruler from the professor''s table and held it like a sword. A grunt escaped his lips and lightning manifested around his body. It wasn''t a Spell, just in lightning elemental manifestation. Suddenly, the lightning sparks crackled. They twisted and copsed into themselves. The air tingled with an electrifying dizziness and the room was basked into a golden glow, When the berserk lightning returned to control, the ruler in the Harrison''s hand underwent massive changes. It was wrapped in small, solid golden lightning. The lightning moved slowly and in a conspicuous pattern. Harrison shed. A small lightning arc shot out of the ruler and split the professor''s table into two halves. The attack continued to move forward. It left a deep burrow in the wall before it disappeared. The students broke out of the trance when Harrison coughed to grab their attention. They pped enthusiastically. Harrison gave the ruler to Neo and let out a victorious smirk. "This is what an actual genius can do. It''s not something the likes of you frauds can ever hope to achieve." Neo agreed with Harrison. Partially at least. Aura de was a dividing line between talent and mediocrity. The only way for a talentless person like him to use Aura de was to familiarize himself with the element to the point it became a second nature to him. "Neo, your turn," Anna said. He exhaled. Why was the professor doing this? There was no way he could use Aura de. The students stared at Neo. Their gazes revealed their expectations of him. They were waiting for him to fail. "You can use it. Your mastery over your element is good enough," Anna whispered. "Just follow my words." Neo knew his limits. He could not use an Aura de. Maybe she just wanted to make fun of him. He was wrong to think of her as a diligent teacher. She might''ve reced the previous homeroom teacher, but she was just as bad. "Unleash your Aura," she said. Neo followed her words. A heavy aura of death descended. The students stopped smiling. Their expressions contorted and a few of them frothed from their mouth. They groaned, unable to handle the pressure. "That''s wrong. Compress your Divine Energy inside your core to the limit before releasing it," she advised. Suddenly, the aura pressing over the room was sucked into Neo''s body. A thin line of sweat formed on his forehead. He never tried to limit his Death Aura before and it was hard to control. Still, Neo was familiar with Death. He survived in Underworld where ''Death'' was rampant and he experienced death multiple times. If mastery over the element was a condition of using Aura de¡­. "What!?" Harrison gasped. Faint sparks of red lightning flickered around Neo''s palm. "Red lightning¡­?" The students couldn''t believe their eyes. Not after seeing Neo''s poor mastery over Water element. They thought his primary element''s aura would be no different. But. "A-aura de?" The red lightning crackled silently. It twisted like a snake; vicious, poisonous, and¡ª ¡ªLike Death itself. The ruler in Neo''s hand crumbled into dust. Neo was left gasping for breath after the red lightning disappeared. His hands shivered uncontrobly. He almost fell from exhaustion. However, no oneughed at him anymore. They couldn''t. "I hope now you know why you shouldn''t make fun of others," Anna told Harrison before she turned to the ss. "Most of the students can''t use Aura de but it isn''t because they have no talent. "You allcked the resources and teaching of the God ns. It''s a given you arecking inparison to the ''geniuses'' of your generation. "Don''t put yourself down. "With sufficient time and training at the academy, your results will be able to catch up to your peers quickly." Chapter 60: Information About Missions Harrison''s expression twisted into an ugly grimace. He red at Neo. The students from outside of God ns looked at Neo in a different light. They didn''t see him as a fraud anymore. Their gazes carried respect towards him. "That''s it for today''s ''Aura Maniption'' ss. "We''ll go to the Mission Hall now," Anna said. The students followed her out of the ssroom. Felix and Arthur approached Neo. "That was amazing!" Felix smiled. "Yeah, your Aura is strong. It makes me shiver every time I feel it," Arthur said. Neo nodded with a pale face. He was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Creating an Aura de exhausted him greatly. ''I should be able to create water if I train now,'' he thought. The trio reached the Mission Hall with the ss. It was a huge pavilion with countless students going to and fro. "That''s the Mission Board. You can see the avable missions on it." Anna pointed at giant hologram floating in the air. There were thousands of Missions on it. Dozens of missions were being taken every second and new missions continued to rece them. "For the first semester, you are only allowed to take Missions inside the Academy. "The Missions are divided into F~A ranks on the basis of difficulties." Anna exined the reward system. A rank mission = 6 Credits B rank mission = 5 Credits C rank mission = 4 Credits D rank mission = 3 Credits E rank mission = 2 Credits F rank mission = 1 Credits The credits were awarded by the Academy on the mission''s sessfulpletion. That was not all. The person who posted the mission would give separate rewards. "C rank and higher missions can be epted by teams with 5 members minimum. "The team leader will get twice the Credits for missionpletion. "You all have a week to headhunt your team members. "The team members can''t be changed until the next semester. Think carefully before choosing your teams." Anna suddenly stopped speaking. She looked the students in their eyes. Her gaze made them shiver. "Forcing others to join your team or prohibiting others from joining a team is strictly banned. "If it''s revealed anyone ckmailed the students, be ready for severe punishments." Some of the students did not understand why Anna was confident in catching the rule breakers. Their friends exined the reason to them. After knowing the academy principal could observe the academy grounds at all times, they trembled with disgust and fear. "Speak up if anyone has a doubt," Anna said. Lucas raised his hands. "What about S rank missions and higher?" "¡­" Anna stared at him silently. "We can''t choose them?" He asked again. "You can choose an S-rank mission if three of your team members are Top 100 students. "But I won''t rmend them due to their difficulty." "What about SS-rank and SSS-rank missions?" Lucas ignored Anna''s warning and asked. "You need to meet special requirements for them. The requirements will be released after youplete an S-rank mission." Neo, on the side, frowned. He wondered if he should reveal the requirements to Arthur and Felix. Arthur might not be hit by the requirement but Felix would. "Don''t take too many credits from others," Neo said to the two. In the end, he decided to give an ambiguous advice. "¡­?" Arthur didn''t understand the underlying meaning behind Neo''s words. Felix, on the other hand, had an epiphany. ''Smart bastard,'' Neo thought as he stared at Felix. "How did you know?" Felix asked. "Know what? I don''t understand what you mean by that." Felix didn''t ask further questions when Neo made it clear he wouldn''t reveal the source of information. The ss was dismissed for the day. "Let''s go and search for two other teammates," Felix said to Neo and Arthur. She expected it to be a given for them to form a team. But¡­ "Sorry, I don''t want to be in Neo''s team." "Wait, why? Isn''t it good for friends to stick together? Neo''s rank might be low but¡ª" "That''s not the reason." Arthur faced Neo with an apologetic face. "Sorry, Neo. I want to be the Ruler. It''s the reason I came to the academy. "I''ve confirmed it from Student Council President that I can buy the first rank with Credits. "It costs an exorbitant price. "I need to be the team leader if I want to earn enough Credits for the first rank." "I see. Guess we have to form different teams." Neo made it clear he had no intentions of giving up the position of team leader. Just like Arthur, he had his own reasons. "Felix, whose team will you join?" Neo questioned. Felix frowned. She tried to soothe them but Neo and Arthur were adamant about forming different teams. ''Dammit!'' ''Arthur is the obvious choice, but I don''t want to take sides. ''The moment I choose one of them I will fall out of the favor with the other one!'' Felix tried to think of a solution. She opened her mouth. "Then I will form my own too." "What!?" Arthur''s reaction was just as Felix predicted. Felix sneaked a peek at Neo to look at his expression. ''This guy is always maintaining that cold face. I can''t even understand what goes through his mind,'' Felix thought. It was a risky move to say she would form a team. Despite the risk of actually being left alone, she decided to move forward with the n. "If you two think it''s better to be alone, I should leave too." "What are you saying Felix? You are wea¡ª" Arthur stopped speaking before he said anything inappropriate. However, it was clear what he was about to say. "I''m weak?" Felix smiled bitterly. "Yeah, that''s right. I need to be protected by you two. "But that''s why I''m trying to leave. "You won''t be able to give your best on missions if you have to worry about protecting me." "That''s not true!" "Don''t lie. Both of us know you were about to call me weak, and there is no need to feel bad, because it''s the truth." Arthur bit his lips. He turned to Neo for help. "Stop being annoying Felix." "¡­!?" Arthur''s eyes shot wide open when he heard Neo. Neo continued to speak before Arthur could stop him. Chapter 61: Headhunting Teammates For S-rank Missions "Yes, you are weak. And what''s wrong with that? "We are at the academy, we joined this ce to be stronger. "Being weak just means you can only climb higher from your current position. "And stop misunderstanding us. "We aren''t protecting you because you are weak, but because you are our friend." Neo''s sharp words surprised Felix. Felix nned to have them make her forcefully stay in their teams to protect her. She thought Arthur would stop her not Neo. Maybe he was morepassionate than she thought? "Just stay in Arthur''s team. "I''m the main target of the Zeus n members. It''s safer for you if you are with Arthur." "I¡ª" "Stop refusing. It''s annoying." "Y-yeah, I mean, no, you aren''t annoying. Anyway, Felix join my team. "I''m not teaming up with Neo because I want to be the Ruler. I have no grudge against him and we aren''t fighting." Felix''s expression contorted as if she had to make a difficult decision. ''Got them good!'' she thought internally. After a long time, Felix sighed. "Okay." Arthur was relived after hearing her answer. Neo, on the other hand, didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry. There was no way he would hold a grudge because Felix chose to team with up Arthur. Her actions were the creation of her needless over caution. The trio chatted. Felix and Arthur left after a bit of time passed to find teammates. "I''m alone now." Neo''s time was running out. He had to train quickly and reach sufficient mastery in Water element before he entered Underworld tomorrow. However, he couldn''t leave the mission hall. The Top 100 students would form teams today itself. If he dyed searching for team members, he would not be able to take on S-rank missions. "Who will be willing to join my team?" Neo thought. He looked around and realized¡­ "Am I overthinking it or is everyone trying to stay away from me?" The students kept away from Neo. They turned away when he made eye contact with them. ¡­It was going to be hard to find teammates. "I guess I''ll go to people I know and try my luck with them." Neo looked around for Morrigan. It was easy to locate her. She was being ostracized like him. "Looks like your friends didn''t like you lost to me." Neo approached her. She noticed his presence and frowned. "What do you want?" "I want you in my team. It''s not like you have a choice if you want to take on S-rank missions. "The Zeus n members won''t let other students join you." Morrigan pursed her lips. After she fell out of favor with her family, the attitude of the Zeus n students took a turn. They were trying to put her down. Neo''s offer was a god send. There was just one problem. "I don''t want to join the team of someone weaker than me. "Besides, I don''t care about credits or ranks." She turned around and left. Neo was left stunned. ''What the fuck is wrong with her? Why is she so different from the Morrigan of the novel?'' Massaging his temples, he was about to look for other teammates until he noticed Leonora. She stood in a secluded corner of the mission hall. Her face was hidden under the hoodie. She was ying a game on the switch and used earphones to drown the noise of the mission hall. ''Should I try it?'' ''The chances of making a team with her are low, but if I y my card right, I should be able to do it.'' He was about to meet her when a boy, buffed and giant, with dark blue hair stopped him. "Where do you think you are going?" the boy, Christian, questioned. "¡­" "Go away. Even if you are a Ruler, there are some things you shouldn''t do." Christian continued. "Miss is the leader of the Poseidon n''s faction. You are insulting us if you try to recruit her." Zeus n was already an enemy with Neo. If Poseidon n joined the fray, he would be facing two Great God ns alone. But. When did he care about such things? Neo was about to forcefully remove Christian from his path when suddenly he heard a voice. "Ch-Christian, let hime here." Leonora, the girl who disliked any and every person, was looking straight at Neo. ¡­ Five Minutes Ago ''This sucks.'' Leonora wore the earphones and took out the switch from her pocket. She started the game after she leaned against the wall. ''Ugh, why do I have to attend sses? I wish I could stay in my room all day.'' Leonora saw students moving around to find teammates. She clicked her tongue. The top 100 students were almost all from God ns. Their families decided their teammates before they entered the academy. ''Noisy.'' She increased the volume and focused on the game. Suddenly, a flying whale, otherworldly in appearance, came out of the wall and covered half of the mission hall''s roof. Nobody could see or sense the whale. ''Leonora, shouldn''t you try to talk to others now that you are outside?'' The whale''s voice, sweet and lyrical, sounded inside Leonora''s head. ''I don''t want to. All of them look like idiots,'' Leonora answered. The whale, Ruby, sighed. She worried Leonora''s introverted nature was taking a turn for worse with each day. She was about to reprimand her lightly when suddenly she stopped. Her gaze focused on the ck haired, red eyed boy. Ruby flew down and circled Neo. ''What are you doing?'' Leonora questioned. ''I''m trying to find out if he can see me. He made eye contact with me during the entrance ceremony.'' ''That must''ve been a coincidence. Stop worrying about it, and go rest.'' ''Haiz, you''ve really be not so sweet anymore, Leonora.'' ''Really? That''s a good thing if it stops others from approaching me.'' Ruby continued to monitor Neo. When he was rejected by Morrigan and tried to approach Leonora, she spoke, ''Join his team. We need to keep an eye on him'' ''No. It sounds like work, and dad will throw a fit if I join a team other than with my nmates.'' Leonora did not even bother to ask for reason behind Ruby''s suggestion. Chapter 62: Invisible Bloodlust Herziness exasperated Ruby. ''You will regret it if you let the boy move on his own.'' Ruby exined in simpler words. Mastery over elements was done by experiencing the element and getting as close to them as possible. Death element was the same. Neo''s high mastery over it signified he killed thousands, if not tens of thousands, of people. His murders were probably being hidden by his brother. Letting someone as dangerous as Neo roam unsupervised was asking for a disaster to ur. ''That''s what you are worried about?'' ''I don''t need to monitor him.'' ''The principal and teachers probably are keeping an eye on him at all times.'' ''Haiz, is this the naivety of childhood or thecent of the strong?'' The Spirit''s sighs irked Leonora. Ruby spoke before Leonora couldin. ''You of all people should know one can bend the rules.'' ''It''s easy for that boy to harm others without breaking rules. ''Moreover, his brother is not to be trifled with.'' ''The boy is moving around as if nothing happened even after themotion in the country of Mermaids.'' ''If he wants he can act as he wished in the Academy too.'' Leonora doubted Neo could do anything on the academy ground. However, Ruby''s words nted the seed of doubt in her heart. What if Neo''s brother could really save him from consequences? Wouldn''t that mean he would go berserk in the academy whenever he felt like it? ''Oh, it feels like trouble is soon to arrive.'' Leonora spoke as if the matter had nothing to do with her. ''Leonora, the boy antagonized the lightning n already. There is no guarantee he will not target your n next.'' ''If he starts a storm, the responsibility to deal with the aftermath will fall over you.'' Leonora stiffened. As the de facto leader of Poseidon n circle, all problems inside the academy were to be solved by her. She didn''t like work and ignored everything. But, if Neo was actually a mass murder, and he aimed for her nmates, she would have no choice but to intervene. Her hands trembled at the thought of soon to arrive workload. ''N-no. What should I do? I don''t want to work.'' ''Join his team. If you keep an eye on him at all times, you can stop him before he does anything.'' Leonora thought about it. Ruby''s words made sense. However, unbeknown to her, Ruby''s words were a lie to trick her. Her intentions were to stick close to Neo so as to¡­ ''His sword¡­ what is it? It''s a Spirit, but not a Spirit at the same time.'' ''I need to find out and eliminate them both if it''s something dangerous.'' ¡­ "Ch-Christian, let hime here." Hearing her words, Christian frowned. He let Neo pass. But Neo didn''t move. ''What was that? I definitely sensed bloodlust aimed at me.'' Neo scanned the area with his senses. He couldn''t find the source of the Bloodlust. Suddenly, a voice appeared inside his head. Spirit¡­. aiming¡­. for us¡­. both¡­ dangerous¡­ Obitus'' presence became strong when it spoke. However, it returned to sleep soon after. The few words were enough for Neo to know Ruby, Leonora''s Spirit, was the source of the bloodlust. Spirits were born from the elemental seeds. They were autonomous beings and could support their masters in day-to-day life as well asbat. The only weakness of a Spirit was it could not stray too far from its master. "W-what is it? Why did you st-stop? "¡­" Neo didn''t know why Ruby''s bloodlust leaked. There was a chance she wanted to kill him. Why? He didn''t know. Was it okay to recruit Leonora if it meant being in close proximity to Ruby? Neo weighed both options before he made the decision. "I think it should be clear, but I''ll say it for the sake of it." He approached her. "I want to recruit you." "Okay." He felt a bit surprised at her quick answer. It confirmed his suspicions. ''Ruby must''ve advised Leonora to team up with me. It feels like that Spirit is up to no good.'' "Wait, Miss! You can''t do that!" Christian reacted. "The patriarch would kill me if you go against patriarch''s words again! Please just team up with us!" "Noisy. Shut up." Christian closed his mouth when she stared at him in the eye. Stuck between a hard ce and a rock, he really wanted to cry. Neo looked at him with a sympathetic gaze. ''Poor guy. It''s not like he can force Leonora since he is weaker than her.'' After receiving the confirmation, Neo sent the Team Form to Leonora. She had to sign it with her name. The verification process would take a day. She would officially be his teammate after that. "Right, give me your number too." "Wh-why?" She looked at him suspiciously. "I need to contact you for missions. Why else would I want your number?" "O-oh." She was about to give him her number when she remembered something. "I have a condition if you want me to j-join your team. "I won''t do any w-work. You need to handle everything yourself." Neo more or less expected it from her. Her original n was to join the Poseidon n members'' team and let them do all the work. He nodded. "I''m fine with it. I just want your name for S-rank missions. You can join them if you want or not." "Wait, let me join your team too!" Christian interrupted. He looked at Neo with a desperate gaze. "The patriarch will behead me if he found out I let Miss join your team. "I might be able to survive if I tell him I joined the team with Miss and I will protect her on the missions. "Don''t worry. I will do all my duties as a team member. "I... I''m Rank 25, and I''m pretty strong. Please, let me be your teammate." It was weird to see someone with a big body like Christian almost on the verge of tears. Besides, Christian''s actual strength was in Top 10. He took 25th rank as Leonora originally nned to take 24th rank and he couldn''t rank higher than the leader of his circle. Chapter 63: Coffin of Darkness Neo sent the Team Form to Christian. He filled it immediately and shook Neo''s hand. "Thanks you. You just saved my neck." "It''s no problem. I''m happy to have a strong teammate." While Christian didn''t show it, Neo''s amicable attitude surprised him. He thought Neo would be a stuck up kid who was drunk on his strength. ''His personality will take him far. I guess it''s a good choice to let Miss join his team.'' ''Sigh, it''s not like Miss will listen to me if I tell her to not team up with him.'' Neo''s team became qualified for S-rank mission. Now he just had to wait for the Team Form to be verified. "We still have two spots left. Should I bring some people from my n to join us?" Christian asked. Neo shook his head. If four out of five people belonged to Poseidon n, his team would be branded as a member of their faction, and he would be their underling in others'' eyes. "I will find the other two members by myself." Neo exchanged contacts with Christian and left. He could fill the remaining spots with random team members. ''I need to train. I don''t have much time left.'' Just as he was about to step out of the mission hall, a boy with red ming hair blocked his path. "Let me join your team." Mars grinned. He continued with fervor. "I have decided you will be my rival¡ª" "Okay." Neo exchanged contact with Mars, sent him the Team Form, and left before Mars could react. ''There is no way I''m waiting for that battle fanatic to talk. I bet he would ask for a spar.'' Mars chose the 100th rank since his n ordered him to. His actualbat ability was way higher. Even if Mars had a few screws loose, he was worth teaming up with. Neo entered his dorm room and locked it from inside. He stepped into the training hall. "Finally, I can train." Neo used the Essence Breath Spell to recover his Divine Energy. There was something Neo had to check before he trained his Water Element. "Darkness¡­" He formed the necessary hand sign. "Come." The Divine Energy rushed into his Core. After being infused with Darkness element, it spread throughout his body. The hand sign blocked the Magic Circuits on Neo''s hands. It acted like a valve, and the Divine Energy, with nowhere to go, rushed towards his feet. His Magic Circuits on the sole of the feet were the most developed after the Magic Circuits on the palms. The darkness spread out and formed a domain beneath his feet. Neo opened his eyes. He stared at the Darkness. "So this is why I had to use the hand signs." Spells were fascinating. Neo had been using them without understanding how they worked. Repeated usage of Necrotic Touch developed the Magic Circuits on his palms. Ocean''s Embrace did the same for all of his Magic Circuits. It was why he could use Darkness in one go when he tried. Because the Magic Circuits on his feet grew after he used Ocean''s Embrace over and over again. "I failed to trigger Necrotic Touch when I tried it for the first time as my Magic Circuits werepletely dormant." It was all interconnected. Everything happened for a reason. Neo couldn''t contain his excitement. He started training to grow stronger. He didn''t want to be mediocre. But now he wanted to learn about Spells and Elemental affinities too. The feeling of bing stronger and the knowledge he gained along the way was intoxicating. He couldn''t get enough of it. "Focus, I''m getting sidetracked." Neo switched his hand sign and boosted the infusion inside his Core. The Darkness spread out endlessly. It reached the walls, climbed and continued to cover the roof. The entire room was shrouded in Darkness by the end. Neo''s expression twisted when he tried to maintain the Coffin of Darkness. The technique could be used to trap enemies. He used it against Morrigan in the rankingpetition. Unfortunately, she shattered his Coffin of Darkness effortlessly. He had to increase the mastery of the technique if he did not want the situation to repeat. After training for hours, he got the gist of it. "This much should be enough for Darkness." He let go of the hand signs and switched the infusion inside his Core. From Darkness to Water. The output of his Divine Energy shrunk instantly. He had trouble maintaining a steady pace of conversion and the process was slow. His brows creased. Hours passed. And finally¡­ Water droplets dripped from his palms. The sess broke Neo''s focus and the conversion stopped. He fell to his back, drained physically and out of Divine Energy. A smile blossomed on his face. "I did it!" He stared at the Status Window to know the time. [8 hours: 26 minutes left until the Quest is terminated.] Eight hours¡­ It was enough time to brush up his Water creating skill to a usable level. ¡­ [0 hours: 10 minutes left until the Quest is terminated.] Neo sat on the sofa. The time was nearly up. He would soon go to the Underworld and face enemies who could possibly kill him. "I''ve done everything I can." Neo trained using his Darkness and Water. He practiced his Spells and refilled his Divine Energy reserves. There was just one thing he didn''t do. Practice Aura de. It was a high-level technique and too draining on his Divine Energy pool. He would''ve practiced it if he had a week. A day was too short. Neo stared at the pen and paper on the table. He picked them up to write his will. "What should I leave? "It needs to be something useful, since this time I might just die. "But I don''t feel it would be right for me to leave a heartfelt letter behind while posing as Neo Hargraves." Despite his calm words, his arms were trembling. He couldn''t forget the brutal death. The feeling of his flesh being torn apart as the Gremlins ate him alive was etched into his brain. The only reason he could sleep was because he exhausted himself to the limit every day. Otherwise, he would remember the scene of his death when he closed his eyes. Neo took a deep breath. He picked the pen and wrote... Chapter 64: Hellish Battle "To the dearest brother in the world." "Sorry for leaving before you." "Please don''t be reckless and do anything that would make me sad." "I wish you would live a peaceful life, get married, and spend your life happily in my ce." He chuckled at his words. Why was the letter so sorrowful? It was almost as if Neo believed he couldn''t return. He shook his head. His preparations wereplete. There was a high chance he would win against the Gremlins. Still. It never hurt to be prepared. "Should I leave a letter for Elizabeth and Amelia?" Nothing came to his mind after he wrote their names on the paper. While he was thinking hard, the timer reached ten seconds. There was no time left. Neo crossed out their names and activated Death skill. He felt a shift. Cold air stung his skin and¡ª ¡­!? Immense pain shot through his body. He appeared in the middle of the Gremlin camp and fell to his knees. The injuries - the broken fingers, cleaved ear, shattered shoulder - he sustainedst time he was in Underworld healed¡­ At the cost of his Divine Energy. Neo''s blood was wrung dry. He vision spun and he heaved his empty stomach. Nauseous, fatigued, distressed. It was the worst possible way to begin the mission. The Gremlins noticed him. Those little critters circled him. Neo had no choice. He had to fight in his current condition. Taking a deep breath, he activated Essence Breath Spell. The Divine Energy rich air of underworld entered his lungs and pumped his blood. He moved slowly at first. It was not easy to move while using the Spell, but this was why he had been training. When an evolved Gremlin approached him cautiously, Neo grabbed its head and smashed it into the ground, killing it in one go. The Gremlins became livid. They screeched like a banshee. Neo did not wait for them to organize their ranks and dived into their midst. He tightened his grip around Obitus and shed¡­ ¡­? Why was Obitus here? There was no time to think. Neo, surrounded, swung the sword in a wide arc to push the Gremlins back. He was about to attack again when a noose came flying at him. Last time, it was those noose that done him in. Neo twisted his waist to dodge the rope. He grabbed it when it missed him and pulled the rope with a snap. Five Gremlins came flying. He broke their vital organs with the sheathed sword. Suddenly, his senses rang crazily. He let go of the Essence Breath without thinking and activated Ocean''s Embrace. The de failed to pierce his back. Neo turned around to look at the confused evolved Gremlin''s face. "These bastards only know how to attack from behind." He crippled the evolved Gremlin with a kick to its knee and bashed its face with the hilt of the sword. The other Gremlins attacked at the same time. But Neo was able to ignore them thanks to the Ocean''s Embrace. The monsters tried to form formations before attacking Neo. It gave him time topose himself. "It''s good the Essence Breath Spell is Tremor-ranked. "I should be able to use Ocean''s Embrace for twenty minutes with the Divine Energy I''ve recovered." He fought like mad berserker. Even with the Ocean''s Embrace, he was losing his stamina at a rapid pace. There was no time to hold back. The Gremlins soon realized Neo was capable of dodging the ropes. They changed tactics. Dozens of evolved Gremlins rushed at him from all sides. The monsters tried to hold him down. Learning from thest time, Neo swiftly dodged the ones who tried to grab his limbs and killed them with thebination of Necrotic Touch and his sword''s bashes. ''Fuck! These guys are infinite!'' Neo was running out of breath. There was no end to endless wave of Gremlins. ¡­! Scorching heat stung Neo''s skin and his senses warned him. He raised his head. The giant fireball floated in the sky. ''Shit!'' Neo''s eyes widened. He tried to escape the fireball''s area of impact. The evolved Gremlins threw themselves at him. They wouldn''t let him take a step, let alone escape. Neo clenched his fist. He had to take the gamble. He cancelled his Spells and fused his Divine Energy with Death affinity. Hepressed the energy within his core to the limit. Blood trickled down his lips. He ignored the Gremlins attacking him. His stamina and Divine Energy rapidly decreased. And. Red lightning crackled around his sword silently. Neo shed. There was no impact. No attack flew out of his sword. The Gremlins surroundings him suddenly fell like dolls with their strings cut. Death. It imed them without warning. Neo, exhausted and on the verge of fainting, bolted out of the area. The fireball hit the ground before he could leave its area of impactpletely. He used the Ocean''s Embrace. Neo nked out when the exploding fireball crashed against him. "Cough! Cough!" He woke up, smashed into the wooden wall of the camp, half of his clothes burned from the blistering heat, and his skin ck and charred. "Cough! Cough!" Neo''s throat, dry, stung when he coughed. His nostrils burned and he couldn''t breathe. His limbs creaked when he tried to move. "Crazy monsters. They took out their own to kill me." Neo noticed blood and puss leaking out leaking out of his cracked skin as he stood. He tried to ignore the pain and used Essence Breath. His Divine Energy reserve started to recover. He stood up and scanned the area. Half of the camp was destroyed by the fireball. The Gremlins were in worse condition than him. Except the evolved Gremlins, barely any normal Gremlin survived. The survivors didn''t attack Neo. They were busy devouring their kin to recover. Neo ignored them. He trudged his feet towards the source of the death affinity''s warning. The one who aimed the fireball. The leader of the Gremlins. It stared at Neo with a mocking gaze. Chapter 65: Even If I Die.... I Will Win The monster, twice the size of Neo, held a staff in its hand. "Found you." The corner of Neo''s lips rose. He formed the hand sign. "Darkness,e." The shadows expanded like a blooming flower. They formed a dome, trapping Neo and the Great Gremlin inside. "Kirriririr?" The Great Gremlin realized something was wrong. The prey that should''ve been scared, trembling in his boots, injured and unable to fight back, was looking down at it. The Great Gremlin''s instincts warned it. It raised its staff and chanted Spells in its ownnguage. Multiple small icicles formed behind it. Neo didn''t run. He didn''t try to cover the distance between the Great Gremlin and himself. He raised his sword above his head. He burned his God Blood and infused his Divine Energy with Death element. Red lightning materialized around his de. "Kiririr!!" The Great Gremlin attacked. The icicles pierced Neo''s limbs. Blood poured out of his injuries. His arms shook and he could barely stand straight. However, his gaze remained firm. The red lightning red like a great bonfire. Neopressed Darkness alongside Death inside his core. Wisps of ck me flickered on his de. "Kiriririr!!!" The Great Gremlin realized it was in danger. It tried to run only to be blocked by the Coffin of Darkness. The monster attacked when suddenly¡ª Neo shed. Nothing happened. The Great Gremlin chanted a fireball Spell. It thought Neo''s attack failed when Neo puked blood and fell to his knees. Finally, the human lowered his gaze. It was about to attack when it stopped moving. A red line, running from the top of its head to the base of its stomach, appeared on its body. The monster split into two vertical halves. "Huff! Huff!" Neo couldn''t maintain the Coffin of Darkness anymore. The Darkness returned to his shadow. He won. But. There was no time to rest or bask in the glory of victory. When the Coffin of Darkness disappeared, the surviving Gremlins surrounded Neo. They stared at the corpse of the Great Gremlin, fear evident in their eyes, and didn''t approach Neo instantly. ''These fuckers¡­ They are waiting for me to die from exhaustion¡­'' Neo bit his lips. The pain brought rity to his mind. He used his sword as support to stand. His blood trickled out. And¡­ It lured the Gremlins. The monsters tried to act sanely and waited until Neo could not move. However, a single brave, greedy Gremlin gulped. It rushed towards Neo, intoxicated by the smell of Neo''s blood. Not wanting to lose their prey, the horde of Gremlins followed after the first one. Neo smiled bitterly. He grabbed his sword and prepared to fight. He could use Immortal and run away to the world of living. But. He vowed. Today, he would win¡­ Even if he had to die. He didn''t want to feel the sense of defeat he feltst time. He would rather die than be a loser. The first Gremlin reached Neo. It pounced on him and sunk its teeth into his shoulder. Neo snapped its neck with one hand. The next Gremlin arrived. He bashed its head with the sword. An attack from behindnded on his hand and Neo lost the de. Neo turned around and punched the Gremlin''s head. The monster face burst open like a balloon. Suddenly, two Gremlins jumped on his back and a third one wed his feet. They tried to drink his blood. ''Move!'' Neo''s limbs were as heavy as lead. They wouldn''t move. ''Don''t fail me now!'' Neo grabbed the leg of Gremlins on his back and pulled. He smashed them on the monster at his feet. Countless more Gremlins arrived. They, wounded from the Great Gremlin''s attack and intoxicated with his blood, did not work together. Instead, they attacked each other and tried to stop their kin from devouring Neo. The human was theirs alone. They did not want to share. Seconds¡­ Minutes¡­ Hours¡­ Neo didn''t know how much time passed. When he came to his senses, he was drenched in the blood of gremlins and he was thest man standing. The Gremlins were all dead. He couldn''t feel his limbs and his innards slipped out of the wound on his torso. His vision was covered with darkness. Neo wanted to rest. He wanted to close his eyes and let go. Hadn''t he done enough? But. Not now. If he fell after everything, how would be that any different from being defeated? He dug his nails into his flesh. He used the pain to awaken his senses. And. "Darkness¡­ Heed¡­. my c¡­call¡­." The shadows bloomed slowly. Neo devoured the corpse near him. Countless voices spoke to him. The jarring cacophony made him feel like pulling his hair out. Insanity. It was devouring him. Neo held on. In the past, Neo never took the easy way out. He fought until the end, even if he could escape, he challenged students stronger than him, even if he was the weakest, and he trained, even if he felt like dying. Those actions were not meaningless. His will, tempered by his actions, protected him. [Strength +1] [Agility +1] The voices grew louder. Neo started to see hallucinations. Phantom pain surged throughout his body. [Will +1] [Muscle Mass +1] [Dynamic Vision +2] He continued to devour the corpses. He gained primary stats, shown in the Status window, and the hidden Secondary stats. The darkness started to go out of control. It devoured Neo alongside the corpses. The insanity was overtaking him. And. He held on. He continued to devour. For that one stat. The only way for him to survive. Finally¡­ [Regeneration +3] ¡­Neo saw the light at the end of the tunnel. His vision improved and he could breathe again. He let go of the Darkness and crashed to the ground. His breaths were shallow and he was wounded badly. However. He was healing. Slowly, but definitely. Neo used Essence Breath Spell while he waited for his body to recover. Chapter 66: Creeping Insanity He sat up after a few hours. Fortunately, the heavy amount of Gremlin blood covering him hid the smell of his blood. "I feel like shit." He looked around. There were hundreds of corpses left for him to devour. "I shouldn''t do that. I''ll go insane if I try to devour anything else." His eyes wandered to the body of Great Gremlin. Even if he couldn''t devour others, he should devour it. He trudged to the corpse and called upon the Darkness. TheyareComingWhoAMIIIIIIAMALivEWeArEoNETheskYWIllFALLLFallLfaLLLFAlllYouWillDieIWIllDieEVeryonewILLdiE His blood vessels burned and he felt they would burst. [Constitution +1] [Spell Casting Speed +1] [Right Hand Magic Circuit +4] Neo gasped. He took a mouthful of air and stood with the support of his sword. Suddenly, a Gremlin appeared before him. He shed. The attack passed through the monster without any resistance and it disappeared like a mirage. "¡­?" Terrible pain surged in his left hand. He looked down and saw his fingers crushed. "These injuries were healed. Why do I have them again?" A huge shadow fell over Neo. The giant hand came down from the sky and grabbed him. It picked him up and¡ª Wake¡­ up¡­.! Don''t¡­ let yourself¡­ be consumed! Obitus'' voice woke him up. His eyes snapped open. "Hallucinations?" After he devoured the Great Goblin, everything was a hallucination. There was no Gremlin left alive, his hand was not wounded, and the giant monster did not return. All of them were illusions, his mind, on the brink of insanity, showed him. [Time limit reached. You will be forcibly revived.] Neo woke up in his dorm. "Twelve hours passed already?" He felt tired. The clock struck twelve and he regained the fourth stack of Immortal. [Alert! You''ve left the Quest Area!] [Please return within 5 days, or the Quest will be terminated.] Unlikest time, where he got 10 days of time limit, it halved to 5 days. A sigh escaped Neo''s lips. Barbatos'' training was far more brutal than he predicted. He gained a huge boost in stats, both primary and secondary, but it wasn''t without risks. A smile appeared on his face. "I did it¡­ "I won." Neo didn''t face a shameful defeat likest time. He emerged victorious and returned with his head held high. His blood burned with excitement. He won against hundreds of enemies! "Hahaha, I can do it if I try, huh?" He was no longer the same Neo as the one in the past. Neo could say with confidence he wasn''t mediocre anymore. He felt his eyes burn as he tried to hold back tears. His efforts weren''t useless. As long as he worked hard, he was rewarded. The rush of adrenaline and dopamine erased his sleep. He used Essence Breath to recover his Divine Energy before returning to Underworld. "Urghh." Neo groaned. His Divine Energy was rapidly reduced to heal his broken body. "It feels like shit," he said with a smile. The Gremlin Camp looked like it experienced a war. Half of the wooden walls and monsters were burned, remaining half were chewed out by their kin, and the rest had their bones and heads bashed in by Neo. "This reminds me. Why is Obitus here?" He looked down. The sword was at his waist. Obitus was a Spirit technically. Spirits consumed a portion of their master''s soul to grow. They reced the missing portion of the soul and became the better-half of their master. "Since Obitus is my Spirit, does that mean it can visit and leave Underworld along with me?" It was good news. Neo roamed the destroyed camp of Gremlins. The area, filled with blood and corpses, would soon attract monsters. "I need to leave." It was regrettable he couldn''t devour them, but he knew better than to get greedy, and risk losing himself to the Darkness. "Right, I almost forgot about the g." The first g he put inside the g post was still present. It was encapsted in a transparent white dome. The dome was sturdy and it withstood Neo''s attacks. "Thankfully, it looks like my job is done after I insert the g into the g posts." He stared at the four remaining gs in his pocket. The first checkpoint nearly killed him. Neo had a feeling the next g posts were going to be worse. He left the Gremlin Camp. Strangely enough, he did not encounter any monster on the way. "It''s too quiet." He did not find the next g post after six hours search. "Where the hell is it?" Neo, parched, created water and drank it to quench his thirst. "I should look for a high vantage point and see if I can find g posts from there." He found a small hill after searching a bit. Just as he was about to climb, one of the gs buzzed. It flew out and pointed at the top of the hill. "The second g post is there?" Neo squinted. He could see something simr to a g post on the top. There was just one problem. "Isn''t this too easy? "There are no monsters and I don''t sense any traps." Worrying about it wouldn''t solve anything. Neo took a step and climbed the hill. It took half day to reach halfway. "This ce is weird. It feels like it''s sapping my strength." One fourth of the distance was still left afterst six hours. His time in Underworld was up. Neo waited for him to be teleported back to the world of living. He was going to return as soon as he arrived. But. "Huh?" Nothing happened. He was not revived. A sense of unease appeared in Neo''s heart. He opened his mouth. "Status." The blue screen did not pop up. He repeated different words. The result was the same. He tried to use his Spells, Affinities, and Divine Energy. He couldn''t do anything. "What is happening?" The mountain was weird. Neo had to get off. He turned around and looked at the path he walked only to realize a horrible truth. Chapter 67: Devouring Darkness The path downwards was miles away. Neo recalled something. The hill was small. He should''ve reached the top within a few minutes. However, hepleted only three-fourth of the way after twelve hours of walking. It was impossible unless.... "This is the second trial." An opponent worse than hundreds of Gremlinsbined. An enemy he couldn''t defeat with physical strength. The g post was at the top. Neo decided to climb upwards. Minutes turned into hours, and hours into days. After the second day, he did not feel like he was making any progress. No matter how much he walked, the distance to the top wouldn''t reduce. "It''s a good thing I can create water, or I might''ve died already," Neo said on the fourth day. Surprisingly, Water element was the only element he could use. He could only generate water and do nothing else with the element. It was as if his ability was being restricted by a higher power. A week went by. Neo was starting to feel hungry. As a Grade 4 Awakened demigod, he could live without water and food longer than humans. There was, however, a limit. "Fuck, should I just climb down?" On the ninth day, Neo realized he might''ve walked over hundred miles. The distance between him and the base of the hill continued to increase. Besides, there was no guarantee he could climb downhill. "There should be limit to how much this mountain can stretch. If I keep climbing, I''m bound to reach the top." Twenty days passed. Neo''s stomach hurt. He felt weak and fatigued. He continued to climb. After fifty days, the pain intensified to the point he couldn''t stand straight. He felt frail, his body shivered uncontrobly, and it was cold. Neo started to lose his focus by the sixty-eighth day. He would frequently go into daze and sleep walk. He hit his limit on the eighty-fifth day. Taking a breath sent throes of agony across his body, let alone walking. By the nieth-day, the pain disappeared. He felt emptiness gnawing inside him, eating at his emotions, leaving him numb. ''I have to reach the top.'' Neo repeated the same words to himself for the past three months. He diverted all of his attention and energy to climb even a step higher. Apex. Zenith. The Top. He would reach it. At the hundredth day, Neo stopped breathing. He didn''t even realize he died. ¡­! Neo''s eyes snapped open. He fell to his knees, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and shivering uncontrobly. [Time until you are forcefully revived: 5 hours and 26 minutes] Neo was back. To the base of the hill. "H-how?" He couldn''t believe the screen floating before his eyes. Three months ago, he started climbing when 5 hours and 29 minutes were left until his revival. So¡­ Why? Why did only three minutes passed when, in truth, he experienced three months? Neo stared at the mountain. He expanded his senses and¡­ ¡­! "The hill is shrouded in Darkness." He bit his lips. All of it had been hallucination created by the Darkness. The months of pain, agony, and despair had been nothing but a lie. Neo just stood with his head down. He didn''t move for a few minutes. "That damned Barbatos. He gave me a hellish trial." Neo woke up from the hallucinations through pure luck. If he tried to climb the mountain again, there was no guarantee he would wake up again. The second trial was far worse than the first trial. Unless he found a way to resist the Darkness¡­ "¡­?" "No way..." "Resist the Darkness?" Neo stopped speaking. He suddenly understood the method to clear the second trial. It gave him shivers. ''Fucking hell. How is this training? He is trying to kill me.'' The only way to resist the Darkness was to increase his mastery over it. The hill was coated in thick miasma of Darkness. It was unsuitable for training. "The Gremlins¡­ I need to devour all of them. "If I don''t go insane, my mastery over Darkness would gain a huge boost." Barbatos did not leave him a choice. The trial was made in a way where it forced Neo to devour every Gremlin to increase his mastery of Darkness element. Neo returned to camp of Gremlins. He saw three quadrapedal monsters, with pinkish skin, zing red eyes, and sharp teeth, feeding on the corpses. The monsters pounced on Neo when they noticed him. Neo let them bite his Ocean''s Embrace and finished them with Necrotic Touch. He gazed at the hundreds of corpses. There was no way he could remain sane after devouring them. But. It was the only path ahead. Before devouring the corpses, Neo repaired the camp''s boundary using the wood from the trees. There was a high chance monsters woulde after smelling the blood. Not only Neo had to fight the insanity of Darkness, he had to protect the corpses from being stolen by the monsters. "This much should be enough." He stared at the crude walls. They could barely provide any defense. Their only job was to warn Neo if someone broke through them to enter the camp. "I should start." Neo formed the Enma Ten-In hand sign. "Darkness,e." The shadows bloomed. They spread out in a controlled manner and covered a small area around Neo. He absorbed the six corpses he ced inside his domain. The whispers returned. They spoke to Neo. Suddenly, Neo felt his emotions slipping out of his control. Anger, fear, jealousy. Emotions that weren''t his own invaded his mind. He found himself unable to control his urges. He wanted to wreak havoc. Impulses of destruction and rage fueled his heart. The corpses,pletely devoured, disappeared and they took the voices along with them. After the foreign emotions vanished, Neo snapped out of the rage. He realized his mind had been influenced by the Darkness. His body shivered. He felt cold. So very cold. [Digestion +1] [Hearing +2] Six corpses devoured. Over 300 corpses remained. Chapter 68: Forged Through The Flames Of Darkness Neo took a deep breath. He waited for his emotions to calm down before starting again. The Darkness devoured the monsters. He ate a small amount. The voices screeched inside his head. It felt like his mind was torn apart hundreds of times and each piece was forced to listen to a different jarring voice. [Right Hand Dexterity +1] [Vision +2] ck blood, tainted by Darkness, dripped from his eyes. Neo tried to rein the rampaging Darkness. Phantom pain surged through his body. Hallucinations of his deaths appeared in front of his eyes. Neo bit his tongue. He hoped the pain would help him hold onto his sanity. "Darkness¡­ Devour¡­" He moved to another set of corpses. Thousands of images appeared inside his head. The lives of Gremlins, their feasts, their traditions of consuming their kin, the memories of the preys they devoured. Everything was inserted into his head in a split second. Neo felt his head split. "Ahh¡­ argh¡­ uhhgg¡­" He groaned. His body stiffened. His eyes turned pitch-ck and he frothed from the mouth. Neo lost control over the Darkness. It climbed his feet and wrapped around his body like a cocoon. The shadows, limited in range by Neo, suddenly spread far out and covered the entire Gremlin camp. Neo tried to stop it. But. He failed. The Darkness began to devour the hundreds of Gremlins at once. Neo screamed. He dug his nails into his face and doubled over. No matter how much he tried, the Darkness did not let go of its hold over him. It pulled him into the abyss of insanity. Slowly. Mercilessly. Relentlessly. Neo could not resist. The Darkness was overwhelming. He felt he was falling into an endless pit. The pain did not help. Just when he thought it was over for him, he heard a voice. Don''t¡­. give¡­ up! Remember¡­ your vow¡­! Obitus spoke to him. A ck light flew towards him in the endless sea of darkness. Win¡­ you have to reach¡­ the Zenith¡­ Even if you have to die¡­ "I... will win." Neo felt as if he reached an epiphany. He stopped resisting the darkness. He no longer tried to halt the flow of the endless darkness. Instead, he molded its flow. He let the Darkness devour. Not himself. Not the monsters. Itself. He used the Darkness to devour the Darkness. The Darkness grew frenzied and tried to retaliate. But. Neo persisted. He epted the gluttony of Darkness. He let it paint himself in its color. In exchange, he told it to eat itself. ck mes burst over Neo''s body. The Divine Energy in the air trembled and the Aura mes of Darkness burned brightly. They devoured themselves. The Darkness shrunk. It let go of its clutches over Neo. The energy, concentrated, grew smaller and gotpressed. The Aura mes shrunk until they were became a pea-sized seed. The Seed of Darkness entered Neo''s Core. Free of the maddening noises and the countless images, Neo fell to the ground. He lost consciousness. Countless screens shed before his closed eyes. [Taste Bud +1] [Sprint +1] [Punch Power +3] [Water Affinity +1] [Health +2] [Reaction Speed +1] [Breath Control +4] [Flexibility +1] [Reflexes +0] [Libido +4] [Grip Strength +2] [Endurance +1] [Immune Strength +2] [Cold Resistance +5] [Bone Density +1] [Skin Toughness +0] [Lung Capacity +4] [Blood Cirction +5] [Jump Height +1] [Hand-eye coordination +0] [Sweat Efficiency +2] [Metabolism +1] [Tactical Sensitivity +1] [Hydration Efficiency +1] [Sleep Quality +4] [Agility +3] [Adrenal Response +1] [Body Temperature Regtion +2] [Posture +4] [Height +3] [Tendon Strength +2] [Core Strength +1] [Oxygen Efficiency +3] [Regeneration +2] [Nail Growth Rate +0] [Peripheral Awareness +2] [dder Control +4] [Tongue Dexterity +5] [Blood Clotting Speed +2] [Bone Healing Speed +1] [Pheromone Sensitivity +1] [Limb Strength +1] [Jaw Strength +0] [Pupil Response Rate +3] [Gait Stability +1] [Fatigue Resistance +3] [Finger Strength +1] [Body Symmetry +5] [Bowl Control +2] [Neck Strength +1] [Spine Strength +1] [Limb Coordination +1] [Hormone Regtion +3] [Bone Flexibility +2] Hundreds of corpses were devoured by Neo. His body healedpletely. While he was in sleep, wisps of ck mes materialized around Obitus. The sword, hungry, did its best. The ck mes entered Neo''s body. They reached his core and took out the newly formed Seed of Darkness. Neo grunted. Obitus retracted its ck mes and held the Seed of Darkness within its clutches. There is¡­ no need¡­ for two Spirits¡­ to server master¡­ The ck mes of Obitus devoured the seed. The sword burped before it returned to sleep. [Time limit exceeded. Forcefully reviving Neo Hargraves.] Neo woke up in the world of living. He groaned. [Warning! You have left the Quest area.] [Please return to the Quest area within 5 days.] [Or else, the Quest rewards will be forfeited.] "The time limit is 5 days. It wasn''t halved." Last time, it changed from 10 days to 5 days. Neo did not understand the criteria behind the time limit. He stood up with a stagger. The lingering effects of darkness were still there. At the same time, Neo felt power coursing through his veins. His Primary Stats barely increased, but he could tell he grew stronger. A lot stronger. "My Secondary Stats gained a substantial boost." It meant only one thing. Neo seeded in devouring the corpses. He looked at his body and tried to sense the changes. While he was being devoured, he could barely think straight. He did not remember half of the things that urred back then. "I think I saw Obitus'' Spirit." He stared at his sword. It looked the same as before. But. He could tell. Obitus was a step closer topletion. At this rate, he should be able to pull the de out of the sheathe soon. "What about the Seed of Darkness? I''m sure I created one." He sensed his core. It was empty. There was no Seed of Darkness inside. "Did I hallucinate about forming a seed?" The theory made sense. However, it made him question one thing. Chapter 69: Attempting Second Trial Again Neo couldn''t understand it. How did he survive the Darkness if he didn''t create a Seed of Darkness? "Did Obitus save me?" It was the only answer he could think of. He looked at the sword. "Obitus, what happened back then?" There was no answer. The sword''s spirit was asleep. "It must''ve spent a lot of energy to help me back then," Neo smiled. "Thank you." Foreign emotions appeared inside his head. Happiness, Delight, Joy, Pride. Obitus could not talk. But it could hear him. Neo smiled seeing how happy the Spirit became after hearing his praise. "Now then, should I wait for the Immortal to restack or should I return to Underworld as is?" The time limit was ticking by. Neo made his decision. He used Death skill and woke up in the Underworld. For the first time in ages, he didn''t lose half of his Divine Energy upon arrival. He took a deep breath. "I can taste the Darkness infused in the air. Seems like my senses increased with the mastery." The thick amount of Death and Darkness elements in the Underworld calmed Neo. He felt like he was home. "I wonder if my current mastery is enough toplete the second trial." The hill where the second g post was located was only an hour away. Neo reached its base. With his improved mastery, he could see the thick, almost intangible, Darkness covering the hill. He smiled wryly. "How did I fail to sense all of this before? "If I hadn''t been lucky back then, the Darkness here would''ve devoured me." Neo took a step. He climbed. The Darkness rushed towards him. It wrapped him in thick miasma and tried to eat him alive. Insanity attacked his mind. Emotions that weren''t his own¡­ Memories of a past he never experienced¡­. Desperate pleas he never made¡­ His mind buzzed with countless thoughts. Neo continued to walk. He ignored everything. His mind, numbed, withstood the onught unwaveringly. The Darkness surged when he reached halfway through the path. ck mes of Darkness materialized. They tried to burn Neo. But. He was one with the Darkness already. The ck mes of such level were no longer a threat to him. So. He walked. Step by step. And. He reached the top. Neo took out the g and inserted it into the g post. Suddenly, the g post shined and it absorbed all of the Darkness lingering on the hill. "The second trial is done." Neo couldn''t help but think it was ironic. The trial nearly made him go insane and turned him into a monster, and once he finished his preparations, it was far easier than the first trial. He checked the timer. "Ten hours left. I can start searching for the third g post." It was clear by now the next g posts would have a trial associated with them. The next trials would be more dangerous. Neo was not afraid of them. His emotions were numbed thanks to the mastery of Darkness. He had not be an emotionless machine. But. If he continued to walk on the path of Darkness, he would be like that one day. "Let''s see. It should be easier to scout the forest from the hill." Neo scanned the forest. Again, he realized the forest was too silent. Was this how the Underworld was supposed to be, or was it rted to the trials? He hoped it was the former. "Hmm? "What''s that¡­?" Neo saw a mansion far into the distance. The building was majestic and regal,pletely contrasting the ambience of the Underworld. "That''s where I will find the third trial, won''t I?" It couldn''t have been less obvious. Neo got off the hill and went into the direction of the hill. It took him a few hours to cover the distance. The mansion was, as expected, enormous. Just when he reached the mansion gate, the third g moved and pointed at the mansion. "As expected. It''s here." He pushed the main gate. They opened with a screech. Neo held his sword, ready to fight, and slowly walked in. A lush garden with a marble path running through ity beyond the main gates. The flowers were colorful and fragrant. Neo made sure to keep away from them. He circled the garden. There was a tea house deep inside. Other than that, there was nothing worthwhile. There was no ''living'' presence in the area. However, the flowers and the garden were well maintained, proving someone lived there. "Is the owner of the mansion inside?" He entered the mansion through the doors. The interior, brightly lit, had marble floor, high vaulted ceiling,rge windows, and expansive halls. Suddenly, Obitus trembled. Its emotions ¡ª fear, dread, horror ¡ª surged in Neo''s mind. The sword was telling Neo to run away. He might''ve pushed forward, despite the warnings, in normal situations. However, the intensity of fear was too high. Just when he was about to turn away, a voice reached his ears. "Oh my, a guest?" A skeleton, wearing princess tulle dress with a frillyered skirt, walked down the staircase at the end of the hall. ''She'' wore a cloche hat and her eyes, instead of being hollowed, had gentle ck mes burning in them. Obitus'' emotions went out of control when the skeleton woman appeared. It wanted Neo to escape as soon as possible. You¡­ will¡­. die¡­ Run¡­ while¡­ I stop¡­ her¡­ ck mes and red lightning erupted from the sword''s sheathe. They attacked the woman when suddenly¡ª "No need to be afraid, child. I won''t harm your master." ¡ªthe attacks disappeared. They vanished into nothingness. Obitus tried to fight again. "Sleep," the woman spoke. And Obitus'' Spirit went into a slumber. "I apologize for being forceful, but it didn''t look like she would listen to me," the woman smiled wryly. Despite her face being a skeletal head, Neo could tell her expressions. She was smiling. She was beautiful. She was¡­ ¡­! ''These aren''t my thoughts or emotions!'' The gravity of the situation finally hit Neo. He never sensed his mind being invaded, and¡­ why was he so calm? Neo realized. It was her doing. She was manipting his emotions. Chapter 70: Talk With The Former Grand Duke Of Underworld "Oh my, you''ve reached Apprentice mastery in Darkness already?" The woman smiled in delight. "I wasn''t expecting that," she said. She snapped her fingers. Suddenly, Neo felt as if a hand holding his head disappeared. His thoughts were his own again. The woman descended down the staircase and stood in front of him. "I''m Paimon le Noir, former Grand Duke, pleased to make your acquaintance." She curtsied. Neo feltpelled to answer. "Neo Hargraves." "Just Hargraves?" She gasped only to realize her gesture was rude. "Pardon my surprise. It is my first time meeting a kin of his who has yet to go through ennoblement. "This must be why Barbatos came to find me." Neo didn''t understand the current situation. His mind told him to run away. But his senses were calm. They told him there was no danger. Either the woman had no intention of harming him. Or. She was too strong for him to even think of escaping. ''What is this trial?'' The woman snapped out of her thoughts and faced him. "Oh my, look at me. I haven''t even asked you for a tea. "Please follow me." She walked towards the garden. When Neo didn''t follow her, she showed him a small g post. "I will give this to you if you listen to my words." "¡­" Neo followed her. The two stepped out of the mansion and entered the garden. It took them a few minutes to reach the tea house. "Please sit." She pulled a chair for him and began preparing a tea. "What are you?" He asked as sat. "You feel¡­ same as Barbatos." "We do? "We''ve might''ve inherited the Monarch''s blood, but it doesn''t belong to us, so we never noticed we ''felt'' same." Paimon poured him the tea. "Inherited the blood¡­ You are a Grim Reaper too?" "Was." She sat in front of him and drank from her cup. "How old are you?" she asked. "First year in Demigod Academy." "You are quite young. What about family? Do you have siblings?" "Brother, yes, an older one." "That''s a surprise. There are two descendants of the Monarch in a single era. It''s a good news." "I wouldn''t say that. My brother couldn''t awaken his God Blood." "Oh, I''m sorry to hear that. He must''ve been devastated." "It''s the opposite. We didn''t know we had the blood of Monarch until I awakened. I haven''t told him about it either." "Why?" "Didn''t have the time to tell him." The two talked over the tea like old friends. Paimon asked questions and Neo answered. It looked like she just wanted to talk to him. It was peaceful. ¡­and it made Neo suspicious. "There is no need to be cautious. I only wanted a conversation partner," she said as if she read his mind. "Aren''t you the former Grand Duke? There is should be no shortage of people who want to talk to you." Paimon ced her empty tea cup on the table. She looked him in the eye. "You could say I lost the interest in anything and everything. "The reason I wanted to talk to you was to see if a descendent of Monarch could rouse my interest." Neo frowned. Suddenly, Paimon shed with her arm. A scythe came out of her sleeves and the de stopped just before Neo''s eyes. Neo wasn''t afraid. Even though he should''ve been. He stared at the tip of the scythe calmly. "I''m the same as you. "My emotions have been numbed. "I gained immense power as I walked on the path of Darkness. "But I can''t feel anything anymore," she said. Paimon retracted her arm after the scythe disappeared. She took out the g post. "This is your third trial. Teach me about Emotions." "¡­?" Neo looked at her, unable to understand the nuisance behind her words. "How far you can walk on the path of Darkness is measured by your emotions. "The more emotions you can sacrifice, the higher your progress. "But sacrifice everything, and you''ll reach your limit, never to progress on the path again. "I''ve lost them all. "So, "Teach me about what I can''t remember." "¡­" It was a difficult trial. The second trial was nothingpared to it. Last time, he knew what he had to do. But now? He had no idea. "Barbatos has made this trial for you. "Teaching me will have you teach yourself about the emotions too. "If you seed, you won''t fall to the numbness of Darkness in the future." Neo massaged his head. Fuck. Paimon chuckled when she saw his expression. "You should return to the world of living. It should be time for your academy to begin. "Worry not, we have plenty of time." Time¡­ Neo expression worsened. The time limit would begin when he returned to the other side. "Okay." Neo stood up and used Immortal to leave. He wanted to refresh his mind and try toe up with a solution. The world shifted. Neo woke up in his room. The sunlight peeking through the window made him squint. He waited for the Quest timer to appear. But¡­ "Huh? "Where is it?" It never came. Just then, he heard a voice. "It''s been a while since I came to the world of living." A small skeleton doll, the size of Neo''s palm, wearing a cute dress, jumped down from his head. Itnded on the table and looked at him with his burning ck eyes. "Paimon¡­?" "Indeed, it is I, Paimon, in bones." She chuckled. Neo sank back into the sofa. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. ''This is why the timer didn''t appear.'' ''I haven''t left the Quest area as Paimon came with me.'' ''The Quest is going on even though I''ve returned to this side.'' It was one less thing to worry about. However, he still had to think of a way to teach Paimon about emotions. "You should freshen up, no? The sses should be starting soon." Neo nodded. He had a lot of things to do in the world of living. Finding the fifth team member,pleting the team registration, learning about Magic Spells, andplete missions. The worst? He had a Barbatos'' training too. "Why are you smiling?" Paimon questioned. "Nothing, I''m just happy." Everything he did was for his future. How could he not be happy? Chapter 71: The Trickery Of Darkness He stood up and folded the will he wrote before leaving. "What is this?" Paimon asked. "My will." Neo ced it inside the drawer. He turned to Paimon. "Will you follow me with that appearance?" "Indeed. But, worry not, hardly anyone can see me. Now, give me your hand." He followed her words. Paimon jumped on his palm and climbed his arm. She sat on his shoulder. "Let''s go, my soldier!" Neo smiled at her actions. He grabbed the door''s handle, opened it, and saw his homeroom teacher, Anna, and a short old woman, the principal probably, outside. Anna carried a long bag on her back while Charlotte stood with a cane''s support. The two women stared at him. Neo, surprised, quickly calmed down. Charlotte opened her mouth before him. "See, Eliz? He is alive. I told you it was a needless worry." "..." Anna ¡ª maybe Eliz was her nickname ¡ª did not reply to the principal. She stared at Neo silently. Her gaze shifted to his shoulder and she looked at Paimon. ¡­! Neo froze. "Now, now, young man, don''t be surprised too much. "Ask us to enter the room at least. You are making us stand at your doorsteps," Charlotte said. "¡­Pleasee inside." The two women entered. Neo closed the door behind them and followed them into the hall. Charlotte sat on the main sofa and Anna on the small one on her right. Neo was on sofa next to the Anna and directly in front of Charlotte. "Young man, can you release your Death Aura?" Charlotte asked. "¡­?" Confused, he asked cautiously, "Why?" "We sensed a thick aura of Death and Darkness on the campus a few hours ago. "It took us time to find its source and the clues led us to you," Charlotte answered. Neo noticed Anna''s gaze was aimed at Paimon. Could she see her? Hopefully not. "Young man?" "Okay." He unleashed his Death aura. ¡­! A flicker of surprise passed through Anna''s eyes. Charlotte raised her hand to cover her mouth. "Your mastery of Death is about to reach Adept rank. How did you do it?" Charlotte questioned. She turned to Anna. "You never told me his Immortality worked against Spiritual Death." "¡­I did not know about it myself," Anna answered. Seeing the confusion in Neo''s eyes, Anna tapped her ne. Her figure blurred, and a woman with white hair and cold expression appeared in her ce. ''Elizabeth? What is she doing here?'' ''Wait, she is my homeroom teacher!?'' Neo, while outwardly calm, was surprised. The principal and Elizabeth knew each other. This was clear at a nce. ''Did she hire Elizabeth and ask her to be our teacher in disguise?'' ''Looks like Elizabeth told about my Immortality to her.'' Charlotte coughed to bring Neo out of his thoughts. "The aura of Darkness you are releasing shows your mastery over it has reached Apprentice rank. "I believe both of your masteries increased because of a simr reason?" "¡­?" He was releasing aura of Darkness? Neo expanded his senses. He failed to find any traces of Darkness on himself. "Young man, please tell us, how did you manage to kill your Spirit(Mind)? "If it was just a Physical death, we would''ve ignored it. "But a method to harm the Spirit(Mind) is dangerous. "We can''t let someone capable of wielding such powers roam on the campus unsupervised." Neo understood Charlotte''s words. However, he didn''t understand the meaning behind them. "I killed my Spirit(Mind)? Sorry, I don''t think I know what you are talking about." "Young man, there is no need to hide the truth from us. "There is only one way your mastery of Death nearly reached Adept rank." From Apprentice to Adept. "You''ve experienced a Spiritual Death," Charlotte spoke with a strict tone. Watching Neo''s confused expression made them realize one thing. He wasn''t acting. He didn''t know what they were talking about. "Physical Death is where your body dies, while Spiritual Death is where you Spirit (Mind) dies. "The fastest and riskiest way to increase your mastery over Death element is to experience different deaths. "Physical Deaths will help you reach Apprentice Mastery, and Spiritual Deaths will lead you to Adept Mastery." "I see," Neo said. He knew these things already. However, he never went through a Spiritual Death¡­. "Huh? "That¡­ can''t be possible¡­" Neo died inside the illusions when he first attempted to climb the mountain during the second trial. He woke up at the foot of the hill after the death. He thought he had been lucky. That he broke through the illusion of the Darkness through sheer luck. Luck¡­? He survived the assault of Darkness through luck? ''It''s impossible. The Darkness would never make such a mistake.'' ''Why didn''t I realize this sooner?'' Goosebumps rose on Neo''s arms. ''I didn''t survive back then.'' ''My mind was consumed by the Darkness even though I was physically alive at the base of the mountain.'' Neo''s face hardened.... ''I died at that moment.'' Immortal. The skill revived him. Neo''s Spirit died and he was resurrected back to his physical body in the Underworld. He did not survive through luck. He never survived. ''No wait! If I was resurrected back then, why didn''t the count of Immortal reduce?'' Neo opened the Status. [Two stacks of Immortal left] [Time until +1 stack: 16 hours and 15 minutes.] Neo lost one stack after his fight with Great Gremlin. It was restacked after the midnight. This left him with four stacks. He lost one of them after he devoured all Gremlin corpses and another one when he returned with Paimon. He should have 2 stacks left. The status screen showed the same. ''So I never died inside the illusion?'' Neo felt confused. If he didn''t die spiritually, how did his mastery over Death improve? He stared at the status screen. There was something he was missing. Something he couldn''t understand. ¡­.! Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through Neo''s head. He clutched his temples and groaned. "Neo?" Anna moved next to him swiftly and looked at him with a concerned gaze. Chapter 72: Tyrants Whim "I''m¡­ I''m okay." He bit his lips. The pain increased over time. He started to hear voices. HefoundUsWeFAILEDwefaiLEDheNOticEduSHenoTicEDHenOticEd. The noise of Darkness grew louder and louder. Neo tried to suppress the screams. The Status Screen glitched. It shook. The noises grew chaotic. He maintained his focus on the Status Screen. And. It changed. [One stacks of Immortal left] [Time until +1 stack: 16 hours and 15 minutes.] From two to one. HEhehehehehHEheheYoufoundUSyouFoundusItWASFUNItWASfunletsYAgaginAGainagaINAgAIn The noises disappeared. Neo was left gasping for breath. His clothes were drenched with sweat. He raised his eyes and looked at Charlotte. "The¡­ aura of¡­ darkness¡­ I was releasing¡­. Do I still have¡­ it?" "It disappeared just now." Her answer horrified Neo. He had been, since the moment he stepped on the mountain, under the illusion of Darkness. Had he killed himself twice, thinking he had 2 stacks left, when in truth, he had only one stack remaining¡­. Neo took deep breaths to calm himself. It took him a few minutes. "I''m sorry for acting weirdly," he said. "Have you calmed down?" Charlotte asked. "Yes." "Can you tell me what happened?" "I was under the influence of Darkness until now." "I see." Charlotte''s gaze sharpened. "Back to the topic, how did your masteries increase?" Paimon spoke before Neo could. "The matters of the Underworld cannot be revealed to the souls of living." Charlotte and Elizabeth turned to Paimon. ¡­They could see her. "You were the reason he died a Spiritual Death?" Elizabeth asked. "Partially, yes." Elizabeth clicked her tongue. And. Paimon''s body suddenly exploded. Neo was left stunned. "Why did you do that?" "Because she made me angry." Elizabeth ignored Neo''s trepidation and looked him in the eye. "Did she threaten you when you visited the Underworld¡ª" "Oh my, we have a feisty child here." Paimon appeared on Neo''s other shoulder. "What would you have done if I was really threatening Neo? Attacking me suddenly will put him in danger if you can''t defeat me in one attack¡ª" Elizabeth clenched her fist. A small ck hole appeared over Paimon''s navel. It sucked her body inside itself. "I just need to kill you in one attack." "You can''t kill what isn''t alive." The skeleton doll appeared above Neo''s head. It was as if she was always there. Paimon smiled. "Child, you need to think before you act. Or your actions will be the death of you one day." Elizabeth''s eyebrow twitched. She was about to attack again until Charlotte called her out. "Eliz, stop." Charlotte''s word made Elizabeth turn to her. "We need to think calmly before doing anything. That being is from Underworld." Her words changed nothing. Elizabeth was still raring to go. She suddenly looked at Neo, realizing he would be caught up if they fought without holding back, and returned to her seat with a fiery gaze. "Thank you for stopping. "Before you misunderstand, all of my actions were done upon Neo''s request," Paimon exined. "He asked to be killed?" Elizabeth questioned. "No, and I didn''t kill him either. "I was partially responsible, yes, but he knew the risks beforehand, and he always had the choice to back out," Paimon said. A heavy aura appeared in the room as Elizabeth tried to control her anger. She turned to Neo. "Why didn''t you back out?" "I was training." His words made her go silent. She asked after a few seconds. "How many times have you died while you ''train''?" "A few times? I don''t remember the exact number." "¡­" Suddenly, Neo felt as if he was being stared at by a predator. His back was drenched in sweat and his teeth ttered. "Neo¡­." Elizabeth spoke. There was no warmth in her eyes. It was the gaze of a tyrant. "Have you let the fact you have a little bit of talent get to your head?" Neo couldn''t move. He had trouble breathing. "Stop your training." "I¡­ wo-won''t¡­" "I''ll kill you if you refuse." Neo bore the immense pressure and smiled. "Well, I''m Immortal." "You think that is fooling anyone?" The pressure weighing him down doubled. "There has to be a condition to your Immortality. "A limit to the number of resurrections? Or do you need to sacrifice something? "Maybe you need toplete tasks for the Grim Reapers and they revive you in return?" Blood trickled down from the corner of Neo''s lips. His bones creaked. "Whatever it is, your Immortality isn''t invincible. "I just need to kill you enough times to make sure you stay dead. "So, "Tell me. "Will you stop your training or not?" "We can always try if I''m really Immortal or not," Neo answered. Just when he thought he would be squashedpletely, the pressure disappeared. "Then, do as you wish." Elizabeth stood up and turned around to leave. "Wait," Neo called out to her. "That bag. Does it have the item I asked for?" "This bag?" She pointed to the bag. "Yes, the trident is inside it." "Thanks for bringing it to me¡ª" "Who said I''m giving this to you?" "¡­That was the deal." "It was, but have you seen a Tyrant keep their side of deal?" Neo was left stunned. Why was she being so petty? Watching her departing figure, Neo realized she might be angrier than he thought. ''Maybe I should skip her ss for today.'' Elizabeth stopped at the door. She tapped the ne on her neck and returned to the disguise of Anna. "Don''t even think about bunking. "I''ll help you train as much as you want. So look forward to the ss." She left. Neo covered his face. Charlotte chuckled. "Since I''ve confirmed what caused your Spiritual Death, I won''t pry into your matters anymore. "I''ll be taking my leave." She turned around just as she about to step out of the doors. "Eliz likes plushies." "¡­?" After Charlotte left, Neo was left massaging his temples. "Is she telling me to gift plushies to Elizabeth?" No way. Wouldn''t that backfire? He could imagine himself getting blown by a gravity attack after he decided to gift a plushie to Elizabeth. "I should just go to the ss." Neo stood up. He walked down the corridor and spoke to Paimon, Chapter 73: Even Pettiness Should Have Limits "Why didn''t you tell me I was being influenced by the Darkness?" "I''m not here to help you. The trials are yours and yours alone to clear." "Fair enough¡­" Seeing her smile, Neo understood it was a fa?ade. Paimon smiled since it was seen as a friendly act and it lowered others defense towards her. It wasn''t because she was happy. The distance to the ss was considerable. Neo covered half of the way when a notification arrived on his smartphone. [Official Notice] [First Period has been rescheduled from Aura ss (Theory) to Aura ss (Practical).] [Arrive at the given venue before the designated time.] He checked the venue and the time in the attached mail. The venue was a massive gym. "I need to reach there in 5 minutes? "That''s impossible." Suddenly, he wondered if this was Elizabeth''s doing. "It can''t be. She isn''t our Practical ss'' teacher." The timetable was released a day ago. It showed different courses and teachers responsible for the courses. Elizabeth taught only Aura Theory to Neo''s ss. He ran to the venue and reached it in 10 minutes. "I shouldn''t be the only one who iste. So, I guess it should be fine¡ª" His words got struck in his throat when he pushed open the door. Everyone was there. They stared at him. Judging from how they stood in organized rows, they reached the venue long ago. "You are five minuteste, Neo Hargraves," Elizabeth spoke. She stood in front of the group of the students. The teacher of the Aura Practical ss, an old man, sat on a chair and read newspaper while ignoring the ss. ''Did she substitute the ss?'' His future didn''t look bright to him. "I apologize," Neo spoke. He joined the students. "You will receive a penaltyter," Elizabeth said. "We will start the ss now that everyone is here. "Today, we will have a training session. "Quickly form teams ording to your elements." "¡­?" The students frowned. They had to team up with those who had same element as them? The teams would be imbnced if that were to happen. Arthur raised his hand. "Speak," Elizabeth said. "Isn''t what you said disadvantageous for students with rarer elements? It would¡ª" "You don''t need to worry about others." Her sharp answer forced Arthur to lower his hand with an awkward smile. "Form teams of three students at most." The students dispersed. Neo wondered if he should go for Death or Darkness when Arthur and Felix approached him. "Why were youte?" Felix questioned. "I wasn''t. It took 10 minutes to run from Seraphim Hall to here." "Yeah, we know that. There was enough time to arrive at the venue. "We got the message ten minutes before the ss started." "¡­?" Neo took out his phone and showed them the message. Arthur and Felix''s eyebrows shot up in surprise. They showed their inbox to Neo. "¡­Why did you two receive the message five minutes earlier than me?" "It''s the same for everyone." Felix''s answer made Neo frown. Neo looked at Elizabeth from the corner of his eyes. ''She didn''t send me the messagete on purpose, right?'' ''Of course, that can''t be possible.'' "It must be awork error," Felix sighed. "Anyway, which element''s group are you two joining?" "Lightning." "Death for me. What about you?" "I''ll join Water." The three talked a bit before splitting up. Neo didn''t worry about Felix getting harassed. There was no way the students could act up under Elizabeth''s eyes. "Hmm?" Neo saw the number of students in Death element''s group. "There is no one here." Death was a rare element. Even if someone had affinity for Death they didn''t use it since it was hard to raise Death''s mastery. But wasn''t it too much to have zero students with Death element as their priority? He turned to the group of students with Darkness element. ...The ce was empty. "Maybe I should change my group?" Neo would''ve been fine being alone¡­ if the training helped him. It was easy to see that wouldn''t happen. Elizabeth seems to be out to punish him. "Water element''s group looks okay." He took a single step when suddenly he heard Elizabeth''s voice. "Choose the groups ording to your Primary element." She spoke while looking at him. Neo closed his eyes. Yeah, he was fucked. The gym was divided into several rooms joined by a long corridor. The rooms were opened from above. There were seats on the second floor. They allowed the teachers to observe the rooms from above. He stood in front of the door of Death element''s training room. "You can enter," Elizabeth said. She was on the second floor along with the teacher, Adam, responsible for Practical Aura ss. Her eyes were fixed at him. Neo could tell that without looking up. The room, empty, was as big as a mid-sized hall. "Do it," Elizabeth told Adam. The old man put down his newspaper. He stood against the railing and opened his mouth. "Bloom." Glowing pollens rained slowly. They suddenly expanded when they touched the floor. The Divine Energy from the air was sucked into them. ¡­! Neo took a step back. His eyebrows creased. Disgust. He felt loathing from the deepest part of his soul when the pollens swole and transformed into a humanoid golem made from tree branches. "Life Element." His reaction was simr to when a person saw trash. He didn''t want to go near it. The pollens continued to fall. More nt-type golems appeared. Some of the pollens mutated into wooden birds. They pped their wings and took flight. "Neo Hargraves¡­" Elizabeth''s voice snapped Neo out of his thoughts. He looked up. "As a penalty for beingte, I will be putting restrictions on you during today''s training session." Obitus trembled. No¡­ She is¡ª Before the sword couldin, it shot out of Neo''s grasp and floated behind Elizabeth. "I will be confiscating your personal weapon." Neo looked at her, exasperated. She ignored his gaze and opened her mouth. "Now, I will exin the training''s content." Chapter 74: Short Training Session Lightning Element Training Room "The flying golems give 5 points. "Your task is to destroy as many of them as possible while the bipedal golems attack you. "The team with the highest points will win. "Each room will have one winner." The exnation was easy to understand. Arthur looked around. While he was searching for teammates, he saw Morrigan. She was being ostracized by the Zeus n and their new leader Lucas. "Morrigan, you don''t have teammates either? How about¡ª" She passed him without acknowledging his existence. He smiled bitterly. "Looks she is still angry about the cafeteria incident." Arthur looked around. It waspulsory to form teams. He would have to join the students who were left out. "Sigh, I feel like a loner." ¡­ Water Elemental Training Room "Thanks for letting me join your team," Felix said. "It''s no problem. I''m happy to help Neo''s friends," Christian said. Christian had an underhanded motive for teaming up with Felix. He nned to have Neo owe him a favor for helping Felix. ''It was a good thing I became Neo and Arthur''s friend,'' Felix smiled. She understood Christian''s intentions rather easily. "Who is ourst teammate?" she asked. "It''s¡­ Miss." The two looked at the corner of the training room. Leonora sat there on a bean bag made through a Water element Magic Spell. She chewed a bubble gum while ying games on switch and wore earphones to drown out the noise from outside. "Is that allowed?" Felix questioned. "I wish it wasn''t." Christian held a defeated expression. He had long given up on making Leonora work. It was good enough she was attending sses. Suddenly, Anna spoke from the second floor. "The winning teams will receive 0.3 credits as a reward." The students looked at her in surprise. A smile bloomed on their face. ¡­ Death Element Training Room "Doesn''t that mean I''m confirmed to get 0.3 credits?" Neo doubted his ears. As the only person in the room, he was guaranteed to win. Moreover, he did not need to share the credits with the teammates. "Wasn''t she trying to punish me?" He looked up at Elizabeth. "She is unexpectedly kind¡­" Just as he thought that, a vine was whipped towards his head. He barely dodged the attack. The other bipedal golems pounced on him without warning. A few of them shed their elongated arms like whips while others attacked in close quarters. Neo used Ocean''s Embrace. He punched the golem closest to him and blew off its face. A punch came flying towards his chest. Neo shifted his weight. He grabbed the golem''s fist after he dodged the attack with a hair''s margin and flipped the golem over his head. While the golems had advantage in numbers, Neo was experienced in fightingrge groups. He fought while carefully maintaining his stamina and Divine Energy reserves. It should have been an easy battle. "Dammit¡­" Neo jumped back to create a gap between him and monsters. "How am I supposed to take down the flying golems? "I don''t have any long ranged attacks." He would win by default even if he didn''t take down the birds. However, he didn''t like that. "And what''s up this damned element? "Who named it Life Element? It should be called zombie element." The broken golems stood up. Their limbs and destroyed body parts regenerated. "tch, their numbers are too much to use Necrotic Touch on them." Neo was caught in a useless battle. He wouldn''t lose. But he wouldn''t win either. "I guess that''s my only choice." He used the Aura of Death. Silent red lightning crackled around his arms. Neo tried to use Aura sh from the distance, like he did in the Underworld, only to realize he couldn''t. Moreover, was harder to use Aura than usual. "What the hell?" Confused, he punched the golem approaching him. The condensed aura of death seeped into the bipedal monster. It couldn''t regenerate anymore and died. "Why can''t I use Aura sh?" He could coat his arms in Aura of Death and punch with it But the condensed Aura wouldn''t go too far from his body, leaving him incapable of using Aura sh. Neo continued to fight. He used Aura of Death only at critical moments. The Divine Energy consumption of the Aura decreased after his mastery over Death increased. However, it was still quite high. "Dammit¡­ "Is it because of Obitus?" Only after losing the sword did Neo realize he was depending on it too much. The sword bolstered his ability to manipte Divine Energy infused with Elemental affinities. It was why he could use Aura sh. He became helpless as soon as he lost the sword. ¡­ Second Floor Elizabeth pursed her lips. Her eyes followed Neo. ''He is too strong for a newly evolved Grade 4 Awakened Demigod.'' She clenched her jaw. ''Did he devour something?'' The conversation she had with him in the morning. She never received an answer due to the interference of the being from Underworld. However, there were clues. They were enough. ''He devoured arge number of targets.'' ''The Darkness killed him, but he revived with his skill, and his masteries increased along with his stats.'' The sudden increase in masteries of Death and Darkness came at a risk. Elizabeth clenched the railing. ''Why is he pushing himself to this extent?'' Neo was in a hurry to grow stronger. Why? Why did he need power to the point he would kill himself for it? ''I can''t allow it.'' She had to stop him. Even if he would hate her. Elizabeth had seen many people whose only goal was strength. None of them had a good end. They regretted wasting their life on pointless pursuit of power. She didn''t want to see Neo in the same situation. ¡­ Death Element Training Room Neo gasped for breath. He had been holding his own until now thanks to the secondary stats he gained in the Underworld. But he was reaching his limit. ''These bastards won''t just go down!'' Pain surged through his core. He had converted too much Divine Energy into Death infused Divine Energy. "Huff! Huff!" Only a single shot. That was all he had left in him. Neo stared at the bird-type golems in the sky. He hadn''t defeated a single one. "Let''s try it." Neo pointed his finger at the sky. He blocked all of his Magic Circuits except for the one on the tip of his index finger. He aimed. And. Pushed out the condensed aura through a single point. *** Author''s Note: Join the discord server more character pics. You can ask your doubts, share your thoughts on the novel, and talk with fellow readers on the server. Join quickly! .gg/6MhPmxCdeV Chapter 75: Lovers Quarrel Lightning crackled around his finger. ''Not yet! I need to increase the pressure!'' It was simr to pinching the mouth of the water pipe to increase the force of water flowing out. He blocked as many Magic Circuits as possible and diverted the excess Death-infused Divine Energy to his finger. The intensity of lightning increased. Condensed bolts of lightning shot out of his finger. One of the flying golem was hit. The golem died. It fell out of the sky. Neo suddenly felt hollowed out. His Divine Energy reserves hit rock bottom and he could barely stand. ''I think the attack is called Aura Snipe?'' ''Well, mine was more simr to a cannon with weak firepower.'' ''It needs to be refined.'' His vision blurred. Exhaustion overtook him. Thest thing he saw were the remaining nine flying-golems. ¡­ The training session ended. Students left their rooms and gathered in the hall. "Arthur!" Felix ran up to the heavily bruised Arthur. "How was the test¡­ what happened to you?" "My teammates betrayed me." Arthur smiled bitterly. He exined how his team members turned out to be the spy of Zeus n. He barely managed to secure the first position in his room. "Wait, what? You were first?" "Yeah, I was lucky. "They were attacking me and a stray attack hit Morrigan. "All hell broke loose after that. I used the opportunity to sneak out and kill the birds. "What about you?" "I rode on the tailcoats of the Poseidon n," Felix smiled embarrassedly. "First?" "Yup, first." Arthur''s exhausted expression changed to a smile. "Congrats." "You too!" They bumped their fists. A notification arrived on Felix and Arthur''s smartphones. [+0.1 Credits] "The training session has ended. "I hope it helped you to understand your weakness and the importance ofpatible teammates. "The ss is finished. You can leave," Elizabeth spoke. The students turned around to leave. "Where is Neo?" "I don''t know." Arthur spoke and approached Elizabeth. "Professor, the Ruler, Neo, hasn''t left his training room yet." "His training is still going on." Arthur found himself unable to speak up when she gave a cold answer. Her presence was too overbearing. He decided to wait with Felix for Neo to return. "Neo Hargraves has to undergo a longer training session as a penalty for beingte. "You two should leave." Arthur wanted to wait for Neo. However, Felix pulled him out of the gym. "Why did we leave? Neo would be tired when hees out. We should''ve waited for him." "Because the professor told us to go." Felix lied through her teeth. She had always been sensitive to other people. It was easy for her to notice the homeroom teacher, Anna, was paying special attention to Neo. ''Is it because he is the Ruler?'' ''That doesn''t exin her today''s actions.'' ''She helped him on the first day but she was targeting him today.'' If Anna was Neo''s supporter, she wouldn''t have punished him. And if she was against him, she wouldn''t have saved him on the first day. Felix couldn''t find the reason behind Anna''s contradictory actions. Suddenly a wild thought appeared in her head. ''Is it a lover''s quarrel?'' ''No, no, no! What am I thinking!?'' It was impossible. Still¡­ Why would a young teacher help her student, then be angry with him the next day for no reason? ''I guess I''ll keep my eyes open.'' It smelled like a spicy gossip. ¡­ Second Floor, Elemental Training Gym A golem carried Neo to the infirmary on the second floor. The nurse set up a blood transfusion to help Neo recover his Divine Energy faster. God Blood gained through this method was harmful, as every Demigod had a different bloodline. The method was not dangerous if it was done in small quantities, and it recovered the Divine Energy quickly. As for the physical injuries, all demigods had superior healing, and Neo barely sustained any wounds, hence the nurse did not need to use elixirs to heal him. Elizabeth entered the infirmary. "How is he?" "Hale and hearty. His body is weak but, surprisingly, he wasn''t injured. He should be waking up in an hour." The nurse left after the diagnosis. Elizabeth checked her schedule. She had a ss to teach. "I''ll skip today. It''s not an important ss." She sat next to Neo''s bed. He woke up an hourter. A thick aura of Death and Darkness descended. It disappeared a split secondter. Neo''s muscles tightened. His eyes shot open. ''He is preparing to fight as soon as he woke up.'' Elizabeth pinched her arm to stop herself from frowning. Neo''s actions were instinctual. How many times he was attacked as soon as he woke up to react like this? ''Underworld... He must''ve experienced those battles there.'' She didn''t like it. She didn''t like it at all. "Where am I¡­?" Neo groaned. "Infirmary." He looked at her when he heard her voice. "Oh, thank you for bringing me here." "Mhm." They stayed silent. Neo sunk into the fluffy bed. He was resting when Elizabeth opened her mouth. "Why do you want to grow stronger?" "Just cause." Elizabeth didn''t believe him. His drive was too strong for it to be a whim. "You won''t stop no matter what I tell you?" Neo let out a bitter smile. It was enough for an answer. Elizabeth pursed her lips. She wanted to force Neo if that was what it took for him to follow her words. But¡­ "Take this." She was no longer a tyrant. After thinking hard about it, she decided. Her past was a lesson she had to learn from. Forcing others would never work out. When there was a conflict, both sides had topromise. "This¡­" Neo looked at Obitus and the bag ced next to his bed. He stared at Elizabeth, wondering if she was really giving them to him. "Don''t look at me like that. They belong to you." Obitus. And. The replica of Poseidon''s trident. Finally, he had them both. "Thank you," Neo said. "Though, you are correct. They belonged to me. You just snatched them and refused to return them." "It was for your own good." Elizabeth huffed and looked away. Neo smiled. She was cute even when she was angry. Neo rested for a bit before he stood up and removed the blood transfusion packs. "Where are you going?" She asked. Chapter 76: Group Chat "I have a ss," he answered. "Give me your number before you leave." "Don''t you have it already?" "I have your official mail, not your personal contact number." Neo nodded. He exchanged contacts with her and adder her to his friends. "See youter." Elizabeth pursed her lips, as if she had something to say, but stayed silent in the end. Neo grabbed Obitus and the bag with the trident before he left. Paimon opened her mouth when he arrived outside the gym. "Why aren''t you angry?" "¡­?" "She treated you unjustly and didn''t apologize. "Even at the end, she only corrected her mistakes. "Was there a need to thank her?" Neo stopped walking. He pondered over Paimon''s words. "People are wed. Elizabeth was a tyrant who only knew how to give orders. "She never took no for an answer. "It''s how she was raised and she lived." No one could change overnight. The change was a gradual progress. It needed constant effort. "She didn''t apologize. "However, she took a step back and let me do what I wanted. "It''s an improvement." Neo continued. "I can''t say I understand emotions myself. "But I do know that everyone is different. "No one is perfect. Elizabeth, like everyone, has ws. "It''s not necessarily a bad thing. ws are what make us unique. They are the stroke of colors on a finished painting. They defines us. "Just like a stroke of color is to a painting, the ws can add charm to a person or destroy them," Neo exined. "You have quite a poetic way of talking," Paimon said. "I''ll think of it as a praise." Neo chuckled. He went to his dorm room. After putting the bag there, he was about to leave when Paimon spoke, "Is it okay to leave the weapon like that?" "Yeah." The principal knew about the trident''s existence. She would keep it under a strict surveince. "How will you use the trident?" "Are you curious?" "Somewhat." Neo shook his head at her tant lie. He exined nheless. "I can''t use the trident with my current strength, and its Immortal yer trait makes it too dangerous to let others use it. "I originally nned to destroy it." By the time Neo became strong enough to wield the trident, he would have better weapons than it. The risk of keeping the trident was greater than its benefits. "Now, though, I think I''ll try to devour it." "Devour it? With your current mastery?" Paimon looked at him with a surprised expression. "You''ll die." "I know. That''s why I am nning to suppress the trident''s powers before I devour it bit by bit." There were a lot of preparations to be done. Neo had to prepare a chamber to seal the trident''s presence while he devoured it. It would be dangerous if others sensed the trident and found it. Additionally, he would be burnt to crisp if he went near trident with his current strength. "The bag is sealing the trident. "I need to find a method so I can bear the trident''s pressure. Since, I''d rather not be burnt to ashes while I absorb it." "It sounds like a difficult task." "It is but¡­" The returns were worth it. Devouring the Poseidon''s Trident would give him a major boost. "Anyway, I have other things to focus on for now." Neo took out his smartphone to check the schedule. "The Etiquette ss is next and Spell Casting Theory ss is after it." Neo did not n to attend the Etiquette ss. It was low on his priority list. "If I''m not wrong, nothing was taught in the first ss of Spell Casting Theory. "I can skip it." "Why are you skipping the sses? You told that professor you would attend them." "Because I think I found a way to solve the third trial." He continued. "It''s a shot in the dark but it''s worth it." The only problem was time. He had to hurry. On his way, Neo made a group chat for teammates. [You''ve create the group ''Umbra''] [Christian has been added.] [Leonora has been added.] [Mars has been added.] >Group Chat< Christian: What is this? A group for our team? Me: Yes. Mars: I was wondering when you will invite us all. Is it time for a mission? Christian: Good afternoon, Mars. I didn''t know you were the fourth teammate. [Leonora has muted the group.] Mars: Nice to meet you too! Mars: I didn''t know the other members were also OP guys like Neo! Mars: I''m looking forward to meeting you guys! Mars: ^-^ Me: Hilda Caf¨¦ in 30 minutes. Me: We''ll do a mission briefing. Mars: Finally! Christian: Isn''t it too early? Christian: We haven''t found the 5th teammate yet. Me: Leave that to me. Christian: Understood. I''ll meet you at the venue. Mars: I''m on my way already! Me: @Christian Bring Leonora too. She has muted the group. I doubt she will read the messages either. Christian: ¡­I''ll do my best. >Group Chat< Neo closed the app. He wondered who he should choose as the fifth member. Someone who was already strong? Someone who would be useful in the future? Someone who was hiding his strength and identity? Or should he pick a random student. "I don''t know if the other person will join my team. "The easiest way to get the fifth member is to pick anyone at random who agrees to join." Neo sat on the bench inside the mission hall. The ce was filled with hundreds of first year students. "Who should I choose¡­. "Hmm?" Neo noticed someone looking at F-rank missions. Only solo students chose F~D rank missions. The person had to be the same. "Why isn''t he in a team? "No way, did he not join Arthur''s team due to the butterfly effect?" Neo took out his phone to confirm it from Felix. He might''ve struck diamond. >Chat | Felix< Me: Who are your teammates? Felix: Why lol Felix: Me, Arthur, Nathan, ra and Sean Felix: You don''t know ra and Sean. I''ll introduce them to youter. Felix: Nathan is the same who attacked us during the entrance ceremony. The one who used shadows. Me: Yeah, I remember him. Felix: What about your team? Me: Me, Christian, Leonora, and Mars Felix: WTF Felix: I know about Christian and Leonora Felix: BUT HOW DID YOU GET MARS Felix: HE REFUSED EVERYONE Felix: HOW DID YOU DO IT Felix: DON''T IGNORE ME >Chat | Felix< Neo closed the chats with a chuckle. The notifications continued to arrive. He ignored them. "I bet he is going to be livid when we meet next time." His actions confused Paimon. Chapter 77: Fifth Teammate "Is what you did really funny?" Paimon questioned. "It is. Sometimes you just want to mess with others." Neo returned the phone to his pocket and waited. Jack continued to stare at F rank missions, unable to pick a choice. He looked around for help and happened to meet Neo''s eyes. ¡­! Jack looked in a different direction quickly. ''I just made eye contact with him! He won''t get angry, right?'' The rumors of Neo being a crazy bastard were spread far and wide. Jack did not want to have any connection with Neo. Suddenly, Neo stood up. He approached Jack. ''Don''t run away. Don''t run away.'' ''He isn''ting to me. He will pass by me and go somewhere else.'' Jack repeated the words in his heart only for Neo to stop before him. "...Can I help you?" Jack questioned. Neo looked up at the F-rank mission list. He lowered his gaze and met Jack''s eyes. "I noticed you were looking at F-rank missions. Are you going solo?" "Yes." Jack scratched his cheek. "My rank is quite low. Nobody wanted to team up with me." While he answered properly, he wished for Neo to leave as soon as possible. "How about you join my team if you don''t have anyone else? We still need the fifth member." "Thanks for the offer. I can''t¡ª What!?" Jack paled as if he saw a ghost. "Y-you are asking me to join your team?" "Yes." "But you are the Ruler! I bet the rest of you teammates are Top 100 too!" "That''s true." "I ca-can''t join a team like that. I''m too weak¡ª" "Are you sure you want to refuse my offer? I can ask someone else if that is the case. I''m sure there are others who will join my team happily." Jack, about to refuse, closed his mouth with a snap. He looked around. Many students surrounded Neo and him. They heard them talk and a few of them looked eager to join Neo''s team. The team made by the Ruler where the rest of the members were Top 100 students. It was bound to be sessful. ''Why is he inviting me into his team?'' ''Does he have an ulterior motive?'' Jack couldn''t make a choice. Was Neo asking him team just to fill the vacancy? Besides, what would he gain from someone like Jack? "Calm down. I''m not forcing you to join my team. You can refuse." Neo stared at the students around them. He muttered to himself. "Guess I need to find someone else." His words struck Jack''s ears like a thunderbolt. "Wait!" "Hmm?" "I''ll join your team! No, please let me join your team!" The teammates were fixed until the next semester. They couldn''t be changed. Besides, Jack would gain rewards and credits by joining the team, regardless of Neo''s motives. "It''s a good choice." Neo smiled. His handsome features stunned Jack for a moment. "I''ll send you the Team Form. Let''s exchange contacts." "Y-yeah." After he filled the Team Form, he let out a sigh. "Good work. Now let''s go, I''ll introduce you to the others." Jack nodded. They went around the campus and entered a caf¨¦. "Wee¡ª" The host stammered when she noticed Neo''s clothes. Ruler. The top ranked student. Silence spread inside the caf¨¦. The students stayed quiet. "We have a reservation." "I-I see. Please follow me." They entered the deeper area of the caf¨¦. Jack couldn''t help but cower at the attention he received by being at Neo''s side. ''Is it always like this for him?'' The first rank was a respected position. Neo would receive recognition whenever he went, be it inside the academy or outside. Jack joined the team of such person. He was still having trouble believing the reality. The host took Neo to a private room. She opened the door. "Your friends are inside." Neo entered the room with Jack. The room, fragrant, was small and cozy with a window towards the garden. "Hey, you are finally here!" Mars grinned. "Good afternoon, Neo," Christian said. "¡­" Leonora focused on her game and ignored him. "Hi," He replied and pointed at Jack. "He is our fifth team member." "H-hello, I''m Jack Hanma, 1721th rank." Jack''s heart was beating loudly. His ears rang and he was sweating badly. Neo, while first rank and stone-faced, was amicable. But the three people in front of him had an unapproachable air. Jack knew about them. They were existences he could never dream to meet in his life. "¡­" They didn''t respond to Jack''s greeting and stared at him instead. "T-thinking again, I shouldn''t be in this team¡ª" "Don''t worry. They aren''t angry, just wary of your Aura." Neo ced a hand on Jack''s shoulder. "There is no need to be nervous. Take deep breaths." Jack never realized he was releasing his Aura. He followed Neo advice. The aura spreading out from him disappeared. "That Aura¡­ It was Death element?" Christian asked. "Y-yeah. I''m sorry. My mastery is low and I can''t control the aura. I s-swear I wasn''t trying to threaten you." "Low mastery?" Christian frowned. Jack''s aura wasn''t weak. It was¡­ scary. No, not just scary. It was almost as frightening as Neo''s aura. Had he been a secondte to retract his Aura, Leonora''s Spirit, Ruby, would''ve attacked him. "Do you really rank in 1700s?" Christian spoke. Jack nodded. "Weird." Christian turned to Mars. It was rare to see Mars not smiling. "What do you think?" "I don''t know. He feels weak, but something is weird. "It''s like his strength doesn''t have a fixed shape." "Okay, that''s it. You guys are being rude to Jack." Neo pped. "Jack, they are Leonora, Christian, and Mars in order. "He is Jack. We can ask him about his specialtiester. Wee him at least." Mars and Christian nodded. "I apologize if my words were rude." "Sorry. We didn''t mean to scare you. We were just startled because of your Aura." "I-it''s fine." Jack realized they were not as scary as he thought. It was his fault to begin with. He was about to sit next to Leonora when she looked at him and clicked her tongue. "¡­" Jack, being wise, chose to sit beside Christian and Mars. She frowned again when Neo sat by her side, but Neo ignored her. "I''ll exin the mission now." Chapter 78: Secret Revealed "Before that, there is something we must discuss," Christian said. "That is?" "Who will be the team leader?" His words made Neo smile. "Why are you asking me about this? The answer should be obvious." "That¡­" Christian pursed his lips. "I hope you can let Miss be the team leader." Leonora raised her head from the screen with a snap and stared at Christian. "I don''t¡ª" "It''s not about your preferences Miss. "You are the leader of Poseidon n''s faction. It should be clear you can''t work under someone else. "The family elders are livid because you chose someone outside of our n to team up with. "If you let him be the team leader on top of that you will be smearing mud on our n''s name. "The elders won''t let go of his matter." Christian''s words made Leonora sulk. She didn''t want to take the burdensome position of team leader. "Neo, I hope you will understand our position. "Giving up the status of team leader is not an option for Miss. "Of course, we willpensate you with the credits you would''ve earned had you became the team leader," Christian said. It was a reasonable request. Christian''s down-to-earth approach made it difficult to refuse him. But¡­ "I can''t give up the team leader position." Neo shook his head. "If this was how it was going to be, you should''ve said it when I invited you to the team." "That¡­" Christian had no reply. Leonora looked at Neo with twinkling eyes. She couldn''t be more happy. "Besides, what''s the problem with being under me?" "Sigh, you might not know this. "The God ns look down on those from outside. "It would''ve been fine if you were from a Great God n. Even a High God n would''ve worked "But you aren''t from either." Christian wasn''t looking down on Neo''s origin. He was revealing the harsh reality. "There is no need to worry if that''s true. I might not be from a God n. "However, I have the bloodline of Hades." "Bloodline of Hades? I guess that works¡­." Christian stopped speaking. He looked at Neo with a confused expression. "Come again?" "I have the bloodline of Great God of Death." "Seriously?" "Yeah." Christian took a deep breath. "What!?" He shouted. Mars and Jack''s reaction was no different. Even Leonora was looking at Neo with a stunned face. "There has never been a demigod with Hades'' Bloodline! How do you have it!?" Christian grabbed Neo''s shoulder. "How!?" "Calm down. It''s not that big of news." "How is it not big news?! "You are the only person with the God of Death''s bloodline! Do you realize you are the current n leader of the third Great God n!?" "Oh¡­" Neo hadn''t thought about it. Still, what use was the n when he was the only member? "No, no, no, this has to be a joke. Are you trying to prank us?" "Why would I joke about my bloodline? If my teammates misunderstand my abilities, it would endanger us on the missions." Christian grabbed his head. He needed time to digest the information. "Damn, that''s sick! That''s why your auras were so powerful!" Mars was quick to return to his usual mood. "My heart didn''t lie! I chose the perfect rival!" Neo really wanted to know why and how he became Mars rival, but he had an important task at hand. "I guess that solves the problem of team leader. "Next I''ll exin about the mission." Neo continued. "Tomorrow, an S-rank mission will be posted. "It has three slots. That means three teams can choose it. "I want our team to get one of the slots." That mission was the only way Neo came up with. It could help him clear the third trial. "Is the source of your information credible?" Mars asked in ce of Christian who was still in denial. "It is." "Why do you want that mission? There are other S-rank missions too." "You''ll know it tomorrow." After talking a bit, the group disbanded. They agreed to meet in the mission hall tomorrow. Neo was on this way to Seraphim Hall when he received a message from Arthur. "Why he is asking to meet at that ce?" The location was outside teacher''s dorm. Teacher''s dorm lied between the buildings where their sses took ce and the Seraphim Hall. It was not weird to meet up there on the way to the dorm. Neo was just sensitive after he was fucked over by Elizabeth once. "I guess I''ll go." He met Arthur on the bench under the tree''s shade. "What''s up?" "Nothing. Felix said he had important news and wanted to meet us as quickly as possible. "But I don''t understand why he called us here." Arthur scratched his cheek. Neo sat beside him. The two waited for fifteen minutes until Felix came out of the teacher''s dorm. ''He'' fixed his clothes and waved at a female teacher who was looking down from her window. "Huh?" Arthur froze. "Neo, please tell me I''m overthinking it, but does it look like Felix¡­" Felix arrived next to them before Neo could answer. "You changed your gender?" Neo asked. "Not changed. I can''t control my Unique Skill. "You don''t know it since you are from outside of God ns. It''s because I can''t control my skill that I''m called the ''weakest demigod of the history''." His monotonous words made it look like he didn''t care about the rumors. Though Neo knew the truth was otherwise. "Anyway, I was lucky to change to this body a few hours ago and I got my hands on a nice piece of news thanks to that." "W-wait! Did you just had s-se¡ª do that with the professor for the news?" Arthur''s bright red ears brought a wide smile to Felix''s face. He put his arm around Arthur''s shoulder and whispered. "Yes. We had S.E.X." Arthur let out a shrill scream like a girl and moved away from Felix. Seeing him, Felixughed. Heughed hard. "Gosh, you actually believed that." "¡­?" "I''m lying of course. Why would I fix my clothes outside and not in the room?" Felix looked at Neo. "Well, I guess Neo wasn''t fooled." "T-then why did you meet that professor?" Arthur asked. "I exchanged credits with her to buy information." "Why did the professor look so happy if all you did was buy information?" "..." Felix smiled without saying anything. Chapter 79: A Way To Solve The Third Trial "¡­" Felix smiled silently. It made Arthur''s imagination run wild. ''Why wouldn''t she be happy? She earned credits without lifting a finger,'' Neo thought. He chastised Arthur for overreacting. As if he wasn''t the one whose brain stopped braining when he was with Elizabeth inside the water cave. Felix didn''t say it, but Neo knew he must''ve borrowed credits from other students to pay the professor. ''He went ahead and did it even after I told him to not borrow credits from others or he won''t be able to take on SS-rank missions.'' ''Well, whatever. It''s his choice.'' Arthur''s flushed face wasn''ting down. Neo decided to change the topic. "What''s the news you wanted to tell us?" "Are you curious about it?" Felix grabbed Neo''s shoulder and gave him an unamused stare. "First, tell me, how did you get Mars in your team?" "He came to me himself." "Himself?" "Yeah." Felix scoffed. "I don''t believe it. Mars might be ranked only 100th, but he is on par with Morrigan. "Everyone knows Mars only acknowledges those who are stronger than him. Why would he approach you first?" "I don''t know about it myself. If you don''t believe me ask anyone who saw Mars when he met me in the Mission hall." Felix pursed his lips. He had questioned around. The information he got roughly matched Neo''s answer. Felix thought Neo might''ve moved behind the scene, but talking to him now made Felix realize that was not the case. "Sigh, I get it. Also, sorry about calling you weak." "Don''t worry about it. "I don''t care about the opinions of a guy who sells his body for benefits," Neo smirked. "Hey, I told you we did nothing!" Felix alsoughed. Looking at the two, Arthur wondered if he was the one had outdated believes. The three chatted and entered the cafeteria. They joined the line. "I wanted to tell you two about an S-rank mission that would be posted tomorrow." Felix lowered his voice. "Sphinx is the one who assigned the mission." "¡­!" Arthur''s eyes shot wide open. It took him a second to realize they were in a cafeteria. He coughed and looked around to see if someone was looking at them. "The Sphinx?" Arthur whispered. "Yeah, that one." Sphinx was one of the four guardians of the academy and an administrator of Akashic Record. Missions provided by Sphinx were rare. Completing gave them an ''answer'' as a reward. The Sphinx''s knowledge was vast. It was almost omniscient. There was nothing it couldn''t answer. If there was someone who could tell Neo what emotions were, it would be the Sphinx. "Neo, why aren''t you shocked? You knew about the mission beforehand, didn''t you?" "I didn''t." Felix''s brows creased. He stared at Neo''s face as if he was searching for something. "Did our homeroom teacher tell you about the mission?" ¡­! Suddenly bringing Elizabeth''s name into the conversation made Neo react. He quickly returned to his expressionless face, however, it was useless. "Why did she tell you about the mission?" Neo pursed his lips. It was clear Felix wouldn''t let go of the matter until he got a proper answer. "I brought the information from her with credits." Neo gave the first excuse that came to his mind. "Yeah? Where did you get the credits from?" "From friends." "Friends? "You, the person who eats in cafeteria only because we drag him out of his room and the one who pissed of half of the students with his speech, has friends? "Don''t lie. Say it. Why did the professor reveal such sensitive information to you?" Neo was exasperated at the tant insult. He wasn''t a loner. He wasn''t¡­ right? "If you are calling me that, then how did you borrow credits from others? I doubt you have more friends than me." Arthur nodded from the side. All three of them were equally hated by the students. Or so he thought. "Hey, that''s insulting. "I''m might be infamous in the God ns, but I''m pretty well received by the students from outside of God ns. "You two are the only ones who don''t have friends." Arthur, on the side, didn''t say the words he was about to say. The stray shots from the conversation between Felix and Neo hit him hard. "That''s impossible," Neo retorted. "It''s not. Unlike you two, I have social skills. Besides, I''m handsome." Everyone from Aphrodite n was handsome. Felix''s appearance was cut above the rest even there. Neo wasn''t jealous. He was handsome himself. He definitely didn''t n to devour some monsters to see if he could absorb secondary stats rted to appearances. The three ate lunch and returned to the dorm. In the end, Neo never gave a reason as to how he found the information. It made Felix''s imagination go above and beyond. The next day, Neo arrived at the mission hall. He met up with his teammates. "The team registration is done. Our team is now officially formed," Neo said. Mars, Christian, and Jack nodded. As for Leonora, she was nowhere to be seen. While they were waiting for the S-rank mission to be put up, Arthur and Felix arrived with their team. "Guys, how is everyone doing?" Felix asked. They greeted each other. Felix introduced the twins, ra and Sean, to Neo and his teammates. Neo did the same for his team. "Well, what''s the name of your team?" Felix asked. "Umbra." "Oh." Felix turned to Arthur. "It''s quite a coincidence, right?" "Yeah," Arthur nodded. He told Neo, "Our team is called Lumen. It means light and yours¡­." "Umbra. It''s another word for shadow." "I thought you would choose a name rted to your Death element." Neo shrugged. He liked the name because it was antithesis of Arthur''s team name. The S-rank mission was put up while the group chatted. There were a lot of teams ready to take the S-rank mission. Felix wasn''t the only one who brought the information. Neo and Arthur were ready to take the mission when¡­ Chapter 80: Another Butterfly Effect Neo and Arthur were ready to take the mission when¡­ "Huh?" "What''s that?" >S-rank Mission< Details: [REDACTED] Rewards: [REDACTED] Slots: 3 Assigner: Sphinx Participation Requirements: Only teams who have cleared 3 C-rank missions, 2 B-rank missions, and 1 A-rank mission can ept this mission. The Mission will be given on firste first serve basis. Mission details and rewards will revealed only to teams who have met participation requirements. >S-rank Mission< The participation requirements were not supposed to exist. Neo was caught unprepared by the unexpected situation. ''Another butterfly effect.'' ''But how?'' He thought hard and realized the reason for the change. ''Fuck, so that''s how it is.'' Originally, Arthur was never seen as a threat by the God ns. While strong, he did not have a background to support him. It was why Felix could pull the rug under everyone and managed to take one of the mission slots. However, the present changed when Neo appeared. He was the little brother of Henry Hargraves. The Hargraves Corporation was a contender for the top position in the weaponry market. They were rich and influential. Still, they were not a match for the God ns¡­ until Neo became the Ruler. If Hargraves yed their cards right, they could stand on par God ns. Neo was a threat. He couldn''t be allowed to soar any more than he did already. "There are many professors and staff members from God ns. "They can''t openly refuse to give you the S-rank mission due to the principal, so they used a roundabout method," Christian said. He was also shocked. His nmates never told him about anything. ''They are isting me because I joined Neo''s team,'' Christian realized and let out a bitter smile. "This is bad¡­" Arthur spoke. He looked at the C~A rank mission list. The missions were being rapidly taken by other teams. "They are working together to make sure we can''tplete the mission requirements." Not just the teams made by top 100 students. The other teams were also recruited by the God ns to impede Neo and Arthur''s team. "We might need to give up," Felix bit his lips. He suddenly looked at Christian with hopeful gaze. "Can we get Poseidon n''s help? If it''s¡­" He stopped speaking when Christian shook his head. "I didn''t even know the teams were working together. The n Elders have probably forbid anyone to assist us. "We are on our own." There were 20 S-rank teams (teams with at least three top 100 students) fighting for the 3 slots. That alone would''ve been an uphill battle. The 18 teams could hoard missions to make sure thest two teams of Neo and Arthur didn''t get anything. But against nearly 300 teams? There was no hope for Neo and Arthur. Neo walked up to the C-rank mission list. "What are you doing?" Felix questioned. "Choosing a mission. "Even if everyone works together ¡ª which I doubt is possible ¡ª they still can''t hoard every mission." There was a limit to the number of missions a team could ept at once. The God ns probably nned to take everything except the most difficult missions. With the firste first serve basis, they only had to stall time and get the slots before Neo and Arthur. "We are trying to get the S-rank mission because it has the best rewards. "Isn''t it a given we need to work hard for something like that?" Neo spoke. Neo wanted to be the best there was. He long epted he would have to outperform everyone to reach his goal. It excited him. The feeling of leaving others in dust, even though they worked hard, thrilled Neo. "I guess grandpa was right. Only insane people can seed in today''s world," Arthur stood next to Neo. He picked out a few missions. Neo spoke when he was done, "See youter. Hope you guys get a slot." "Same to you." He went to the desk attendant and got approval for the three C-rank missions he found. When Neo returned, he saw his teammates looking at him in awe and admiration. "What?" he asked. "Ahahaha, nothing. All I want to say is as expected of my rival." "¡­?" Neo turned to Christian. "You really deserve that rank." "¡­?" Jack was looking at Neo with a simr respectful gaze. ''What the fuck? Why are they acting like this?'' All he did was do what he nned to do originally. The additional mission requirements messed up their n. Still, Neo didn''t do anything special by deciding to continue moving forward. What he didn''t realize was his simple choice was something only he could''ve done. If Neo was not there, they would''ve decided to back down. Neo ignored their reactions. After leaving the mission hall, he revealed the missions to them. >C-rank Mission< Detail: Extract five bottles of honey from beehives of Smander Bees. Assigner: Firefly Apiary Reward: 4 Credits, three 500ml bottles of Energy Replenishment (Fire vored) >C-rank Mission< Detail: Subdue the wailing ghost that appears in the female bathrooms of first year buildings. Assigner: Janitor of Aurelia block Reward: 4 credits, Wind elemental vision sses >C-rank Mission< Detail: Destroy the Rolling Boulder monster on the path between Veritas block of first years and Oujha farms. Assigner: Ranch owner of the twelfth ntation Reward: 4 credits, 70% discount of all farm vegetables and fruits brought from Oujha farm (Twelfth ntation) for a year. "Hmm" Despite the distinct names of the ces, all of them were located inside the Demigod Academy. The academy was fully self-sufficient, from food to clothes to factories. Everything was present on the campus. "We need toplete the missions as soon as possible. "We''ll split up. For these missions, we''ll do me and Jack, and Christian and Mars. "As for thest C-rank mission we''ll do it together. "Now choose the mission you willplete," Neo said. "I wanted to be in your team," Marsined. "I joined the team topete with you." "That''s why I put you with Christian. Let''s see who willplete their mission first." "Oh, that''s a good idea!" It was easy to handle Mars. They held a short discussion and picked their choices. Chapter 81: Salamander Bees "Our group will do the mission from Firefly Apiary and¡­" "Mars and I willplete Rolling Boulder monster mission," Christian said. They split up. Neo and Jack visited the Firefly Apiary''s shop. A plump woman weed them. "Hello, what are you looking for?" "We are here for the mission." Neo showed them the information on his phone. The woman, Joana, covered her face with her hand. "The Ruler epted our mission?" She smiled. "It''s our pleasure to have you. Please follow me." They entered the door behind the counter. After moving through the indoors, they came out in the backyard. It was filled with trees. Long trees. "Smander bees use sunlight to make their honey. "The taller the trees the tastier their honey. Solvana Trees are their favorite. "The expected height of nests can reach anywhere from 500 meters to 1,000 meters," Joana exined. "It would hurt if someone falls from there," Jack muttered. "That''s why we ask students to collect the honey for us. Smander bees are quite an aggressive bunch." Jack nodded in a daze. "What happened to the people who fell from that height? Did they survive?" "¡­" His question was rhetorical. He believed the Apiary must have safety equipment to prevent falls. But Joana''s smile made Jack afraid. "Did they survive?" "¡­" "N-Neo, I think I know why this mission wasn''t chosen by other students." Suddenly, Jack recalled something. "You should climb, Neo! You survived the fall from the cliff during the entrance exam. This much should be a child''s y for you." It was a logical division ofbor. Still, Neo couldn''t help but smile bitterly at how quickly Jack threw him under the bus. "I guess I''ll do it. It will double as my training." "As expected from the Ruler. Nothing is difficult for you. "Pleasee this way. I''ll give you the equipment and teach you how to extract the honey," Joana said. The woman led Neo to a shed. She gave him a brown full body suit. It had arge backpack connected to a vacuum hose. "The gloves and boots work will stick to the trees if you pass your Divine Energy though them. You can practice a bit before you start working." Neo wore the suit. It was hot inside it and the mask of the suit got covered with fog whenever he took a breath. "This is annoying¡­" He didn''t take long to adjust to the suit''s functions. After all, his Magic Circuits on palms and soles were developed thanks to his Spells. The only problem was the amount of Divine Energy being consumed. Neo had to use his Divine Energy carefully if he didn''t want to be emptied mid-way and fall. "I''ll climb now." "Good luck. You will need it." Jack spoke thest part in a barely audible whisper. Neo heard the words since his hearing was boosted when he devoured the Gremlins. However, he let Jack go and focused on the task. "Here I go." He circted his Divine Energy through his limbs and climbed. The gloves and feet stuck to the tree''s bark like they were glued. Neo had to cut off the Divine Energy supply when he wanted to remove his limbs from the tree. Circte the Divine Energy. Stop. Climb. Circte the Divine Energy. Stop. Climb. He repeated the same thing over and over. For someone like Neo, whose biggest weakness was his Divine Energy control, it was a wonderful training. There was only one problem. Neo was down to the 1/4th of his Divine Energy reserves before he climbed half of the tree. He had to climb to the top and return too. "Damn it. I''m wasting too much Divine Energy. My control isn''t refined enough." Over 60% of his Divine Energy was leaking while only 40% went into the suit. Neo used the Essence Breath Spell to recover his Divine Energy when he hit 1/10th of his Divine Energy pool. His climbing speed decreased drastically. Using Divine Energy for the suit and for the Spell while making sure he wasted as little of it as possible was hard. He had to divide his focus between three tasks. The boiling heat inside the suit wasn''t helping. Neo felt he was swimming in sweat when he reached the top. "Two hours. Huff, Huff, fuck this." His limbs were sore and he felt exhausted. Unfortunately, the Smander bees didn''t appreciate his hard work. The palm-sized orange bees flew around like a storm and bashed their bodies against his suit. They died when they hit him and exploded into a zing fire. ¡­! The heat and force of the attacks were fierce. However, the worst part was the explosion. The smoke from them blocked his air supply tubes. Neo felt he would die from suffocation if he didn''t die from the fall. "Fuck off!" He used Ocean''s Breath Spell. It did little against suffocation. As more and more Smander Bees attacked him, Neo felt he would fall from the tree. The burning heat was boiling him alive. He clenched his teeth and used the Aura of Darkness. Every Elemental Aura carried the property of its element. Just like how Aura of Death could kill, the Aura of Darkness could absorb. ck mes burst over Neo''s suit. It lessened the impact of the explosions and Smander Bees attacks. Neo used the chance to pull out the vacuum tube from his backpack. He stuck it inside the beehive and let it absorb the honey. The task was slow. It wasn''t long before the Smander Queen Bee, almost as big as Neo''s torso, appeared. "I''m fucked if that thing attacks." Neo regretted not bringing Obitus up there. He left it since there was no ce to keep it in the suit. However, had he known the attacks of Smander Bees were so fierce, he would''ve carried the sword no matter what. The Queen Smander Bee flew towards Neo like a cannon ball. Neo held the tree with one hand and pointed his other hand at the Smander Queen Bee. Red lightning flickered around his fingertips. Aura Snipe. A single bolt of lightning shot out. The attack seemed weakpared to his first Aura Snipe. However, it was far more condensed. Chapter 82: Energy Replenishment Elixir The Smander Queen Bee suddenly stopped breathing. Its wings no longer moved and it fell out of the air. The corpse exploded after it fell for a few seconds. The shockwaves of the explosion hit Neo with powerful intensity. "I was really dead if that thing attacked me." Neo filled his backpack with honey and quickly started descending. Using Aura of Darkness for too long was draining. It was nighttime when he reached the ground. "You are back!" Jack''s face lit up. The workers of the Apiary were waiting for him. Neo threw away the suit as soon as stepped on the cold hard earth. He didn''t care if he was half naked or about the gazes of others. "Finally¡­" He took a deep breath. The freezing air cooled him down. "These are your clothes," Joana came to him with a flushed face. "Can I have a shower before that?" "Yes, of course." She maintained her professional attitude despite the scene before her eyes. Neo noticed her gaze moving to his lower half but he was too exhausted to care about anything. After returning from the shower, he crashed on the chair next to Jack. Both of them sat under the moonlight in silence. "You are quite bold. I didn''t expect you to get naked as soon as youpleted the job." Jack chuckled. He was no longer a nervous mess. "There are quite a few youngdies working at the shop. How do you think they will react now?" "You think I give a fuck about what others think?" Neo noticed some of the girls peeking at them from the window. He pursed his lips. "You should try to wear that suit under the sun and see if you don''t get cooked." "Hahaha, I''m sorry. I wasn''t ming you." "Anyway, where is the Smander Queen Bee corpse?" "Why? Are you thinking of ¡ª" "Yeah, I''ll devour it while the Apiary prepares our rewards." Jack stopped smiling. It was known to everyone how the users of Darkness ended. Insane and corrupted. Not a single Darkness user was spared from the wretched fate. He wanted to advice Neo against it. However, it was clear Neo wouldn''t listen to him. "Come with me. They said we could take the corpse since we hunted it and stored it for us." Neo followed him. They found the Smander Queen Bee''s corpse inside another shed deep into the forest. "Want to watch the process? It will help you with your element." Neo questioned. "No, I''m okay. I''ll wait for you outside." Jack closed the doors and left. Alone, Neo inspected the corpse. "It didn''t die from the explosion, but from the Aura Snipe." If Neo had not killed it, the Smander Queen Bee could''ve bombarded him with multiple explosions. He once again realized how close he was to dying. "It''s toote to be afraid of death." He chuckled and formed the hand signs. "Darkness¡­ Devour." The shadows bloomed. And the noises returned. It was unpleasant. He couldn''t get used to it no matter how many times he did it. [Dynamic Vision +1] [Agility +1] He left the shed and returned to the Apiary with Jack. Joana waited for them there. "These four bottles are your rewards. We''ve mailed you the missionpletion documents. "Once you return to the mission hall andplete the verification process, you will receive the credits." "Four? The reward was only three bottles of Energy Replenishment elixir." "Yes, the fourth bottle is a thanks from our side. "Youpleted the mission in half the usual time. It helped us too." Neo epted the rewards. He popped open one of the bottle and drank it. It tasted sweet. A warm sensation traveled through his body and he could feel his physical exhaustion disappearing. "It''s nice." "Thank you. Our products are in high demand across the academy, but it is always nice to hear the praise of a Ruler." Neo left the Apiary with Jack. "Why were you so cold? I''m pretty sure the girls there would''ve liked your number," Jack teased. "I''m busy." He took out his phone and dialed Christian''s number. "What are you doing?" Jack asked. "Asking them about their mission progress to see if we should start thest C-rank mission." "Already? It''s midnight." "We don''t have time to rest. Besides, I don''t feel exhausted after using the Energy Replenishment elixir." It was harmful for the body to use the elixirs inrge amount. They could impede the growth of stats. However, Neo was tight on time and he barely drank anything. It was not dangerous. Not yet at least. Christian picked up the call after he dialed it the third time. "Hello¡ª Crack! Crack! Boom! are busy! The monster¡ªBoom! evolved. "It''s too strong! "The mission¡ª Boom! Boom! B-rank or even an A-rank!" The static noises and the explosions made it difficult for Neo to understand Christian''s words. It was clear they were having a hard time. "Do you need help?" Neo asked. Even if the mission''s rank was evaluated wrongly ¡ª which shouldn''t have been possible ¡ª they did not have the time to report the error to the mission hall and receive another mission. They had toplete the mission today itself. "No! We¡ª Boom! Crack! -ourselves. You two go for the third¡ª Crack! Boom!" The call was cut. Neo bit his lips. "Will it be okay?" Jack questioned. "If Mars and Christian are having trouble then the monster has to be strong." Neo nodded. Mars was on par with Morrigan. For now at least. A C-rank mission''s monster should''ve been no match for Mars. Christian wasn''t weak either. Those two could handle an A-rank mission''s monster if they were well prepared. "We can only leave it to them." "But¡ª" "They said they wouldplete the mission themselves. Let''s trust them." Jack nodded with a hardened face. They went towards the location of thest C-rank mission. ¡­ There were eight buildings for the first year students of Temr Course. These buildings were called blocks. Aurelia Block, Veritas Block, Tempus Block, Nexus Block, Orion Block, Arcadia Block, Helios Block, Solstice Block. Each block was ginormous and held different sses. For reference, these eight were blocks assigned to Temr Course students. There were dozens of more blocks for different courses. Thankfully, Neo did not have to go to a different course''s block, since just walking there could take half-a-day or more. They met the guards of the Aurelia block and showed them the mission document. "Come inside." The guard, stern faced, opened the doors for them. Chapter 83: Veritas Hall And The Bloodthirsty Ghost He gave them torches. "Go straight down the corridor and the stairs. "Turn left from the first corner, go straight and take the third right. You''ll find the janitor''s room there. "He will exin the mission details to you." They took the torches and entered the building. "Do you remember the location?" Jack asked. "Because I don''t." "Follow me." It was their first time in Aurelia block. Neo had to circle around the corridors a few times despite remembering the location. "You sure you remember the location? We can still return and ask the guard again." "...Shut up." In the end, it took them twenty minutes to find the janitor''s room. A dim light flickered above the door. Neo knocked. A noise, as if something fell, came from inside the room. The door opened, and a man with hollowed cheek andrge dark circles beneath his eyes revealed himself. "We''ve epted the mission." Neo revealed the documents. The janitor showed no reaction. He stepped out of the room and walked into another direction. "¡­?" "I think he wants us to follow him," Jack said. They climbed the stairs and reached the fourth floor. The janitor stopped before the women washroom. "Ites here. No fixed time of arrival and you can''t see it," he spoke with a ghastly voice and left. "Huh? Wait, where are you going?" Jack asked. The janitor did not return. Jack was left exasperated. "That''s all information we have for the mission? Wow." Neo stepped into the washroom. He scanned the area. Ghosts were an invisible entity. One needed elemental vision with Death affinity to see them. "Paimon can you help me locate the ghosts?" "No." He expected the answer, but it still disappointed him. ''Guess we need to do it the hard way.'' Neo turned around only to see Jack still outside the washroom doors. "Why aren''t youing in?" "Can I do that? I''m a man and it''s women washroom." "¡­" Neo gave him an unamused stare. "Jack, we don''t have time for jokes." "I wasn''t joking though." Jack stepped inside with an embarrassed expression. The two waited for the ghost to appear. Nothing happened after two hours. "Is this even working? Besides, how will we deal with something we can''t see?" "We''ll use our Death affinity to dodge the ghost''s attacks and counter it." "¡­Doesn''t that mean we have no n?" Neo looked away. It would''ve been easy task if he had elemental vision. However, one needed to reach Adept mastery in an element for it. "We are wasting too much time. "¡­I''ll try to lure out the ghost. Please protect me and deal with it when it arrives," Jack said. He sat crossed leg on the ground and closed his eyes. His lips moved while he chanted multiple spells. ''Parallel Spell Casting. ''That''s a technique barely any students from our batch can use.'' ''I don''t know if I should call him coward or stupid for choosing 1700s rank with that ability.'' Neo shook his head. He waited for Jack''s Magic Spell to work. A sweet scent spread out from Jack. The smell was an illusion only dead souls or those with affinity for Death could smell. "Necromancy. It''s that wretched ability," Paimon suddenly spoke. Her voice was cold and emotionless. Neo noticed her disapproval for Necromancy. "Why are you upset?" He whispered. "I''m not upset. It''s just that the Necromancy is a forbidden branch of Death element. It''s¡­ disgusting." He couldn''t understand her words. Devouring others was fine, but Necromancy wasn''t? "I know what you are thinking and you are wrong. "Devouring is another form of death. It''s the End. "Necromancy, however, is an act against Death itself. "It strips the dead of their autonomy and makes them mere tools for Necromancers. Those disgusting mages corrupts both life and death for their personal gain. "Tell me am I wrong to hate such repulsive acts?" "There is no need to think about Necromancy in this situation though. Jack is simply luring out the ghosts." Neo answered her calmly. He made sure to keep his voice low lest Jack heard him. Before long, Neo''s senses rang. ¡­! He ducked and rolled into Jack''s direction. Deep scratch marks appeared on the wall where Neo stood moments ago. He grabbed Jack. "Wake up! The ghost is here!" Jack''s eyes were unfocused and he continued chanting the Spell. "This damned guy! He ispletely out of it! Set up a defense Spell at least!" Suddenly, Neo felt a heavy presence of Death. He used Ocean''s Embrace only for the Spell to provide paper-thin defense. "Fuck¡­" Blood poured out from the gashes on Neo''s back. He protected Jack, but it cost him. "This damned ghost can use Aura of Death?" Aura of Death could inflict wounds that were hard to heal and ignore the opponent''s defense to a certain degree. With his low mastery of Ocean''s Embrace, it might as well not exist for Neo. Unfortunately, Neo found this just now. He held Jack in a princess carry and retreated when suddenly his senses warned him of another attack from behind. ''I can sense one in front of me and another at my rear.'' ''There are two ghosts!'' He jumped to the side. His expression worsened. There could be multiple ghosts. Not just two. They could be hiding in the washroom stalls. ''I can''t risk it here.'' ''I''ll be emptied out after attacking once. If they dodge it, I''m done for.'' Neo had to change locations. He ran to the window and jumped out. While he was in the air, his senses warned him of another attack. He had no way to dodge and took the attack head on. Deep wounds appeared on his shoulder. Neo barely managed tond on his feet. As soon as hended, his senses warned him of five presences surrounding him. Neo looked at the window. He didn''t sense any other ghost up there. "Thanks for following me out." He dropped Jack and held Obitus. Chapter 84: Using The Mission Reward Red lightning and ck mes materialized around the sword. He shed in a wide arc before the ghosts could run or attack. The trees at the end of area suddenly dried up and died. Screeching wails of the ghosts echoed. Their presences disappeared a beatter. Neo gasped for breath, and sat on the ground. "My condition is better than the previous time I used Aura sh. "But I''m still fucked if there is another ghost." While his limbs no longer trembled and he didn''t feel like dying after just one Aura sh, it didn''t change the fact his Divine Energy reserves were back to 1/10 of their total. Neo waited. He spread his sense wide to locate another ghost. There was nothing¡­ He let out a sigh and used Essence Breath Spell to speed up his recovery. Jack woke up with a groan. "What happened¡­ Neo, are you okay!?" Blood poured out non-stop from Neo''s back and his shoulder had an ugly injury. He looked like he had a step inside the grave. "I''ve seen better days," Neo smiled. He wasn''t joking. The only worrisome fact about the wounds was they were made from Death Aura infused attacks. They wouldn''t heal unless healers used purification on him. Neo, however, as a Death wielder could suppress the Death Aura lingering on his injuries and remove it with time. As long as he removed the Death Aura, his super healing would do the job. In short, he was perfectly fine. "What about the ghosts? Is there anyone left?" Neo asked. "No, the reason I woke up was because their presences disappeared." "Good job. Go to the janitor and report the mission''spletion. I''ll try to recover in the meantime." Jack didn''t look enthused to leave Neo alone given his grievous injuries. However, Neo''s nonchnce forced him to follow his words. While Neo was focusing on removing the Death Aura and recovering his Divine Energy, Paimon opened her mouth. "I''ve been curious about something. "How can your Spirit wield more than one element? It should be impossible." "I don''t know myself." Neo lied as naturally as he breathed. He was worried Paimon would destroy Obitus if she knew the sword''s origin. The former Grim Reaper noticed his lie rather easily. "Worry not. "I won''t do anything just because it displeases me. "If I did, I would''ve killed your friend and every Necromancer out there." Neo felt his scalp go numb. Because he knew she had the ability to follow up on her words. Paimon was strong. She could kill others or spare them on whim. It was one of the reasons why Neo pursed strength. He didn''t want to let others decide his fate. Jack returned. He brought in sses with him. They, the rewards of the mission, could provide the wearer Wind elemental vision. "You can have them. I barely did anything in this mission." "Okay." Neo wasn''t the one to refuse free gifts. He pocketed the sses forter. The two left the Aurelia block. They crashed into the cafeteria and ordered food. Morrigan was, once again, eating piles of bread. She looked like she had just finished her training. Neo was about to call out to her until his senses warned him. She was pissed. And she would attack if he annoyed her. ''I bet it''s because the Zeus n members made fun of her.'' ''Yeah, it''s definitely not because she is holding a grudge for the ranking tournament.'' Neo wisely sat on another seat. Jack let out a sigh of relief. He was worried they had to sit with Morrigan. It wasn''t long before Christian''s call arrived. "We are done. Where are you two?" "Cafeteria. The one near the Seraphim Hall." "Okay. Wait for us." Neo told the chefs to dy his order for an hour. He was waiting for Christian and Mars to arrive so as to eat with them. ''I''m not doing this to make more friends or because I want to prove Felix wrong.'' ''This is my actual personality.'' ''I''m an extrovert who had been posing as introvert until now.'' After self-justifying himself, he waited for Christian and Mars. They arrived almost an hourter. "You two look like shit." "Tell me about it," Christian smiled bitterly. He was carrying an unconscious Mars on his back. Their clothes were burnt, torn, and covered in mud. Neo gave them the Energy Replenishment elixirs. Christian drank it. Hisplexion improved slightly. He used the other bottle and made Mars drink it. "What happened on your mission?" Jack asked with concern. "Can we eat first? I''m famished." "And we are poor. We don''t have credits to buy the extravagant meals," Jack spoke. "¡­" Neo stood up before the mood of the group sank. "The head chef is the friend of the Oujha ntation owner. "I''ll see if we can have them use our reward from the ntation mission. "The price should go down if the cooking ingredients are 70% off." They held a surprised expression. Their faces were saying ''How poor you have to be toe up with that thought?''. Neo frowned. He couldn''t say he learned this hack from his past life. Of course, 90% of the restaurant threw him and his friends out when they used this hack. He hoped it would work in the cafeteria. After exining the matter to the restaurant staff, Neo was surprised to see them readily agree to his request. ''Weird.'' ''Is it so easy because I''m the Ruler?'' ''Or was the mission''s reward supposed to be used in this way?'' They ordered lots of food after hearing the new discounted prices. Neo noticed Morrigan looking at their table with a salivating gaze. He called the waitress and whispered, "Can I order something for her?" "I apologize, sir. But only your team can use the discount. Others need to pay the full price." Neo nodded. "Fine, just give her some portion of my food. Or is that impossible too?" "¡­" The waitress alternated her gaze between Neo and Morrigan. "¡­We can allow it if it''s just this time." Chapter 85: Chatting In The Cafeteria "Thank you and if she refuses please say it''s a gift from the cafeteria because she is a regr patron." The waitress nodded. Neo was thankful she epted his request silently. He returned to the table. "What were you talking about with the waitress?" Jack said with a suggestive smile. "Nothing." Christian noticed the weird nuisance behind Jack''s words. "Why are you asking that?" He questioned while he ate the food. "Listen to me. This guy went naked in front of half dozen people. Of course, most of them were girls." "¡­!" Christian froze. "Really...?" He asked slowly as if he had trouble believing Jack''s words. Neo didn''t bother pointing out how Jack left out the reason why Neo did what he did. He focused on the food. "Weren''t they¡­ disgusted?" "Bah, what disgusted. It''s different when rich and handsome guys like him do it. "You should''ve looked at the hungry look in the girls'' eyes." Rich and handsome. Those words were something Neo would''ve been never associated with in his past life. The transmigration changed everything for him. Neo smiled. Above all, he was happy. He might''ve been an Extra who died before the original novel''s plot began. However, he could change his fate as long as he worked hard. While they were talking, the waitress delivered the order to Morrigan. Confused, Morrigan asked why was she receiving something she never ordered. The waitress exined the reason. Morrigan frowned. When she was about to refuse, the waitress used her glib tongue to have her ept the order. ''Nice. Doesn''t look like she knows I was the one who ordered it.'' Neo secretly gave a thumbs up to the waitress and received a nod in return. He was partially ¡ª definitely not fully ¡ª responsible for Morrigan''s current situation. Even so, it wasn''t the reason why he helped her. He knew she went easy on him during the tournament and she tried to protect him from being killed by other participating students since he chose the first rank token. Neo was only trying to fulfill the favor he owed her. ''I''m pretty sure she doesn''t have credits. This should even us out.'' He focused on his table. "Your missions were quite difficult. I apologize for dumping two of them on you," Christian smiled wryly. He heard the whole story from Jack. "I''m pretty sure yours was worse," Jack said. "I wouldn''t say that''s the case. "We were just unlucky the Rolling Boulder evolved as soon as we found it. "I checked and the mission was posted a few months ago. "No one took it since then. "The dy was the reason why the Rolling Boulder was able to grow stronger than what was written in the mission details." It was a fault born out of negligence. In short, Neo''s team was just unlucky. "I will report the disparity in the mission details and the actual details to the mission halls. "We should bepensated. Don''t get your hopes up though. Nobody likes to ept their mistake," Neo said. Mars woke up while they ate. He was felt rejuvenated thanks to the Energy Replenishment elixir. "Where am I?" He massaged his brows. "Cafeteria. "Since you just woke up, drink some water and eat something light. "Don''t eat more until you are sure you won''t get an upset stomach," Neo spoke. "Thanks." Mars was tired beyond measure. His element, Fire, was weak against the earth wielding Rolling Boulder monster. It was worse because Christian was the tank and he was the damage dealer. Mars had to exhaust himself beyond his limits to burn the monster. After they ate their fill, Neo opened his mouth. "Whoever is tired can take a two hours nap. "I''ll submit our missionpletion documents and get other missions for tomorrow in the meantime." "We are fine. Let''s go together!" Mars grinned. Neo shook his head. "Stop putting up a front. "Our next missions are B-rank and A-rank. If you aren''t at your best tomorrow, our progress will take a huge hit. "It''s better to rest now when you can." "Sigh, thank god. I wanted to sleep," Jack sunk into the chair. "You areing with me. You hardly did anything." "What!?" Jack''s face fell until Neoughed. "I''m joking of course. Take a rest." "Where should we sleep? If we go back to our dorms, we would waste half-an-hour just going to and fro," Christian asked. "Sleep here," Neo said. He left before they couldin again. After arriving at the mission hall, he submitted the documents. "We''ve verified thepletion of missions. You are allowed to take more missions now," the attendant at the mission hall said. Neo nodded. He reported the error with the Rolling Boulder monster mission before choosing the next missions. His device rang. [+24 credits] [Total credits: 24] Neo paid 0.3 credits at the cafeteria. That left him with 24 credits. "The others should''ve received their credits too." It was a good amount for less than one week. "If we can maintain the pace, we have a shot at the slot for the S-rank mission." No one had yetpleted the mission''s participation requirements. Neo knew his troubles were just starting. The Zeus n and others would start moving as soon as they realize Neo''s teampleted three C-rank missions. "We need to hurry." It would''ve been better to start moving as soon as possible. Neo knew Mars would''ve been fine without rest. However, Christian and Jack couldn''t continue in their current condition. Neo didn''t want to push his team too hard for the S-rank mission. He could do it. However, he felt like he would lose as a person. That wasn''t Neo''s aim. His goal was to be the perfect being. How could he im to be perfect if had to sacrifice his morals to strengthen himself? It was what weak did. And Neo wanted to be the strongest. "Let''s see. What missions should I choose?" Neo stared at the B-rank mission list. He could choose two of them at once. "These two look good." He read their details. Chapter 86: Preparing The Trap >B-rank Mission< Detail: Hunt the kraken that had been eating fishes from the Cisco River and creating trouble for the fishermen. Assigner: Fishermen East Department Reward: 5 credits, Three days and four nights free trip in Zentiya Resort >B-rank Mission< Detail: A Minotaur has escaped from the Paris Dairy. Bring it back without severely injuring it. There should be no damage to the genitals or the mission would be canceled. Assigner: Paris Dairy Reward: 5 credits, Physical Reinforcement Spell (Echo-rank) >B-rank Mission< Neo took the missions and returned to the cafeteria. Mars, Christian, and Jack were asleep. He sat in an empty area and focused on recovering his injuries. Fortunately, the ghosts'' mastery of Death was not very high. It was not too difficult to remove the lingering Aura from their attacks. He awoke others two hourster. "Yawn, is it time already?" Jack asked. "Yeah." Neo showed them the missions. "I''ll choose the kraken one. I can fight underwater thanks to my bloodline," Christian answered. He rubbed his eyes to wash away the sleepiness. "That sounds good! It will be a good challenge to fight with Fire element underwater!" Mars grinned. Neo shook his head. "Mars, you''ll team up with Jack for the B-rank mission. "Your elemental affinity will put you on a disadvantage if you go to battle the kraken." "But¡ª" "Mars, you''ll have plenty of opportunities to fight stronger opponents. "We still have an A-rank mission left and don''t forget our main goal is the S-rank mission. "We need to conserve our strength for that." Mars looked unconvinced. "The minotaur mission is more difficult. "Because you need to subdue it without harming it." Neo lied with a straight face. His exnation made Mars nod with a satisfied expression. "Are you sure you want toe with me, Neo? "Fighting underwater ispletely different from fighting on the ground." "Don''t worry about it. I have a Spell for it." "Hmm?" Christian noticed the hidden meaning behind Neo''s words. "It has to be a Water Spell if it helps you fight underwater. You have Water Affinity?" "Yeah." "¡­How many affinities do you have?" "Quite a few." His ambiguous answer raised their curiosity. They wanted to know the truth. Unfortunately, Neo never nned to satisfy their curiosity. The group split up. Neo and Christian crossed the Oujha farm. They travelled for a few hours before they reached the Cisco River. It was big and deep enough to be called ake. Neo silently marveled thendscape before his eyes. "You two younglings! Get away from the river! The kraken is still there!" A fisherman approached them with a slipper in hands. ¡­ Lucas'' Room, Seraphim Hall "Why have the cleared the C-rank missions already?" Lucas questioned. "T-that¡­" Zoe stammered. "I gave you a team and made you a team leader because you wanted to prove yourself. "The only thing I asked from you was to make sure those mudbloods can''tpete with us for the S-rank mission slot. "How did theyplete three C-rank mission then?" Lucas questioned with a smile. Harrison and other members of the Zeus n were present in the room. Stares of multiple people, especially Lucas, made Zoe tremble. "Don''t be scared, Zoe. I''m not scolding you. I''m just asking for the reason why it happened." She gulped. "W-we made sure only the most difficult missions were left. "But somehow they cleared them all." Zoe prepared meticulously. From making sure the Smander Queen Bee was present in the nest, there were multiple ghosts, to confirming the rolling boulder monster was about to evolve. She checked the other remaining missions were just as difficult if not more. However, it was as if Neo knew the specialties of his teammates. He chose the missions best suited for them. "You are saying that fraud Ruler managed to study his teammates in detail within a day and chose missions ording to them?" "Yes¡ª" Her words were cut short when Harrison scoffed. "There is no way a team that formed a day ago can have a proper coordination toplete multiple missions at once. "It''s clear you were at fault for leaving easy missions behind," Harrison spoke angrily. Zoe cowered. Lucas interfered before the matter escted. "It''s okay, Zoe. Everyone makes mistakes. Just make sure they aren''t repeated." "You mean¡­?" "Those mudbloods chose two B-rank missions. It''s these two." Lucas showed her the details of Neo''s team missions. "I want you to make sure they fail this time." "Y-yes!" "Make sure you confirm thepletion of the task yourself. We can''t have another failure, right?" Lucas'' smile made Zoe shiver. She nodded and left the room in a hurry. ¡­ Cisco River The fisherman red at Neo and Christian. "How did you twoe here? Go shoo, attend your sses!" Christian turned to Neo with a wry smile. It looked like the fisherman did not recognize Neo''s clothes. "We are here for the kraken subjugation mission." Neo stepped forward. He revealed the mission''s document. The fisherman looked at them with a doubt. "You two peanuts will defeat the sea god?" "Sir, kraken is not a sea god. Please refrain from speaking thoughtlessly like that." "O-okay." Christian''s sudden strong tone made the fisherman flinch. He looked at Neo. "We should start the mission. I doubt these people can provide us any valuable help or information." Neo nodded. It was his first time seeing Christian angry. Christian and Neo entered the river. A blue aura covered Neo when he used the Ocean''s Embrace. They dived underwater. The flow of the river was strong. It was powerful enough to uproot a tree. Neo took a few tries to adjust himself. He began to swim nimbly like a fish. When underwater, Ocean''s Embrace allowed him to breath and it boosted his movement speed. He felt no different from standing on ground. The only difference was he could move in any direction, including above and below. His smooth movements surprised Christian. ''Follow me,'' Christian signaled Neo. ''I can sense the kraken in that direction.'' The two swam towards the center of the river. Again, the river''s width and depth surprised Neo. When they reached the location, Christian stopped. ''It''s down there.'' Christian pointed at the natural trench on the riverbed. No light returned from its depth, leaving it shrouded in darkness. Christian used another Spell and created an air bubble around them. They could finally talk. "We should discuss our roles. "I''m a tank, but, strictly speaking, I''m stronger than you. "And while you are a damage dealer, you have better defenses than me. "I think for this battle you should be the tank and I''ll be the damage dealer," Christian said. Neo shook his head. "I can use Aura Snipe and Aura sh to end the battle in one go. "Besides, I can shield only myself with my Spell and not you. I can''t be the tank." He tightened his grip around Obitus. Christian pondered over Neo''s words. "I doubt your mastery is enough to take down the kraken in a single attack. "But you are indeed correct. You have more lethal attacks than me." While they were discussing the n, Neo focused on the kraken sleeping inside the trench. The darkness was no problem for Neo. He could see the ginormous body of the kraken and its eight limbs coiling around the rocks clearly. Chapter 87: Kraken ''It looks like a giant squid.'' That was Neo''s first thought. Perhaps Christian knew what Neo was thinking because he said, "A dangerously powerful giant squid. Anyway, you can see in the darkness? "I expected it since you have the Darkness element, but isn''t too much? "You can kill ghosts, control Darkness, breathe underwater, and climb 500 meter trees without a break. "Is there anything you can''t do?" "There are plenty of things I''m incapable of. Though, I''m nning to learn them all." Neo''s answer exasperated Christian. At that moment, Neo saw the kraken move. It opened its eyes slowly and met his gaze. ¡­! "Dodge!" Neo pushed Christian out of the air bubble and dodged backwards as fast as possible. Suddenly, tentacles shot out of the trench. They moved as fast as bullets and pierced the air bubble where Christian and Neo were moments ago. If Neo waste to react, they would''ve died then and there. Christian chanted Spells. A translucent blue armor formed around Neo. At the same time, a shield andnce of water materialized in Christian''s hands. The weapons crystalized into ice. Christian stuck hisnce against the shield. A powerful ripple spread out. The kraken let out a frenzied shriek when it heard the noise and attacked Christian. He swam between its attack and conjured ice shields to block attacks he couldn''t dodge. While the kraken was distracted, Neo dived downwards at full speed. He coated his de in the Aura of Death and Darkness. Just as Neo was about to sh, the tentacles attacking Christian split up. Half of them shot towards Neo while other half kept Christian busy. ''Fuck! We split up since it would''ve been easier to attack it!'' ''But it used our n against us!'' Neo spun on his position and swung his de while using a weak Aura sh. The tentacles suddenly became slower. They were alive and kicking. Neo used the chance to enter Christian''s range. Several tentacles attacked him from multiple angles. He would''ve been crushed alive if not for Christian''s ice shield appearing around him in the nick of the time. The ice shields froze the tentacles. Neo struck the frozen tentacles and they shattered only for the kraken to regenerate them a secondter. Christian struck his shield again and used another taunt. The kraken was not fooled this time. ''We can''t attack its main body since it''s too far! These tentacles aren''t letting us close the distance!'' Neo had toe up with a n quickly. ¡­ Cisco River Bank Zoe stood at the edge of the river. The surface of the water rippled continuously and powerful shockwaves continued to hit the river bank. "They started fighting." She, while hidden, could see dozes of fishermen around the river. All of them were waiting for the result of the battle. "I''m telling you they will die!" "We should''ve just epted the sea god''s wrath and given more sacrifices to appease them!" "We are doomed! Those kids angered the sea god!" The fishermen wailed. Hearing them made Zoe sick. "I can''t believe they are so stupid." Despite her thoughts, she let out a smile. "Still, it''s true that lunatic and his team will fail." She took out a red pill from the bottle and flicked it to the center of the river. The pill dissolved quickly. "With this, they will fail their mission even if they manage to survive. "I wonder if the other guys dealt with Mars and hisckey." She moved away from the river and returned to her base. ¡­ Under Cisco River Christian and Neo continued to dodge the attack while trying to get closer to the kraken. Suddenly, both of them sensed a change in the water. It was a small change and... something eerie. The kraken''s eyes turned red. It let out a roar. Christian and Neo stiffened. They were unable to move. The roar immobilized them. Neo noticed the kraken, crazed,ing out of the trench. The monster filled the water with ck ink. While their visibility was reduced to null, a massive tentacle stuck Christian. He was thrown backwards like a baseball hit with a bat. Neo barely had time to react himself. He used the Aura of Darkness to lessen the impact. The tentacle hit him. The ice shield was torn apart like paper. The mes of Darkness reduced the force of the attack slightly and the Ocean''s Embrace saved Neo from being ttened like a pancake. Still, he was hurled into the riverbed at breakneck speed. ''Fuck.'' Neo''s body screamed when he tried to move. He looked above. The river was filled with ink and the visibility was zero. But. Neo could tell. ''That fucker is trying to go out of the water!'' He didn''t know why, but the kraken had clearly gone berserk. ''This is bad.'' If the kraken went out of the water and destroyed a settlement, Neo''s team would not only lose the mission, they will have to pay penalty too. Neo swam upwards like a bullet. Another tentacle came out of the inky water and flew towards him. He cancelled the Ocean''s Embrace and focused on Aura of Darkness only. The ck mes reduced the impact enough for Neo to grab the tentacle. He used the tentacle''s momentum to reach the river bed, and he sunk his feet into the floor. Neo tightened his muscles and pulled the tentacle. ''Come down!'' Veins burst on his limbs. He tried to wrestle the ginormous kraken inside the water. Just when another tentacle was about to hit him, Christian returned. He rammed into the kraken. The monster lost its bnce. It was just for a moment, but it was enough. Neo turned around and pulled the kraken over his head, and smashed it into the riverbed. Shockwaves rippled non-stop. It was as if a thunderstorm arrived. Neo clenched his teeth and swam towards the kraken. The monster was sted into the floor. Its mouth, which was usually hidden beneath its body, was in the open. Neo dived inside. Hundreds of teeth greeted him when he stepped into the kraken''s mouth. They came down at him like a grinder. Neo unleashed his Aura of Darkness and used the Ocean''s Embrace. He triggered the Necrotic Touch to wreak havoc from inside. Christian, outside, used his weapons to use ram attacks andnce thrusts. Both of them continued their assault without giving an inch to the kraken. The monster stopped moving. Christian waited for Neo toe out. Minutes passed¡­ Nothing happened. Just when Christian thought the worst, Neo tore open the kraken''s stomach and stepped outside. He was covered in green blood. ''It smells,'' Neo mouthed with a displeased expression. A smile bloomed on Christian''s face. He came down to Neo and created an air bubble to talk. "We won thanks to you." "I didn''t do it alone." "Still, I will apologize for looking down on you when we started the mission. "I would''ve failed if you weren''t there to help me." "That''s why we are a team. You help me, I''ll help you." Neo hit Christian''s chest lightly and smiled. "Let me devour the monster before we return." "Okay." Jack had told Christian about Neo''s tendency to use Darkness to absorb the monsters. He was not surprised. Neo was about use the hand signs when a voice appeared inside his head. Let me¡­. eat it¡­ I''m hungry¡­. He nodded. "How should I do it?" No answer came from Obitus. Neo followed his instinct. Chapter 88: Obitus Uses Devour He grabbed the hilt upside down with both hands and tapped the tip of the sheathe on the ground. "Devour." The shadows of Obitus suddenly swelled. They spread far and wide and covered the riverbed. The noises returned when the corpse started to sink into the darkness. They were bearable. [Muscle Flexibility +1] Neo was surprised to see his stats increase even though Obitus devoured the corpse. He recalled Henry''s words. ''Obitus is linked with me.'' ''It will grow as I grow.'' ''Looks like the opposite is also true.'' Obitus let out a satisfied hum and returned to the sleep. The scabbard became slightly loose. ''It''s about to bepleted.'' Neo turned to Christian. "Let''s return." They swam back to the river bank. Neo was drenched with water unlike Christian who was dried as soon as he stepped on thend. Christian noticed Neo''s displeased expression. "Please don''t get naked now." "I''m not an exhibitionist." Neo was exasperated. Maybe he should''ve stopped Jack from overexaggerating the story. They met the fishermen after leaving the river. "Please sign the missionpletion documents and send them to us." "W-we will. We will." The old fisherman nodded. He gave Neo the Zentiya resort ticket. Afterpleting the procedures, Neo and Christian left. "You look worn out." "I''m fine." Christian shook his head. His paleplexion was due tock of Divine Energy. Not everyone had a Terror-ranked Breathing Spell to recover their Divine Energy. ''I don''t think Christian, Jack, and Mars can fight anymore.'' ''I''ll have to make sure the next mission we choose isn''t a battle mission.'' "You are doing a good job. Just hold on a bit longer. "We can rest as soon as we clear thest A-rank mission," Neo said. His words brought a smile to Christian''s face. "Yeah, I''m looking forward to the resort. It''s quite famous." They were on their way to the mission hall when Jack''s message arrived. Neo read it out aloud. "Mars and I''ve cleared the mission. "But there is a problem. Meet us near our dorm." He looked up at Christian. Their expression turned serious. "We should hurry." "Indeed." They met with Mars and Jack at the specified location. Mars had a smile on his face and his clothes were damaged. Jack, on the other hand, bit his nails and paced around. He noticed Christian and Neo. "Hey! You are back!" "Yeah, we justpleted out mission." "Congrats. Ours was a sess too." "Good job." They sat on a nearby bench. "Why did you call us? What happened on your mission?" "That¡­" Jack turned to Mars and signaled for him to speak. "The mission was simple enough. "The only hup was how the Minotaur suddenly went berserk and attacked us. "We were almost forced to kill it," Mars grinned. Neo frowned. The same happened with the kraken on their mission. It suddenly went berserk. "Why do you look happy if you almost failed?" Neo questioned. "Because someone was responsible for the minotaur going berserk. "They tried to have us fail the mission purposefully. "Of course, Ipleted the mission and dealt with those certain people." Mars cracked his neck. He looked refreshed. "It was a nice workout." ''Crazy bastard. He is happy he got a chance to fight others,'' Neo thought. Jack spoke up, "That''s the problem. Those people had their faces hidden. "Someone came and rescued them before we could confirm their identities." Neo pursed his lips. They had to be strong to rescue the perpetrators before Mars could stop them. "It''s someone from top 10 or from a Great God n," Neo said. "Yes. That''s what we think too." "They finally started openly hindering us." Neo pursed his lips. "It''s better to ignore them for now. We are almost on the finish line. "Let''s focus on thepleting the A-rank mission." The other three nodded. They were about to move towards the mission hall when Mars took out a pen drive from his pocket. He gave it to Neo. "The Physical Reinforcement Spell we got as the reward of the mission is in there. "I gave a copy to Jack. You can have the other." "What about you and Christian?" Neo asked despite knowing the answer. "I can''t use the Spell and I''m sure Christian has something better." "Indeed." Christian nodded. "Got it." Neo pocketed the pen drive. He would learn the Spellter. ¡­ Lucas'' Room, Seraphim Hall Harrison grabbed Zoe''s neck and smashed her into the wall. "How did you fail again!?" Condensed Aura of Lightning flickered around his arm. It burned Zoe''s neck. She screamed due to the pain. "Answer me!" Harrison increased the strength behind his grip. "M-mars was too strong. I could barely rescue my teammates before he saw their faces¡ª" "Then what about that mudblood! How did he defeat the kraken when you were there!?" He threw her across the room. Not satisfied yet, he was about to kick her again when Lucas stopped him. "We don''t have time. They will soon go to receive the A-rank mission. "Let''s go to the mission hall." Lucas gave a nce to the bleeding Zoe before stepping out. Harrison clicked his tongue and followed behind him. ¡­ Mission Hall Neopleted the verification process. [+10 credits] [Total credits: 34 credits] He received the notification. After confirming the rewards he was about to move towards the A-rank mission list when he noticed something. >S-rank Mission< Details: [REDACTED] Assigner: Sphinx Reward: [REDACTED] Slots: 2/3 >S-rank Mission< Two teamspleted the participation requirements. There was only one spot left. "This is bad," Christian muttered. "We might not be able toplete the requirements on time." "Does anyone have any idea which teams cleared the participation requirements?" Jack questioned. "I think it''s Zeus n teams. I would''ve known if it was someone from Poseidon n." "But aren''t you being ostracized? Wouldn''t they hide the news from you?" "This type of information isn''t worth hiding." While they conversed, Neo took out his device and contacted Felix. He wanted to know if Arthur''s team was one of the two teams who cleared the mission requirements. > Felix < Me: How many missions have youpleted? Felix: We are doing ourst B-rank mission before we move onto the A-rank mission. Felix: Why? Me: 2/3 slots are filled. > Felix < Neo closed the chats. "It''s not Arthur''s team." Chapter 89: Clash With The Zeus Clan Faction "Agh! Let''s just pick the mission! "The Zeus n teams have acquired two slots already. "The Poseidon n teams wouldn''t be far behind them. They might finish the requirements anytime! "We have to move quickly!" Jack shouted. Hearing his firm voice, the others smiled wryly. "That''s right. We have to focus onpleting our missions." Neo was about to pick an A-rank mission when suddenly a boy withrge build blocked his path. "Heh, what''s this? Our fake Ruler is choosing an A-rank mission." Harrison looked down on Neo. "A-rank missions are too dangerous for someone like you, fraud Ruler." "..." He smirked. When Neo tried to move around him, he grabbed Neo''s wrist. "What''s the hurry? Scared to face me?" "We have a mission to do." Harrison put strength into his grip. A slight noise of Neo''s wrist snapping echoed. Mars, Christian, and Jack almost attacked Harrison. Neo had to raise his hand to stop them. "Hahahaha, look at this pussy. He isn''t even trying to fight back. "Guess you know your ce." Harrison''s grin grew wider. "We''ll be penalized if we fight inside the mission hall. You should stop," Neo spoke calmly. The injury on his wrist was barely worth mentioning. His battles in the Underworld skewed his perception of grievous wounds. It was why he didn''t react against Harrison''s taunt. For him, it was nothing more than a bump on shoulder. Neo didn''t want to waste his breath on such a small matter when his time was limited. "Fight¡­? "You''ll fight me? "Fuck, does this idiot thinks he is on par with us just because he managed to get the first rank?" Harrison''s face scrunched up. "Bastard, your stats aren''tparable to even top 50 students, let alone me. "We are leagues apart. "It won''t be a battle if we fought. Just one sided stomping." A sigh escaped Neo''s lips. He released his aura. "I told you¡­" The heavy pressure pressed down everyone present inside the mission hall like a boulder. Harrison, closest to Neo, found it hard to breath. "I''m busy. So, move." Harrison''s knees buckled. He released his own aura to counterattack Neo''s pressure but it barely helped. The presence of Neo felt like cold fingers wrapped around his neck. Harrison let go of Neo''s wrist and unconsciously took a step back. "This is how you should''ve acted from the beginning." Neo clicked his tongue because of the wasted time. He moved towards the A-rank mission list. ''What should I choose?'' ''Everyone is exhausted. I can''t pick a battle mission.'' ''It should be something that requires less effort and can bepleted quickly.'' While Neo was carefully choosing a mission, Harrison felt his blood boil. He could think again after he got used to presence of Neo''s aura. Even if Neo''s presence was strong, it was just his presence. He was weak in every other field. Harrison could defeat him easily. He, humiliated, was about to attack when suddenly Mars and Christian blocked his path. "¡­" They stood between Neo, who was focusing on the mission list, and Harrison. Jack, positioned behind Harrison, prepared his Spells in case Harrison attacked Neo. Just as Neo chose the mission, the other members of Zeus n who were nearby arrived. They pointed their weapons at Neo''s team. The tension ramped quickly. A fight was almost imminent when Felix stepped into the mission hall with Percival. "What are you all doing?" The student council president''s presence hit the area like a hammer. His terrifying aura forced others to listen to him. "You all are fighting when time is running out? "I know the S-rank mission''s details have not been released. "But use your head! "If the Sphinx has assigned a mission, it must be something of the utmost importance! "Instead ofpleting the participation requirements why are you lot fighting amongst yourself!? "Is this how the students of Demigod Academy should act!?" His voice boomed. Half of the students lost consciousness while other half bled from their mouths and ears. Everyone was brought to their knees. Percival red at Neo and Harrison''s team. "You two teams meet me outside! Now!" He turned around and went out of the mission hall. Felix ran up to Neo. "Sorry about that. I thought the God ns might stir up some trouble. So, I brought the student council president. "I didn''t know you would be implicated too." "Don''t worry about it," Neo said before he turned to his teammates. "All of you go first. I''ll get the mission before I follow you." They nodded. While they went outside, Felix spoke, "I''lle with you. Our team need toplete the verification for our B-rank missions and pick an A-rank mission." They ignored Harrison and the Zeus n members ring at them and went to the attendant. "I want to pick this mission," Neo said. >A-rank Mission< Detail: A young phoenix is about to undergo rebirth. It needs condensed and pure Fire element Aura to aide its rebirth. Assigner: Mystica Fauna Preserve Reward: 6 credits, Beast Communication Spell (Whisper-rank) >A-rank Mission< "Understood." The attendantpleted the procedures. "You have received the mission. Please visit the Mystica Fauna Preserve toplete the task." Neo nodded. He turned to Felix. "See youter." "Good luck." Both of them were busy. With only one slot remaining, it was clear only one among them could be chosen for the S-rank mission. ''If Arthur''s team fails, it will derail the plot of the novelpletely.'' ''There would be negative consequences.'' Arthur had to meet the Sphinx and ask an important question. The answer he would receive would be the foundation of Arthur''s ambition. ''But I can''t give up. This is the only way I canplete my trial.'' If push came to shove, Neo would answer Arthur''s question. He was deep in his thoughts as he left the mission hall. There Percival was waiting for him. ... Join Discord. .gg/vXrRt4bCAE You have find characters in the server and ask the author about anything regarding the novel! Chapter 90: Young Phoenix Neo was about to meet up with Percival and others when he noticed Lucas speaking to Percival. A thought urred to him. He took out his device and messaged Felix. After receiving the reply, he joined the group. "¡ªwe apologize for themotion inside the hall. It was entirely our fault," Lucas said. "It''s good you know that," Percival frowned. He turned to Neo. "Why are youte? I remember telling you toe out quickly." His displeased expression made it clear he wasn''t ying games. It waspletely different from the friendly demeanor he showed in the library. "I apologize for beingte," said Neo. "Good. At least you know you shouldn''t make excuses." Percival looked down at the two groups. "All of you will be fined 10 credits per person." "But¡ª" "I don''t remember giving you the permission to talk, Jack Hanma rank 1721. "If there are any problems ry them to your team leader and ask him to deliver those issues to me." "I¡ª I''m sorry." Jack lowered his gaze under Percival''s re. Percival nced at them. "Does anyone have an issue with the fine?" "¡­" "¡­" Christian stopped Mars before he could speak up. Percival noticed their actions. "Neo Hargraves, extra 5 credits fine to your team." "Yes sir." Percival left after collecting the fine and giving them one final warning against creating a publicmotion. "I''m sorry." "¡­" Mars and Jack held downcast expression. "Just be careful from next time." Neo patted their shoulders. "Anyway, let''s go to the mission venue." Harrison red at Neo''s team while Lucas spoke to his own group. Neo ignored them. On the way, he noticed Mars, Christian and Jack were drained physically and mentally. ''The strain on their Divine Energy reserves was bad enough and they lost their moral after losing the credits.'' He opened his mouth. "Don''t think too much about the credits. We can recoup our lossester easily." "I know. It''s just that I don''t like how we got the short end of the stick when it was Harrison who started everything," Jack said. "Well, let''s just wait and see. There is a reason why people call karma a bitch" "¡­?" Jack didn''t understand the meaning behind Neo''s words. ''I''m not letting them go after this,'' Neo thought. He was going to fuck them up nicely. ¡­ The Mystica Fauna Preserve was a wildlife sanctuary. It was created by Derek Palmer to study the evolution of mystical beasts aka monsters. Due to the aim of the research, the sanctuary housed unique beasts rarely found in the outside world. The beasts living in the sanctuary required extensive care. Often times Derek would need the Academy''s assistance to take care of them. It was the same for the young phoenix. Derek weed Neo and his group when they revealed their reason foring to the sanctuary. "Please, follow me inside," Derek said. They walked down the path made of vines. The forest was filled with an aromatic scent and the noises of beasts echoed at regr intervals. While they walked, Derek continued to peak at Mars. "What is it?" Mars grunted. "O-oh, it nothing. I was just surprised to meet Mars Everhart in the flesh." "¡­?" Derek was caught by surprise when Mars spoke to him. He regained hisposure after a few seconds. "It''s rted to my research. "Magical beasts can use only a few Spells and they can''t learn more of them. "Despite this, they are stronger than demigods. "It''s because of their high mastery of Spells and their refined control of Divine Energy. "You are simr to monsters in that regards than to demigods¡ª" "I would appreciate it if you can take us to the phoenix quickly. We are in a hurry." Neo''s interruption made Derek realize he had been rude to Mars. "I''m s-sorry. I didn''t realize what I was saying." "I don''t mind it to be honest," Mars spoke. The Forsaken Genius. While his current strength was on par with Morrigan, he had reached his limit. He could not grow stronger. It was why the Ares n had him choose the 100th rank. Everyone in the academy would soon surpass him. "Are you okay?" Neo asked. "Yeah," Mars grinned. He hid his emotions behind his smile and focused on the mission. The group reached the end of the vine road. The appearance of the forest changed. From lush trees to burnt barks and charred ground. From fragment air to ashen scent. "This is a biome created for the phoenix." Derek led the way. He told them about the biome and stopped when they reached a giant burning nest thaty on the ground. "The phoenix is inside there. "We can provide you fire-proof clothes.. "However, they will impede the transfer of me-element Divine Energy. "I would suggest going in there as it as if you have Adept master of me element." "Please give us one suit," Neo said. Derek nodded and took it out of the bag he carried. Seeing the same suit as he used during the Smander Bee mission brought unpleasant memories. He suppressed them and opened his mouth. "Thank you. We''ll take it from here." "I''ll leave if that is the case. There are more beasts that require my attention." After Derek left, Neo wore the fire-proof suit. "I''ll go with Mars while he feeds the phoenix. Christian and Jack will secure the perimeter." "Do we need to secure the perimeter? I doubt the Harrison and his team will do anything after the Student Council President scolded them." "You can never be too careful." ''Besides, Percival was angry because we created a publicmotion. He was never angry about the fight,'' Neo thought. "Mars, you can enter the mes without the suit, right?" "Yup, I''m at Adept-mastery. These mes are no problem." Neo stepped into the nest with Mars. The heat made him frown. They encountered the phoenix. It looked like a chick with mes instead of features. "That''s the phoenix? It''s smaller than I imagined," Mars said. "This one hasn''t gone through a single rebirth. It will grow stronger andrger every times it dies and revives." Phoenixes were unique among the magical beasts. They were hybrid of living souls and Spirits. Spirits disintegrated into Divine Energy upon death and souls went to Underworld. When a phoenix died, it would crumble into Divine Energy and reform into a stronger soul instead of dying forever or going into Underworld. One could say a Phoenix cheated Death. "This¡­" It was why the situation in front of Neo was weird. He was a wielder of Death. He could kill an unkible being like Phoenix. The Phoenix should''ve been afraid of him. However, it stared at him in fascination. "As I thought this phoenix¡­." Chapter 91: Phoenixs Death "This phoenix has been corrupted." The research was a fake front. Derek was building an army of powerful beasts to attack the academy. He was doing it slowly to make sure the principal did not catch him. The phoenix would be one of the most dangerous monsters in the future. Suddenly, Obitus trembled. Can I eat it¡­ It looks tasty¡­. Neo was about to refuse when Obitus added, Eating it willplete me¡­ Phoenix, even if corrupted, was delectable for Darkness wielders. Neo smiled bitterly. "Sorry, but I have to focus on mission for now." ''For now, that is.'' He walked up to Mars who crouched next to the Phoenix. "Can you do the mission? I know you are tired, but we don''t have much time." "Do I just need to circte my me-element Divine Energy into the phoenix?" "Yes, high purity Divine Energy will give it the energy it needs for the rebirth." "Then it''s no problem." Neo gave the same excuse as Derek. In truth, the phoenix, had it not been corrupted, should''ve been able to go through the rebirth by itself. Mars sat in the lotus position. He ced Phoenix on his palms. Wisps of mes materialized around him. He closed his eyes and circted the Divine Energy. ''It shouldn''t take more than an hour,'' Neo thought. He was pushing Mars to his limit. However, there was an important reason he chose this mission. After confirming everything was going smoothly, Neo left the phoenix''s next. He met with Christian and Jack. "How is it going?" Jack questioned. "Good." While he was speaking, his device rang. > Felix < Felix: Transfer me 60 credits. Me: Why? Felix: I need it for the task you told me toplete. Me: Wait a minute. > Felix < It was the thing he asked from Felix before he met with Percival. Neo called out to Christian and Jack. "I need you guys to send your credits to Felix." "How much?" "All twenty." "¡­" Jack pursed his lips. "Are you sure, Neo? They might have some use for their credits in their mission. "If we help them, they couldplete their mission before us and get the slot." Neo frowned. Jack''s words were not wrong. He could not trust Felix to follow his words. But¡­ "Yeah, it''s for something important." Christian and Jack nodded. They agreed to transfer their credits to Felix. > Felix < Me: I''ll send them now. Me: But how will you get them? There is a limit to the number of credits you can take from others. Felix: I spent 200 credits increasing the limit to 1000. Me: ¡­Where did you get the credits from? Felix: I told you. I''m famous outside of God ns. Felix: I asked for 2 or 3 credits from quite a few people and voil¨¤. Me: Why would they help after teaming up against us? Felix: Not everyone did that because they wanted to. They couldn''t deny the God ns. Felix: Anyway, got to go. > Felix < Neo closed the chats. He spoke to Christian and Jack for a few minutes before he returned to Mars. ¡­ West Section, Mystica Fauna Preserve Sanctuary "Did you send the others to that blonde and his team?" Lucas questioned. "Yes, I''ve sent Kendrick and Gwen," Harrison said. "That bitch Zoe really wasted a lot of chances." Lucas clicked his tongue. The two stood at the top of a small hill. They could see the majority of the sanctuary from their location. "Are we really going to do this?" Harrison asked. "This would be too easy track back to us." "It doesn''t matter. "The Principal will never interfere and without her testimony they won''t have any guaranteed proof." Lucas grabbed the bow and nocked three arrows at once. He pulled the string. Divine Energy rushed into his core. It transformed into Space-infused Divine Energy before Lucas casted a Spell. Miniature portals appeared on the tip of the arrows. "It''s time we show them their ce." Lucas fired. ¡­ Phoenix Biome, Mystica Fauna Preserve Sanctuary Neo waited for Mars. In the meantime, he observed the phoenix. The presence of Death around it was unique. ''Is it like this because the phoenix can revive itself?'' Neo felt as if he was close to enlightenment. Only a small barriery between him and Adept mastery. Just then, the presence of Death red. A wrist-sized hole appeared before Neo''s face. He saw two simr holes materialize around Mars at the same time. There was only a split second for him to tilt his head and dodge the arrow that flew out of the portal. It slit his cheek. "Mars! Are you okay!?" Neo quickly stood up. He scanned the area. There were no further attacks. But. "Neo¡­?" Mars held the corpse of the phoenix in his hand. An arrow was shot through its heart. The phoenix was dead.... They failed the mission. Neo''s face hardened. "What about you? Are you injured?" He asked. "No, I was able to dodge the attack but¡ª" "The attacks aimed at us were a distraction. Their real goal was the phoenix." Mars, exhausted due to the missions he did during the past day, was not able to react on time He couldn''t protect the phoenix. Slowly, Mars face morphed into a frown. "Who! Did! This!" Giant threatening mes covered his body. They twisted, transforming into eastern dragons, and roared. Neo looked at the hill in the distance. Who did this? Neo knew the answer. However, he couldn''t do anything. Things like this happened in everypetition. ''I bet they think like this.'' Phoenix, already corrupted, was going to be a huge threat in the future. It couldn''t be saved. Neo always nned to kill it. And he used Zeus n as the scapegoat. "Return to the mission hall with Christian and Jack, and take another A-rank mission. "It might not be toote if we hurry. "I''ll deal with the matters here and inform the sanctuary owner about the mission failure," Neo said. Mars barely suppressed his anger and nodded. After he left, Neo stared at the corpse of phoenix. Who was he to refuse a free gift? He called out to Obitus. "Devour the corpse." The Darkness slithered. It pulled the phoenix into its embrace. Voices returned. Neo could sense the presence of Obitus swelling. [Strength +1] [Divine Energy +2] Obitus pulsed. It grew stronger and stronger. Neo supressed it. "Sleep. There is no need to hurry up your awakening. That will only harm you." Thank you¡­ Give me a few hours¡­ I''ll meet¡­ you soon¡­. Neo smiled. He could sense its emotions. It was feeling guilty because it couldn''t sense the attack on time. Shaking his head, Neo left the nest. ''I''ve failed the mission as I nned. Now, it''s Felix''s turn.'' Chapter 92: 3/3 Slots Neo left the phoenix biome. He stepped towards the center of the sanctuary. After crossing a few different biomes, he came across a brown building. He entered Derek''s office. "Has the phoenix finished its rebirth?" "No, we failed. It''s dead." "Is this a prank¡­?" Derek waited for Neo to say something. When Neo didn''t reply, his face morphed into an ugly grimace. "Do you realize what you''ve done!? It was a phoenix! "A phoenix! "If you are incapable ofpleting the mission, how dare you take it!?" "¡­" Neo let Derek vent his anger. "A phoenix is more expensive than your entire life! "I''ll make sure your team is penalized for this! "Not just penalized, I''ll make your life a living hell! You damned brats¡ª" "I''ll be taking my leave. Please visit the mission hall if you have anyints," Neo said. Derek fumed. Neo was on the doorstep when he stopped and turned around to face Derek. "Also, the phoenix was ''weird''. It wasn''t afraid of me even though I have Death affinity. "I suspect it had a tainted bloodline and it is the reason its rebirth failed." His words made Derek shut his mouth with a snap. After all, Derek knew exactly what was wrong with the phoenix. ''Did.... did he notice?'' Derek''s palms were covered in sweat. He did not reply to Neo. "Again, I apologize for the mission''s result," Neo said. He left the sanctuary. On his way, his device rang. [A-rank mission failed] [-60 credits] [Total credits: -60 credits] "That''s some bnce." He chuckled wryly. Jack ran up to him when he reached the mission hall. "Neo!" "Did you take another mission?" "About that¡­. The slots are full." "¡­Who was it?" Jack''s expression fell further when he noticed Neo''s frown. It hit him again that they failed the participation requirements. "Arthur''s team, Lumen. They were a few minutes faster than the Poseidon n''s team." Neo patted Jack''s back. "It''s fine. We''ll get a slot." "¡­?" Neo didn''t exin further. ¡­. Few hours ago. Neo left the mission hall after taking the phoenix mission. He was about to meet up with Percival and others when he noticed Lucas speaking to Percival. ''Lucas¡­'' ''This guy will definitely interfere again in our mission.'' ''I can stop him, but it''s bothersome.'' A thought urred to him. ''It''s better to let him attack us and use him.'' He took out his device and message Felix. > Felix < Me: My team will give up the third slot. Me: It should increase your chances of securing the slot since my team has the highest chance of getting the slot. Felix: ¡­What do you want in return? Me: It''s a good thing you are quick on uptake. Me: I want you to¡ª ¡­ Present Felix met up with Percival. He was nervous. "Why did you call me?" Percival questioned. "I wanted to report about the interference of God ns in our team''s mission. "They have been repeatedly trying to sabotage us." "¡­" A sigh left Percival''s lips. "You think this is the first time something like this happened? "If you think like that, you are wrong. "Get used to it. It will keep happening in the future too. "And if you don''t like how things are done here deal with them yourself." "The professors won''t help us¡­?" Felix questioned. "They won''t unless something crosses the line." Everything Percival said was same as what Neo told him. The academy already knew what was happening in thepetition. They were ignoring it purposefully. "Sigh, can I meet the principal?" Felix asked. "Are you thinking ofining to the principal? "Don''t do that. "You will need to pay with credits for an official hearing and pay extra on top of that if you want the principal to act as a witness. "6,000 credits in total. "Two people can attempt the Junior Temr exam with those credits. It''s useless to go to the principal even if you that much amount." It was a checkmate for Felix. There was no way he could get the Zeus n and others punished. Or so Percival thought. "I still want to visit the principal. Do I need to pay credits for it?" Felix questioned in a mocking tone. "It''s not needed. The top 10 students can meet the principal whenever they wish." Percival whistled. A pegasus flew down. It lowered its head and let Percival caress it. He turned to Felix. "Sit behind me and hold tight." They climbed the pegasus. The winged horse neighed and took off to the sky. It flew higher and higher. Felix saw the campus from above. No matter how high they flew everything within his gaze was inside the academy''s boundary. "It''s quite big," he said. "Yeah." The horse reached a giant cloud. It flew above it. There a majestic mansiony. Percival flew down and thended on the clouds. "Enter the mansion and go straight to the office on the third floor. You''ll find the principal there." He left after giving the instructions. Felix walked on the clouds. The door of the mansion opened when he stepped near them. He entered the ce. It had a grand foyer, marble floors, three chandeliers, velvet drapes, ornate furniture, sweeping staircase, and sunlit rooms with tall windows. The mansion seemed devoid of any living presence. Felix recalled Percival''s words. He climbed the staircase for the third floor. The office was the second room to the left of the stairs. Felix was about to knock when he stopped. He gulped. ''I agreed to Neo''s n since it seemed to be the only way my team could qualify for the slot.'' ''But¡­'' ''I''m pretty sure the principal would kill me if the n fails.'' His heart hammered against his chest. ''Should I just dip?'' Arthur and his team already got a slot. Neo couldn''t do anything if Felix went back on his words. It was an easy choice. It should''ve been easy. Felix bit his lips. ''Dammit.'' He knocked. "Come in," the voice answered from the inside. Felix gulped and opened the door. Chapter 93: Planning Two Steps Ahead He saw the principal busy with documents while Anna, his homeroom teacher, sat across the table and helped the principal. "Sit," Charlotte said. Felix nodded. He sat next to Anna and in front of the principal. Charlotte removed her sses. She rubbed her tired eyes before focusing on Felix. "You have five minutes to speak. "If I feel like you''vee to waste my time, you will be fined with one thousand credits." She picked the hourss from the table and turned it upside down. The grains of sand fell through the narrow opening. "You can start." "I''m here toin about the recentpetition among the teams for the slot of the S-rank mission posted by the Sphinx." "You want an official hearing?" Charlotte drummed her fingers on the armrest. "It costs 1,000 credits. Add another 5,000 credits if you want me as the witness." The principal, Charlotte, could observe the campus at all times. She saw everything that happened inside the academy''s boundary. Thus, her words were absolute. If she said she saw someone do a crime, the person would be found guilty no matter what evidence they brought. "There is no need for the principal''s testimony. I only need to start the official hearing." "Very well." Charlotte nodded. She took out a new page and ced her pen on top of it after Felix paid the required credits. "What is yourint?" "I want to file an officialint against the principal of the Demigod Academy, Charlotte Fontaine, for allowing students to use unsavory means to win thepetition. "She''s turning a blind eye to cheating, bribery, and sabotage, and it''s tarnishing the reputation of the academy. "This isn''t about honing our skills anymore¡ªit''s about who can manipte the system the best." ¡­! Charlotte froze. She raised her head and stared at Felix in the eye. "You are filing aint against me?" "Yes." Felix tried his best to maintain hisposure. A groan escaped left his lips when the principal''s pressure hit him. "Brat¡­ "Have you gone mad?" Felix''s limbs trembled. ''Dammit! Neo, I''ll haunt you if I die here because of you!'' Blood trickled from the corner of his lips. Charlotte snorted. "What are you trying to achieve with this? "Theint alone can''t do anything without evidence and testimony of witness. "Do you have anything to prove your words?" Charlotte looked down on Felix. She was furious at his actions. In normal hearings, Charlotte decided who was guilty and who was not. She didn''t need any evidences or witness. However, when she was the used, there would be a public hearing and the judgement would need witness or evidences. "The testimony?" Felix turned to Anna at his side. The homeroom teacher was staring at him. "Does it work if our homeroom teacher acts as a witness for our side?" "It¡ª" Charlotte closed her mouth. There should have been no one inside the academy who would act as a witness against her. Felix''sint was useless. But. What about Elizabeth who was disguised as Anna? Would she help Charlotte or Neo who was about to lose the slot due to interference of Zeus n? ''These brats... They nned everything.'' Charlotte tightened her fists under the table. She had seen Neo devour the corpse of Phoenix. Coupled with what was happening before her, it was clear Neo always nned to fail the mission and get a slot by forcing Charlotte to make a move. He was trying to get the best out of everything. Charlotte''s anger simmered. It didn''t feel good to be outsmarted by kids who were one-tenth her age. "Go out for a few minutes," Charlotte said. "What? I can''t leave the principal alone with Miss Anna. There is no guarantee if¡ª" "Brat, out, I said." Felix felt the hair on his limbs burn. The principal was angry. He nodded and left the room. "What are you going to do? "Will you act as a witness against me, your master who gave you a ce to stay when you have nowhere to go, or will you take my side?" Her words made Elizabeth wrinkle her brows. "¡­Neo." "tsk, shouldn''t have expected anything from someone who returned to her master only when she needed a favor." "¡­" Elizabeth looked away. The more Charlotte thought it the more she didn''t like Neo. It was one thing to try and one up her. She would''ve liked Neo''s n under normal circumstances. But to have her disciple choose him over her was crossing the line. Charlotte called Felix back into the room. Despite being nervous, he maintained a calm expression. "Withdraw yourint." "¡­" "I will deal with the God ns who sabotaged other teams if you do that. "Or you can proceed yourint. "Your homeroom teacher here will help you win the hearing against me. "However, don''t think you''ll be safe after dragging my name through the mud." Felix gulped. He was relieved. Everything went as Neo told him it would. "I''ll withdraw myint." He let out a bitter smile. "After all, I''d rather not have the principal hold a grudge against me." Charlotte snorted. She returned his credits and pressed the bell. Two dolls in maid costumes entered the room. "You called, my liege?" Both of the puppets spoke in unison. Their voice was sweet yet it made one''s heart beat faster in fear and trepidation. Goosebumps ran over Felix''s skin. "Bring Team Umbra, Astra, and Tempest." "As you wish." They formed hand seals. Divine Energy in the air churned. Dozens of portals appeared inside the room and students fell from them. "What was that¡­?" "Ah, fuck! My ass. I think it broke." Some of themined. They fell silent when they noticed their surroundings. Felix locked eyes with Neo. ''It''s done,'' he mouthed. "Good evening, principal," Lucas stepped forward and greeted. Other students followed behind him. Charlotte nodded. "Good evening. "I''ve called you all here because I''ve noticed some of you using underhanded means to win the slots for the S-rank mission and hinder other teams'' progress." ¡­!? Lucas and Harrison''s face hardened. It was the first time the principal was getting involved in a matter like this. They looked at each other and then around the room. Noticing Neo''s calm expression, both of them had the same thought. Chapter 94: Old But Petty, And Young But Calm ''How did he do it?'' ''There is no way they could''ve collected 6,000 credits to start a trial and have the principal act as their witness.'' Their faces scrunched when they heard her next words. "Team Astra and Team Tempest will be disqualified." "What!?" "Why!? There is no proof we did anything!" The members of Team Tempest, Zoe''s team, spoke up. "No proof?" Charlotte''s aura hit their shoulders with a crushing force. "You dare use those words in front of me?" The students fell to their knees. "W-we apologize for our rude words." "Mhm." Charlotte let them suffer under her aura and turned to Lucas and Zoe. "As I''ve said, both of your teams will be disqualified. "Team Umbra, which should''ve received a slot had you not intervened, and another team will get a slot in your ces." Listening to her made Lucas frown. He thought hard. Suddenly, his brows jumped. "Principal, it is true we had won the slot, no?" "Yes?" "Then can we cancel the disqualification if we pay enough credits?" "¡­" Charlotte looked at Lucas with surprise. She hadn''t expected this. ''This year''s brats have a good head on their shoulder.'' She smiled. Her gaze met Neo''s gaze. He didn''t want Lucas''s disqualification to be revoked. His frown made Charlotte''s smile grow wide. "500 credits to cancel disqualification for one team," she said. "Thank you," Lucas replied. He looked at his teammates. They understood his intentions and sent him their credits. 190 credits. Lucas'' team was short of 310 credits. "Zoe, tell your team to transfer us their credits." "But¡ª" "Zoe, give me the credits. Hurry." Lucas smiled. It made Zoe shudder. She lowered her head and nodded. Tears welled up in her eyes as she collected credits from her teammates and sent them to Lucas. 410 credits. 90 credits remaining. Lucas turned to Felix. "Felix, as you can see, we are in a pinch here. Can you help us?" Lucas was not stupid. He saw Neo came to the principal with them and Felix was there already. Clearly, Felix was the one who had enough credits to demand a trial. "Why should I do that?" "Because we are friends and I don''t want to harm my friends, or my friend''s friends." In short, Lucas knew Felix borrowed credits from other students. He would go after those who helped Felix if he did not listen to his demand. Felix bit his lips. He turned to the principal. ''It doesn''t look like she ns to stop Lucas from threatening other students in front of her.'' ''Seems like she hates us for forcing her to move.'' Felix smiled bitterly. In the end, he shook his head. "I don''t have any credits left. I used them all for the trial." "Is that so? That''s quite bad." Lucas backed off easily. "Principal, can I make some calls? I need to arrange the credits." "Go ahead." He took out his device. A few minutester, he transferred 500 credits to the principal. "Team Astra''s disqualification has been revoked. "With this Team Astra, Team Lumen, and Team Umbra have received the slots for the S-rank mission." Charlotte smiled. Allowing Lucas'' team to keep the slot was her way of getting back at Neo. But¡­ ''Huh?'' Neo was smiling. As if he predicted this to happen. ''No, that''s impossible.'' Her smile disappeared. "All of you can return." Portals appeared beneath their feet when she finished her words. The students fell into the torn space. Only Neo was left behind. "¡­" "You seem calm for someone who kicked up a storm just now." "Storm? I''m sorry, principal. I don''t understand what you mean." She scoffed at his innocent fa?ade. "Did you bait Lucas into killing the phoenix?" "It was Lucas!?" Neo''s eyes widened. Elizabeth burst into a chuckle at the side. She quickly returned to her cold, expressionless demeanor but it only served to irritate Charlotte more. "This brat¡­." Charlotte barely stopped herself from sting Neo into the sky. ''I thought he would boast about his master n.'' ''If that happened, I would''ve used his words as evidence and held him ountable for phoenix''s death.'' Even if Neo was smart enough to make such a simple, yet crafty n, he was still a child. He should''ve been excited and boasted about his n''s sess. ''Instead he is calm. He knows he will be punished for phoenix''s death. So he is acting like all of it was a coincidence.'' Charlotte massaged her temple. Neo was a tricky opponent to deal with. His ns were simple yet they had no weakness to be exploited. She was about to send him back when suddenly an idea came to her. "Neo Hargraves, congrattions on receiving a slot for the S-rank mission. "I''ve closely watched your team''s performance and I''ve been impressed with everything I saw." Neo''s smile disappeared. He felt it. Something bad was about to happen. "However, "I''ve noticed one of your team members did not participate in any team activities. "Teams are made up of 5 members for a reason. "If Leonora von Villiers continues to skip the missions, I would have no choice but to revoke your slot." "Fucking¡ª" "Did you just curse at me?" "No, I said ''fair point''." Neo''s frustrated expression brought a smile to Charlotte''s face. "You can go back now. "Again, make sure Leonora von Villiers participates in the S-rank mission, or your entire team be won''t allowed either." "¡­Understood." A portal appeared beneath Neo and he was teleported to the mission hall. His teammates were waiting for him. "Why were youte?" Jack questioned. "The principal wanted to talk to me. It was nothing important. Anyway, let''s go eat. I''m hungry." They could tell Neo''s mood was off. However, they couldn''t question the reason behind his mood when he clearly refused to talk about it. ''How am I going to get thatzy bum to move?'' Neo thought. He turned to Christian. "Christian, let''s just say, we need to get Leonora''s participation in order to be allowed to do a mission. How can we make her join us?" "By giving up on the mission. "There is no way Miss is going to do anything that needs her to leave the room." Christian''s swift answer made Neo close his eyes. ''That damned NEET.'' His future didn''t look bright to him. Sighing, he entered the cafeteria and saw¡­ "Huh? "What are they doing?" Neo couldn''t believe his eyes. Chapter 95: Their Dreams Neo couldn''t believe his eyes. "Tell me I''m hallucinating." "¡­Yes, I think its mass hallucination." The cafeteria was filled with energy,ughter and music. Students danced, shouted, and clinked their sses. Felix noticed Neo and his team at the cafeteria''s door. "Neo! Come inside! Eat with us!" "What''s happening here?" "Our team threw a party to celebrate us receiving team slots." "¡­Where did you get the credits to pay for everything?" "We used the credits we borrowed from them." Neo looked at him as if he was an idiot. Felix scratched his cheek. "The transfer limit. There is a limit to how many credits you can get from others. "The students wouldn''t have been able to receive their credits back right now. So we decided to throw a party." He came closer to Neo and whispered, "This was the perfect way to establish a good rtion with everyone." "I guess that''s true." "Isn''t it? Will you throw a party too?" "¡­" Neo was exasperated. ''He wants to split the bill?'' ''This guy¡­'' ''Our negative credits were just cleared and we have only 6 credits.'' He let out a smile. "No thank you." "tsk" Felix clicked his tongue silently but made sure it was audible. He left when a few students called out to him. "Let''s take something to eat." "You mean order, right?" "I meant what I said. They are throwing a part, so we might as well partake." Jack looked at Neo. The more time they spent together the more he realized Neo, contrary to cold and emotionless face, was shameless in both words and actions. Their group sat in a corner. They chatted while eating. A group approached their table. "Team Umbra, correct? "I''ve heard you guys managed to receive a slot. "A weak team like yours must''ve made some underhanded deals. "I don''t think your team canplete an S-rank mission with your current strength. Let us join your¡ª" "You have ten seconds to fuck off." Neo cut off the leader of the group. "What!? Y-you cursed at me?! Do you even know who I am?!" "Ten." "You better think carefully!" "Five." "W-what!? You just skipped the counts!" "Three¡ª" Neo was about to continue when the group took a step back. The boy, their leader, clenched his jaw and red at Neo. "I won''t forget this humiliation. "Remember this, I, Sebas Morris, will have my revenge for this insolent act!" "...." They flinched when Neo opened his mouth and left before he could he speak. "Pfft! I never thought I would see someone act like that in real life." Jack let out theughter he had been holding back. Christian shook his head and Mars scoffed. It was alreadymon knowledge Neo''s team received a spot. They expected someone to join their team for the S-rank mission. "Now that we have a slot, what are you guys nning to ask from the Sphinx?" Jack brought up the topic while they ate. The four stared at each other. Christian cleared his throat and put his spoon down. "I''ll go first. I want to know about the fastest way for me to be a Senior Exorcist." "Wow, you don''t want to know how to be a Senior Exorcist, but how to be one as fast as possible? "That''s some confidence," Jack spoke. His awe filled gaze embarrassed Christian. "My turn." Jack stood up. He exaggeratedly spread his arms and made big motions. "I want to write an autobiography. "The title would be¡ª "I became the strongest Necromancer after receiving an oracle from the Sphinx!" Theyughed. "What''s the real question you would ask? I doubt you would actually do that," Christian spoke. "Well¡­" Jack let out a wry smile. "It''s a bit heavy topic I''d rather not about or it will dampen the mood. "To be honest, I¡ª "I''m worried you all will be jealous of my soon to arrive sess." "As if!" Christian felt stupid to have expected a serious answer from Jack. Just a few days ago, Jack was trembling when he met their eyes. Going through life and death struggles closed the distances between them easily. "Now, Mars'' turn!" "I want to ask for a way to surpass the Supreme." Suddenly, the group fell silent. Supreme was the highest mastery of a Magic Spell. Barely anyone reached Supreme-mastery in their life. Mars was an anomaly to have achieved Supreme-mastery within a few weeks, even if it was for the lowest Whisper-ranked Spell, since it took years of practice for that. "Mars¡­" Christian couldn''tplete his words. "Don''t worry about it. Everyone knows my condition." Mars smiled and continued. "My heart is weak and it can''t pump enough Divine energy rich blood throughout my body. "It''s why I can use only the weakest Spell of my element. "I''m called one of the strongest in our year because I managed to train the Fire Punch Spell to Supreme Mastery. "But¡ª" Hisprehension was unparalleled. However, he wasn''t blessed with a good physique. No. He was cursed with a broken body. A body that won''t grow any stronger. "With that, I''ve reached my limit. "I can''t grow anymore. "It wouldn''t take long for everyone to surpass me." Mars clenched his fists. He grinned. "That''s why I must surpass the Supreme! I''m not giving up my title of a genius!" He pointed at Neo. "I''ll use you as the grindstone for my sess. "You better not ck off in your training, my rival!" Neo wasn''t strong. He was weak. If Mars had to be honest, Neo was the weakest in their group. But. Neo had something they didn''t. A power they could never hope to achieve. His unrivalled drive to improve himself. Mars respected Neo for it. Unknown to Mars, Neo''s drive was something he learned from Mars. Neo wanted to be like Mars. Someone who wouldn''t give up even if he had to burn his life for just an ounce of strength. Someone who wouldn''t bend his morals and take the hardest path without cowering. ''Burn his life, huh?'' Neo smiled bitterly when he recalled Mars future. "I bet you can do it." Jack bumped his fist into Mars'' shoulder. He turned to Neo. "What will you ask from the Sphinx?" Chapter 96: Subtle Manipulation "I want to know about emotions." "¡­?" "I''m a Darkness user. "Someone I know told me I can maintain my sanity if I can understand emotions." Only after he spoke did he realize his words brought the mood down. As a Darkness user, Neo was bound lose himself to the darkness. Today¡­ Tomorrow¡­ He did not know when it would happen. It was not a question of ''if'', but of ''when''. "Sounds like a n," Jack grinned. He spoke to clear the heavy mood. After the dinner, they returned to the Seraphim Hall and split up. "The briefing for the S-rank mission is day after tomorrow. Make sure to be on time," Neo reminded them. Neo was about to return to his room when he saw Mars sneaking out of the dorm. "Where is he goingte at night? It''s almost the next day." He followed him. Mars stopped at the end of a small cliff. He stood against the railings and stared at the cliff. "You cane out now." "..." "I know you are there, Neo." "¡­When did you know I was following you?" "Since the beginning." Mars'' answer made Neo smile bitterly. Neo stood next to him. Both of them stared at the moon. It would soon disappear behind the horizon and the sun would rise. "Why did you leave silently like that? You could''ve told us. Christian and Jack would''ve liked this ce too." "I wanted to be alone. But¡ª" Mars chuckled. "A certain someone doesn''t understand the logic of privacy." "Sorry." Silence fell between them. The cold air brushed past against Neo''s skin. He exhaled and rubbed his palms to keep them warm. Suddenly, Mars opened his mouth. "You have the bloodline of Hades. Does it mean you can see more than others?" "Like what?" "Approaching Death. Can you see that?" "¡­." Neo''s silence answered more than it should have. "Sigh, you must''ve seen mine too. I guess it was never a secret from you." "¡­" "I don''t have much time left. "My heart is beating on borrowed time." Neo tightened his grip around the railing. He knew. He knew it since long ago. Mars smiled when he noticed Neo''s expression. "There is no need to look like that. "I''vee to terms with my death. My only goal is to surpass Supreme before I die." "¡­" "Sigh, this heavy atmosphere really isn''t my type. "I want to train and forget about everything. Though I guess I need to ask that before we return." "¡­?" Mars shook his head with a smile when he saw Neo''s confused expression. "I made sure you saw me when I sneaked out. "Don''t tell me you thought you saw me by chance." "¡­" "So even you can make an expression like that." "What do you want to ask?" Neo asked. He wanted to change the topic before Mars pointed out more of his faults. "How long do I have left to live?" Neo pursed his lips. How long? His mastery of Death was not enough to answer that question. Still, he knew the answer. "Two years." "I see¡­." "Mars, I think you should¡ª" "I should ask Sphinx how to lengthen my life instead of how to surpass the Supreme?" Neo closed his mouth when Mars said what he was about to say. Mars continued. "I can do that. "But what''s the point of living like that? "I''ve searched through the libraries and legacies of my family as well as my n. "There was no solution to save my life or to surpass Supreme. "Sphinx might have answer to both. "But I can choose only one." He reached out to the rising sun. "I would burn brightly like a great fire before I die rather than spending my life as a dimly lit candle me." Neo could not tell Mars to choose the other option. Because he was doing the same. Darkness would devour him soon, and he was still going to use it. "Don''t tell others about it. You are the only one who knows this." Neo nodded. He turned around and stared at the forest behind them. ¡­ When Neo turned around, Jack flinched. ''Does he know I''m here?'' ''No, that can''t be possible.'' Mars had no way to sense him when he was hiding in the shadow space, and Neo was too weak to be able to find him. Jack followed them when he saw Neo tailing Mars. It was out of pure curiosity. He never thought he would chance upon such a huge secret. ''Mars is going to die¡­?'' Jack was too stunned to think of anything else. Despite the short amount of time he spent with Mars and others, he became a friend of theirs. ''I don''t want to see that.'' It was clear Mars would choose his strength over his life when he met Sphinx. ''Should I use my answer for him?'' Jack bit his lips. He was carrying too many responsibilities to throw them away for a friend he knew for less than a week. He could not put Mars above his own needs. But¡­. ''Dammit.'' Jack wished he wouldn''t have followed Mars and Neo. ¡­ Neo returned with Mars to the Seraphim Hall. ''Sorry, Jack. But this was the only way.'' ''I can''t let Mars die and I can''t give up my own chance.'' Neo always knew Mars was baiting him when he sneaked out of Seraphim Hall. Since he could guess the reason, he made sure to have Jack follow them. It was not hard to achieve. And the results were in his favor. ''I''ll solve your problems, Jack. So please help Mars this time.'' Neo disliked manipting his friends. ''I don''t want to do this again if possible.'' However, he knew better than to pin his hopes on the future. After returning to his room, Neo looked at the rising sun through the window. "I can''t go meet with Leonora this early in the morning. "Should I take a short nap to pass time?" He was tired. It was best to rest and return to his peak condition since the S-rank mission would start the day after tomorrow. "S-rank mission¡­ I should try to recruit Morrigan again. "The group''sbat strength will fall by half without her. It''s too dangerous." Although Leonora would be with them, she was toozy to fight. Just when he was about to sleep, he felt a presence swelling inside his mind. "Obitus!?" Neo sat up with a snap. He grabbed his sword. Faint red arcs slithered around the sheathe and tiny condensed mes burned brightly on its edge. "Obitus¡­? Are you awake?" There was no answer. Neo grabbed the hilt. It wasplete. At least that was what he felt. "Let''s try it." He tried to pull the de out from the scabbard..... Chapter 97: Obitus Unsealed The sword slid out of the scabbard without any resistance. It had a curved ck de with pitch ck texture that seemed to pull oneself into it. "A kodachi. Well it''s a bit long for a kodachi." The sword''s shape was exactly how katana swords were depicted in his previous world. ''I''m sure the original Obitus was different.'' ''Did the appearance change to fit my preference?'' Neo swung the de. It fit perfectly in his hand, the weight was bnced, and he could tell his control over Death and Darkness increased tremendously. "Something is weird¡­" His Divine Energy control seemed to have improved. But.... "Why is Obitus absorbing my Divine Energy?" Neo shed. Something changed when he pulled out Obitus. He couldn''t put his finger on it. Suddenly, Paimon opened her mouth. "How is this possible? "Why can your Spirit connect you to the Underworld?" Her words made Neo''s brows jump. He realized what was wrong. "My stats aren''t suppressed anymore. The debuff disappeared." As a kin of Death, he was weakened in the world of living. However, that was no longer the case. Neo returned the sword to the sheathe. The debuff reappeared and Obitus stopped absorbing his Divine Energy. His limbs felt heavy. As if he was wearing sand bags. "How fascinating. I''ve never seen anything simr." "Neither have I." Neo shrugged. He did his best to hide his smile. After curbing his excitement and taking a powernap, he visited Leonora''s room. He rang the doorbell twice. There was no reply. "Leonora, open the door." He knocked this time and the door opened. "It was not locked." Neo called out to her a few more times from the doorstep. There was no reply. "Should I just enter?" He decided against it when suddenly he heard a scream from the room. His eyes widened and he ran inside. "Leonora! What happened!?" "I¡­ I¡­" She turned to him and¡­ ¡­ Principal Office Charlotte closed the set of documents. She rubbed her eyes with a sigh. "Is there a problem, master?" Elizabeth stared at her with worry hidden deep within her gaze. "The owner of Mystica Fauna Preserve filed aint against Team Umbra. "He wants to be reimbursed for the Phoenix''s death." Phoenix was one of the rarest mythical beasts. Its value couldn''t be counted with money alone. "And? The money is a problem?" "That too. But there is something else I can''t understand. "For someone like his personality, Derek isining quite calmly. "I expected him to burst through my door yesterday, but he only sent a letter." It was as if¡­ He wanted to suppress the matter without creating muchmotion. Charlotte closed her eyes. She tried to think of a reason behind Derek''s strange actions. "Eliz, how is that boy?" "¡­?" "How does he act? Is he the type to put others at risk for his benefits or does¡ª" "Neo is kind, gant and heroic." Charlotte closed her mouth when she received a swift answer from Elizabeth. "It''s my fault for asking the question from you. "Sigh, where did my Eliz go? You look just like her but act like a little girl who had her first puppy love. "My Eliz will never act like that." Elizabeth looked away at the usation. Charlotte stood up and decided to leave the room. She wanted to get some fresh air. While on the walk, she continued to think about the mysterious circumstances around Neo''s A-rank mission. "The boy is sly. "However, he doesn''t look like the type to kill a phoenix just for his personal benefits." Could there be more to Neo''s action? Why would he kill an innocent phoenix? He even tried to protect the phoenix¡ª "¡­!? "He tried to protect the phoenix." Charlotte repeated the words. "How was he able to stay near the phoenix? "The bird should''ve attacked him as soon as he tried to get close to it." The phoenix was not normal. She realized something was wrong. "Did Derek know about this? Is this why he was trying to close the case without causing any fuss?" An ominous premonition swept through Charlotte''s heart. Charlotte''s eyes glowed. Her senses expanded crazily. She could see everything inside the academy in great details. Students sneaking out into the bushes, ongoing sses, teachers gossiping in the staff rooms. She zoomed into the Mystica Fauna Preserve. "Tsk. "He ran away." It was now clear to her. Derek was nning something at the wildlife sanctuary. He escaped when he was about to be caught. "Tessa, Talia, send an investigation team to the Mystical Fauna Preserve. "I want to know everything Derek did there." Two dolls wearing maid dress appeared behind her. They bowed. "Understood, master." The dolls disappeared leaving Charlotte alone in the long corridor. She sighed as he looked out of the window. "Was this a coincidence too?" Or did Neo know something was wrong with Derek and did all of this to expose him? It was impossible. Neo, a first year, came to the academy a few days ago. There was not enough time for him to find dirt on Derek. However, the proof infront of her eyes was saying otherwise. "Sigh¡­ I hope all of this was a misunderstanding and Derek did nothing." Charlotte massaged her brows. She was beginning to struggle with understanding the full extent of Neo''s n. ¡­ Leonora''s Room, Seraphim Hall Leonora was about to throw her controller in anger when she saw Neo. Her gaze wandered to his back. She noticed the opened door. "Why did you enter the room without my permission?" Instead of answering her, Neo stared at the TV disy and ''GAME OVER'' written on it. ''Did she shout because she lost the game?'' He was at a loss when he noticed the room. Empty snack wrappers and soda cans were littered on the floor. Her clothes were strewn across the bed and chairs. The desk, dominated by a glowing monitor and tangled cables, was surrounded by scattered game cases and half-finished energy drinks. "Wow." "Rude," she spoke sharply. "First you enter a girl''s room without permission and now you are checking everything. "Don''t you have any manners?" Neo opened his mouth. "You think I wanted to enter this dumpster¡ª" Chapter 98: Gaming Addicts Neo closed his mouth abruptly. ''I''m here to have her join us on the S-rank mission.'' ''It''s better to be careful of what I say.'' He opened his mouth. "I rang the doorbell twice. "There was no answer and I suddenly heard you scream. "That''s why I entered the room." "As you can see, there is no problem here. So, get out." "¡­" Neo took a deep breath. ''Don''t react to her taunts. That''s what she wants.'' ''I''m here for a job. Focus on it.'' Leonora was the only heroine he disliked with passion. It was not easy for him to get along with her due to his personal bias. "Look, can we just talk? I have something important I need to discuss¡ª" "Shut it and leave. I''m busy." "Like what?" He pointed at her room. "I bet you haven''t attended sses during the past days and you didn''t join us on the missions. "What was important enough to keep you busy?" "I was beating the Enma Shrine 3." "Enma Shrine 3¡­?" "Yup, I beat in it just 2 days." Her smug expression confused him. "What''s Enma Shrine 3?" "You don''t know about Enma Shrine 3? I guess I shouldn''t have expected much from an idiot." She clicked her tongue. "It''s the game that will receive Game of the Year for this year. "It already broke most records. "Even though it came out only 2 days ago, it had more sales than entire Sanguine Penguin seriesbined!" Leonora grew excited as she spoke. She stopped, stared at the empty air next to her and coughed. Suddenly, she became calm. "You skipped sses just for a¡­." Neo stopped speaking. He couldn''t chastise her. After all, he had been in the same situation when Elden Ring and AC Odyssey were released. He was a worse gaming addict than Leonora. ''Was she such a hardcore gamer?'' He didn''t like it. He didn''t like how he shared his favorite hobby with her out of all people. "Just? "That''s what you say because you can''t understand the greatness behind Enma Shrine 3 "I bet you can''t defeat even the first boss." "¡­What?" Neo failed to realize how smoothly and confidently Leonora was talking when she was within her room. He stopped caring when he challenged his inner gaming addict. "You think I can''t do what you did?" Gaming was the only field where he could call himself the best¡ª His face scrunched up when he recalled he lost thest game he yed in his previous life. "Fine. I''ll show you your ce." He went past her and picked the other controller. "Hey, what are you doing!? Leave that alone!" "I''m just proving your words otherwise." Neo saved her DLC progress and created a new save file for himself. Leonora was about to stop him until she saw he understood the know how of gaming. ''Is he angry because I said he couldn''t clear the first boss?'' Leonora was exasperated. She couldn''t follow his train of thoughts. ''He was fine when the entire academy was calling him fraud.'' ''But he can''t stand this?'' Seeing Neo focused on the game, Leonora felt he forgot why he came to meet her for. "This game is like Elden Ring. It''s almost like it''s giarized." Neo frowned. "What''s Elden Ring?" "A game," Neo said. "A good game." Neo did not take long to defeat the first boss. His control surprised Leonora. She sat next to him without realizing it and pursed her lips. "That¡­ that was luck. Besides, I defeated the first boss on my first try too. "It''s the second one where it gets challenging." Neo scoffed. He continued to y. When he died after meeting the second boss, Leonora chuckled. "See, I told you, you were lucky." "¡­" He chose ''PLAY AGAIN'' and went towards the second boss the second time. It took him five tries to win. "tsk, I swear it''s the controller that I can''t¡ª" Neo, about to give an excuse, noticed Leonora''s stunned expression. "How many tries did you take to clear the second boss¡­?" "¡­" Her silence spoke plenty. The corner of Neo''s lips rose into a smug grin. Leonora snatched the controller from his hand and created another save file. She started the game from the beginning and defeated the second boss in three tries. "I took three chances," she answered with a smirk. "If that''s how you are going to do this then let''s try again." Neo took one chance to defeat the second boss. Leonora achieved the same after her next try. "I defeated the boss faster," Leonora said. "You must be blind. Should I give you sses?" His shamelessness made her grit her teeth. "There are more bosses. I don''t believe you can get lucky enough to defeat them all." "Just ept it''s a skill issue on your part when a newbie can clear the bosses before you." Both of them were immersed in the game. Their entire focus was on deciding who was a better gamer. Sometimes Neo was faster, and sometimes Leonora. It wasn''t until they reached half-way into the game and the doorbell rang that Neo recalled his purpose for visiting Leonora. "Check the door." "Why should I? It''s your room. Go yourself." "I''m busy with this boss. It will disturb my concentration if I leave now." "I wish you were half as good at games at you are with excuses." Neo shook his head and stood up. He opened the door and saw Christian. "¡­!?" Christian''s brows shot up. "What are you doing in Miss'' room?" "I was here to ask her join us for the S-rank mission," Neo answered with a yawn. "This early in the morning? And why¡­ does it look like you''ve been awake the whole night?" "What are you talking about? Its afternoon right now¡­" Neo stopped speaking when Christian showed him the time. "It is six o''clock in the morning." "We''ve been ying games for the whole day?" Neo was stunned. He massaged his eyes and spoke to Christian. "Why did youe to Leonora''s room?" "I wanted to ask Miss if she would join us on the mission and.... "Is it really true you were just gaming?" Chapter 99: Calamity-rank Window "What else would we do?" Neo rolled his eyes. "Come in." Christian followed him into the room. "Where is Miss?" "She is ying the game in the hall¡­" There was no one in the wide hall. He saw Leonora through the open door. ¡­.She was sleeping in her room. ''Is she faking sleep because Christian came? What is he, her mother?'' Neo entered her room. He was about to wake her up when Christian stopped him. "It''s fine. I''m not ming you or anything. You are adults. It''s not my decision to make your life choices for you." "I think you are misunderstanding something. She was awake until now¡ª" "It''s okay. I understand." "You understand nothing. "I haven''t even met her for long. Why do you think anything happened between¡­" Neo gave up exining when he saw Christian''s expression. As if Christian was looking at a kid who was caught while stealing a cookie and was now giving excuses. ''Is this how Amelia felt when I lied about our rtionship to brother?'' ''Wow, it feels like shit.'' Christian patted Neo''s shoulder. "The mission briefing will start in half hour. Please be there on time." As soon as he left the room, Leonora raised her head slightly. "He is gone, right?" "¡­" Neo took a deep breath. ''Don''t hit her. Don''t hit her.'' He opened her mouth. "Could you have not done that? He has a stupid misunderstanding now." "It''s fine. Christian has tight lips and even if he spreads the news I''m not bothered by it.'' ''But it bothers me!'' If the news of him being in a rtionship with Leonora was known, he wouldn''t be able to get in an actual rtionship! Fuck. Neo didn''t want to remain a virgin again in this life. He clicked his tongue. "Anyway, I need to leave." "You are leaving¡­?" "Yeah, I have to go for an S-rank mission." He recalled why he came to Leonora''s room yesterday. Before he could ask her, she spoke, "Will you¡­e again?" "huh, what?" "You haven''tpleted the game yet." She pulled her hoodie down and muttered in a barely audible whisper. "Won''t youe again toplete it?" "N¡ª" "I''lle to the mission if you y with me again," she spoke hurriedly. Neo blinked in surprise when he heard her. Leonora stammered. She corrected herself quickly. "I¡ª I mean, I can''t have you dying on a mission before you ept I''m a better gamer than you." "Okay¡­?" Neo was stunned. Wasn''t that too easy? "Give me a few minutes. I''ll freshen up before we leave." "I have to do that too." Neo sniffed himself. "Guess I''ll return to my room." "That will take too much time. "Do you want to get scolded again for beingte? Use one of the bathrooms inside my dorm." "I don''t have clothes¡ª" "Use mine." She didn''t leave room for negotiations. Despite being timid, she turned out to be unusually assertive in weird ces. Neo used her ce. Since Leonora did not like showing too much skin, she wore baggy and full-sleeved clothes like pants and shirts, unlike most girls. They were good enough for Neo to use. He came out after washing himself. "I smell like her." He made an awkward expression and waited for Leonora. "Aren''t you too used to girls?" Paimon suddenly spoke. "¡­?" "That teacher, the lightning girl, and now her. You seem quite experienced despite your age." "Must be your imagination." Neo rolled his eyes. One was a tyrant, another was a crazy bitch who stabbed him with a sword, and thest one lived in a dumpster. What was ''girly'' about them? Felix had more qualities of a girl than the three of thembined. "Don''t go too deep in denial or you''ll drown." Paimon chuckled. Neo was exasperated at her joke. Leonora returned after a few minutes. She wore the usual hoodie and pants to hide every inch of her skin. "L-let''s go." She walked behind him. The two were going down the corridor when Neo recalled something. He stopped. "Wait a minute." Neo approached the door next to the stairs. He rang the bell. The door opened and Morrigan stood on the other side. "What?" "I wanted to ask if you wanted to join¡ª" Morrigan mmed the door on his face and returned to her room. Neo was left hanging outside. He turned to Leonora with an awkward gaze. "Let''s go¡­" "Y-yeah." Thankfully, she didn''tugh at his failed attempt. They reached the meeting venue. It was an empty lecture hall. Students sat in dispersed groups while Charlotte and Elizabeth stood at the podium. The projector ran behind them. "One minute before the scheduled time. Should I call you punctual orzy?" Charlotte asked. "Punctual, if you please." "¡­" Charlotte was exasperated at his shameless attitude. "Sit. We''ll start the mission briefing now." She clicked her tongue. He approached the seats where his team and Arthur''s team sat. Leonora walked a few steps behind him with crouched shoulders. "¡­" Christian noticed Neo wearing Leonora''s clothes but he ignored it. Felix, on the other hand, was staring at his attire with stupefied gaze. "That''s¡­ that''s not his?" Felix closed his mouth before anyone heard him. He didn''t want any rumors to start. Suddenly, he felt a cold chill on his back. He noticed Elizabeth staring at Neo and Leonora. "Neo¡­ Neo¡­" He whispered. "Get away¡­" "Did you say anything?" Neo sat next to Felix and Leonora sat on the empty seat beside him. ''This idiot.'' Felix covered his face with his palms. The group was about to start chatting when Charlotte hit the podium. "Silence. "Focus on the mission." Two dolls appeared in the room. It was as if they were always there. They distributed documents among the student. The image on the projector changed. It showed a torn sky. Dark rain fell from the crack in the sky. Beyond the crack, there were countless ruins and shadowy monsters. "Window #12862. "This window connects our world to the world of Shadows. "It opened above Shiria Hills five days ago. "Due to its current growth rate, its potential has been marked as Cmity-rank." A heavy silence descended in the room. Charlotte continued. "Yes, Cmity-rank. "Three cmity-rank windows connecting to Shadow World have appeared during the past decade. "Today all three countries where those windows materialized have be a Graveyard." Neo pursed his lips. ''So it begins.'' ''The mission where everyone but five are fated to die.'' Chapter 100: The Big Four and the Inconsequential Zeroth ''So it begins.'' ''The mission where everyone but five are Fated to die.'' Charlotte continued with the briefing. "The information about Windows and Elemental Dimensions should be known to all of you. "But I''ll exin the basics for those not from God ns." Each elemental (the smallest unit of an element) came from a different dimension. Fire Elemental from the World of zing mes¡­ Death Elemental from the World of Eternal Death¡­ These elementals seeped into the real world through ''windows''. The area around a Window, where multiple dimensions coexisted due to the formation of Window, was called Zone. There was a lot one could excavate from Zones. Treasures of elemental nes, rare metals, exotic beasts, elemental Seeds, mythical fruits. However, Zones were equally dangerous. If the Window wasn''t destroyed, the Elemental Dimensions would invade through them and consume the real world. "Your mission is to close the Window #12862." Students gulped. Windows were not easy to close. And a Window connecting to World of Treacherous Shadows? Only those with a death wish would go there. "I have a question." Arthur raised his hand. "Speak." "If the window can be a Cmity-rank window in the future, why are Awakened Demigods like us were selected for this mission? "Isn''t it better to send someone stronger?" "We can do that and we will do that if you fail the mission." "Pardon¡­?" Arthur''s face hardened. Failing to close the window, especially one of the world of shadows, meant guaranteed death. No. Death would be a mercy. The shadows never killed. They granted a fate far worse than that. "Don''t misunderstand. "We aren''t forcing you to go on a suicide mission. "You have the choice to leave if you want. "However, you will be forfeiting the rewards if you do that." The briefing continued. "Now, I''ll exin about what you have to do in the S-rank mission. "While the Zone will be handled by the academy staff, you all will enter the Window to close it. "Window #12862 has three Corners. "You will go into the Window, ce the stabilizers at the Corners and close the Window through them." As she spoke, the projector showed different images to give them an idea of what they would face. No one spoke. They stared at the screen with bated breaths. "The Window connecting to the Shadow World will have shadow monsters. "It''s too long to exin so I''ll warn you about the most dangerous monsters. "Your Shadow. "If you see your Shadow, run." World of Treacherous Shadow was a unique world among the Elemental Dimensions. It mirrored ¡ª and followed ¡ª the real world down to the smallest detail. Just like how a shadow would. Every person, every beast, every object had a ''Shadow'' that replicated their actions in the Shadow World. Those Shadows wanted to be ''real''. If a person was caught by their Shadow, Shadows would take over their bodies and soul, and rece them. "Never. Try. To. Fight. Your. Shadow." Charlotte looked them in the eye. "It''s impossible to defeat your Shadow. "Just run. "That''s all from my side. Professor Anna will distribute the equipment to you." The briefing ended. Charlotte left. Someone exhaled and the tension broke. "Wow, that''s the S-rank mission? It''s worse than I thought," Jackmented. "I''m not worried about encountering my own Shadow. That happens rarely. "Besides, I''m weak and so will be my Shadow. "The problem is¡­" Felix stopped speaking. He stared at Arthur, Mars, and Leonora. "We are dead if a Shadow of anyone among these three appears." "The Big Four and the Inconsequential Zeroth, huh?" Jack said and suddenly stopped. He stared at Neo in shock. "The Inconsequential Zeroth?" "O-oh, I just remembered I have to go and¡ª" "The Zeroth¡­ is me, Jack?" Jack bit his lips. From how everyone stared at Jack it seemed all of them knew about it and decided to hide it from Neo. "What''s this all about?" Neo asked. "It''s what students have been calling Arthur, Mars, Leonora, Morrigan, and¡­ you." "I get it why other three are in the Big Four, but why Arthur?" Neo wasn''t as pissed as they had imagined. Jack let out a sigh of relief and showed him a website on his smartphone. "It''s a site essible by only academy students. "Felix has been posting videos of their missions. "Coupled with Arthur''s performance during the ranking tournament, most students think he is on par on Mars and Leonora." "¡­" Neo scrolled through the website. ''Damn, Felix has good editing skills.'' He ignored the rumors about him. He had more important things to focus on. Giving a fuck about opinions of students who ranked lower than him was thest thing on his list. "If all of you are doing wasting your time, follow me to the Zone," Elizabeth said. The students left the lecture hall. They went towards the location where the ranking battle took ce. Elizabeth brought them to a hill. "Wow¡­ That''s a Window?" A crack in the sky, spanning hundreds of meter, looked down from above. ck rain fell from it. The forest below was covered in shadows. Academy staff, wearing special suits, fought the monsters born from the Window''s contamination. The pressure of the Window pressed down on them heavily. Neo could feel goosebumps rising over his skin. Elizabeth passed them watches. "This watch will warn you when your Shadow enters within 100 meter of your range. "It also shows you the Depth Level. "Don''t go too deep or you might fall into the World of Treacherous Shadows. "The Corners are located at Depth Level¡­." Elizabeth continued to exin. Neo could not focus on her. He was staring at the screen before his eyes. [Quest: Singlehandedly defeat the Shadow of Arthur Kingsley.] [Reward: Immortal Exp +50, Time Affinity] [ept/Refuse] Neo took in a sharp breath. The Quest confirmed Arthur''s Shadow will be there. ''I have to defeat Arthur''s Shadow alone?'' The Quest was impossible for the current him. However, the reward¡­. ''Time Affinity. I can''t give up on it.'' Neo cursed his luck. He had to make a choice. Chapter 101: Shadow Ink Neo took a deep breath. ''It''s Do or Die.'' [Quest epted.] He heard Elizabeth calling out to him while he was staring at the screen. "Neo Hargraves, are my words so useless that you think they aren''t worth listening to?" "I apologize, professor. "I was wondering who will be the leader of the S-rank mission." His words touched the topic everyone was trying to ignore. Three teams and three Corners. Clearly, each team would handle one Corner. However, a single failure could jeopardize the mission. All of them had to work together for the mission to be sessful. A mission leader was necessary. Harrison was about to speak when suddenly Mars stepped out. "The mission leader will be Neo." "What!?" "Why would he be the leader? He is one of the weakest guys here!" Mars red at the members of Zeus n when they opposed his decision. "It''s about Strength. "Our team is the strongest out of all three teams. "It''s a given our team leader should be the mission leader." The students, about to refuse, noticed Leonora and Mars. Two of the monsters were in Team Umbra. It was without a doubt the strongest team. ''He hasn''t forgiven Zeus n for the phoenix''s death.'' ''I better not let him know I was the one who allowed them do it.'' Neo smiled bitterly. "I agree with Mars decision," Lucas stepped up. "Neo should be the team leader." He looked at Arthur. "What do you think?" "¡­I''m okay with it." After the mission leader was decided, Elizabeth gave them the necessary equipment. A gas mask, three vials of healing elixir and Divine Energy elixir each, and a vial of ck ink. "It''s Shadow Ink. "You will be able to harm the Shadow monsters if you coat your weapons in them." Shadows could not be killed normally. Neo recalled the trouble he had to go through during the ranking tournament due to the Shadow monsters summoned by Nathan. The students opened the Shadow Ink vials and used it on their weapons. Lucas, Arthur, Neo, Nathan, Jack, and Leonora did not open their vials. "Why are you six not using the item?" "I have Holy Affinity, professor." "I awakened mine during the missions." "I can use Aura sh with Death element." Lucas, Arthur, and Neo answered. Listening to them, Elizabeth nodded and stared at the other three. "I have Shadow element." "Same." "H-holy affinity." Shadow Ink was created bybining poisonous substances with Shadow Elementals. It was harmful for Shadow monsters. Since they could fight shadow monsters with their affinities, they saved the ink forter use. Everyone decided to suit up. They wore the gas masks and checked their gears. Neo opened the small case with elixirs and noticed he had two extra vials. The liquid inside them was darker. There was a note next to them. ¡ªOne vial of Healing Elixir and Divine Energy Elixir. They are highly potent with strong side effects. Use them only if you have no other choice. ¡ªStay safe and don''t die. The elixirs were potent enough that consuming two at once would destroy Neo''s body. He would be knocked out after digesting even one. Their effect was, however, simrly effective. They would show instantaneous effect unlike normal elixirs. Neo raised his head and met Elizabeth''s eyes. ''Thank you.'' He mouthed. Elizabeth nodded. She seemed to have a lot to say, but she remained quiet "What are you thinking about?" Christian asked. "I was just¡­." Neo shook his head. "Never mind. It''s nothing." "I''ll protect our team. It''s my job as the tank. So stop making that worried face." Christian patted his shoulder and wore the gas mask. Neo nodded before he did the same. The three teams gathered. "Should we ask the academy staff to send us into the window?" Felix questioned. "It''s fine. Lucas can do it." He looked at Lucas and received a nod in return. Lucas joined his palms and rotated them into opposite directions. "Open." Broken shards of silvery light flickered. They formed a swirling portal. The shards suddenly condensed into a single point. A beatter, they spread out and formed a portal that opened inside the Window. The view of the other side was hidden by shadows. Dense shadow elemental rushed out of the portal. "Hurry!" Lucas muttered while he focused on maintaining the portal. Neo waited for everyone to enter the window. When he was about step to the other side, the portal closed. "Why did you do that?" Neo asked. "I wanted to talk to you alone." Lucas turned to Elizabeth. She pursed her lips and left. "Now¡­" Lucas stared at Neo. "I apologize for everything I did." "Why?" Neo frowned. "I''ve heard about your Bloodline. "It was unbing of me to regard you, a kin of death, as nothing more than an insignificant bug." "¡­Who told you that?" "I can''t reveal my sources." Lucas smiled. Neo clicked his tongue. "Is this all you had to say?" "No, I wanted to ask about our mission¡­." Lucas puckered his lips. "How many will die?" Neo looked at up at the Window. He took a moment to answer. "I can''t predict death that far in the future. It''s the domain of Fate affinity." "You should still be able to see something." Neo couldn''t. However, it was an opportunity. ''As I thought, this guy was able to find my bloodline.'' He knew who leaked the news. He revealed his bloodline to his teammates since he knew Lucas would find out about it. ''It was a good everything worked as I wanted.'' Lucas'' cooperation was necessary. If lying would get him that, he wouldply happily. "Most of us won''t return." "I see." Lucas'' eyes clouded. "Again, I apologize for my previous actions. "I hope we can put our differences aside and work together." Lucas raised his arm to shake hands. Neo smiled. "That''s a good idea." He held Lucas'' palm. After the reconciliation, Lucas reopened the portal. The two entered the Window. "Why were you guyste!?" "Hey, did something happen!" "Are you okay!?" The students surrounded them. "There was no problem. I just couldn''t maintain the portal and had to close it for a short time," Lucas answered. Suddenly, their watches rang. "It''s the rm for our Shadows." Neo swept his gaze to see how many among them would have a Shadow. Chapter 102: Unique Skill: Invincible Their watches rang. "It''s the rm for our Shadows." Neo swept his gaze to see how many among them would have a Shadow. "Us two." ra and Sean, members of Team Lumen, revealed their watches. Harrison slightly raised his watch to show he had a Shadow and stayed silent. "Three Shadows. It should be manageable," Felix muttered. They surveyed the surroundings. Broken pieces ofnds, with destroyed buildings, floated in an empty void. The gravity was messed up. Some pieces ofnds floated upside down and some floated directly at a right angle. High above, there was a swirling mass of shadows. "That''s the door to the Depth Level 2. "Use your equipment to check if there is any Corner at our current Depth Level." Neomanded. He looked around and failed to see any Shadow monsters. Shadows and Shadow monsters were different. Unlike Shadow monsters, Shadows could use the abilities of their original counterpart and copy their battle tactics. Suddenly, another watch rang. "My Shadow is near," Arthur spoke. The group fell silent. Their nerves grew taut. They kept an eye on the surroundings when Shadows of Harrison, ra, and Sean appeared. "All three of them are close quarterbatants. "Use long range attacks to deal with them," Neo said. "Let my team handle¡ª" "I¡­ I''ll do it." Leonora cut off Lucas and stepped up. "Remember our p-promise." She whispered when she passed by Neo. She chanted spells. Three magic circles appeared in the air. A powerful water beam shot out of them each. The Shadows dodged the attacks nimbly when suddenly the water beams changed their directions and followed the Shadows. It was easy. Too easy. ¡­As if they were a distractions. Neo senses rang. He turned around and saw Arthur''s Shadow walking towards them at a leisure pace. It held daggers in both hand. ''Arthur is an assassin. Why is his Shadow attacking us so openly?'' ''Don''t tell me¡ª'' "Everyone set up your defenses!" They were slow to heed to Neo''s warning. Arthur''s Shadow opened its mouth. "Unique Skill: Invincible." ck lightning gathered around it. A heavy presence mmed on top of the three teams. Christian stood before Neo and used his defensive Magic Spell when¡ª Arthur''s Shadow disappeared and reappeared behind Christian. ck lightning crackled. And. Christian''s head fell off from his body. Blood spurted from Christian''s headless body. There was no time for anyone to react. Everything happened too quickly. Arthur''s Shadow disappeared again. Lightning crackled. Neo had barely enough time to use Ocean''s Embrace. A sharp pain surged through his heart. The dagger pierced his chest, but failed to pierce his heart. Neo clutched his chest. Arthur''s Shadow appeared far behind him. It turned its head, surprised to see Neo alive. Before it could attack him again, a fire dragon and a condensed water beam attacked it from different sides. The attacks connected. ck lightning crackled and the Shadow disappeared again. It reappeared before Leonora, unscathed. The dagger in its arm swiftly attacked her heart. A water wall suddenly shot up between Leonora and Arthur''s Shadow. The wall stopped the dagger. Leonora was about to attack until she saw the Shadow twisting the dagger. ck lightning gathered at the tip of the de and exploded. The water wall dispersed into a mist. Leonora sensed an attack and raised her arm to protect her neck. The dagger sliced her arm off and was about to slit her neck when suddenly the Shadow stopped and retreated at a swift pace. An aura sh passed through the area where the Shadow had been moments ago. The Shadow looked at Neo, the one responsible for the attack, before it disappeared. Everyone waited. One breath¡­ Two breaths¡­ Ten breaths¡­. There was no follow up attack. "Did the Shadows¡­ retreat?" Jack questioned. Neo bit his lips. ''This damned protagonist''s Shadow. Why is it using the unique skill from the get go!?'' Invincible Unique skill could be used only once every 24 hours. The Shadow shouldn''t have used unless¡­ "Stay vignt!" Neo shouted. "It hasn''t ended!" "Unique Skill: Thunderbolt." A ck lightning bolt descended from the sky. The group dispersed to dodge. Neo ran and picked up Leonora since she was too shocked to react. ''That attack is powerful. But there is no way it will hit us.'' ''Why did the Shadow use that?'' While they were distracted, fist-sized ck portals appeared next to everyone''s head. Arrows shot out of them at a lightning-fast pace. Neo detected the attack on time. However, he couldn''t dodge with Leonora in his arms. He triggered Ocean''s Embrace and used his body to block the attack on him and Leonora. He heard shouts of his teammates. Not everyone was able to dodge or block the attack. "Ch¡ª Christian¡­" Neo was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Leonora''s broken voice. She was staring at Christian''s corpse while ignoring her own injury. A thin water film, created by Ruby, stopped her arm''s bleeding, but she had lost too much blood. She could go into shock at any moment. Neo raised his head to scan the surroundings. There was no further attack. ''They probably retreated after the duration of Arthur Shadow''s unique skills ended.'' He pressed his chest to stop the bleeding. "Fuck¡­" Thest attack, probably by Lucas'' Shadow, took out four members. ra from Team Lumen. Gwen and Kendrick from Team Astra. And. Jack from Team Umbra. Nobody spoke. While they kept an eye on surroundings, they tried to organize their thoughts and calm their emotions. Too much happened too quickly. Neo picked up Leonora''s arm and returned to her. "Christian¡­ Christian¡­" She was shaking the corpse, trying to wake him up. Her eyes were unfocused. The scene broke Neo''s heart. He had known both of them for less than a week. Still. He found it hard to breath. His ears were ringing loudly and he couldn''t think of anything. His mind was frozen. "Leonora¡­" His body continued to move. This was no time to rest. Shadows could use Shadow element and the elements they ''mimicked'' from the original. Unless Leonora''s injury was baptized and healed quickly, her body would be contaminated by the Shadow World and she would be a shadow monster. It was the same for Neo. Chapter 103: Elemental Interference Neo took out the healing elixir given by Elizabeth. He took a sip and forced the rest of it into Leonora''s mouth. She tried to resist. "Drink it. "Or do you want to die like Christian." Leonora stiffened. She stared at Neo with unfocused eyes and gulped down the potion. At the same time, Neo carefully pressed the severed arm back against the stump of her hand. "Circte your Holy Affinity." She nodded. Veins wriggled on her arm and ck blood dripped out of the wound. The severed arm was attached slowly. Holy Affinity and Healing Elixir put together were barely able to heal her. A scar remained where the cross-section of the severed arm met the stump. Leonora was breathing heavily. Her eyes were bloodshot and her lips were pale blue. She could lose consciousness at any moment. Raising her hand, she ced her palm on Neo''s chest and baptized his injury with Holy affinity. "Thank you." "¡­." Neo heard amotion among the group. Sean, ra''s twin brother, held Arthur by his color. "Why can your Shadow use the unique skill of Zeus Bloodline!? "Why didn''t you stop your Shadow!? "If it could use the skill you could too! "Why¡­ why did you let my sister die¡­?" Sean broke into tears. The mood of the group became heavy. Neo looked around and noticed Lucas staring at him. ''Stop them from fighting amongst themselves.'' He mouthed. Lucas nodded. He approached Sean and Arthur. "As I thought, you had Zeus n''s bloodline." "You knew about this¡­?" Sean questioned. "I had a guess." "Then why¡ª" "Arthur''s Unique Skill must have been sealed. "The same is done to all illegitimate children of Zeus n. "None of us could''ve guessed his Shadow could use the skill." Zeus n being Arthur''s origin was a great shock to Sean. However, he couldn''t care less at the moment. "You think I give a fuck!? "Tell me, why didn''t you use your skills to fight back! "We have 6 people from Zeus n here! "The six of you could''ve easily overpowered Arthur''s Shadow if you used your skill¡ª" Lucas punched Sean in the gut. The hit knocked the air out of him. "Don''t me others if you are too weak to protect yourself." Sean coughed. He held his stomach and red at Lucas. Before he could speak, Harrison interfered. He pushed Sean. "Skill Invincible. "You think it''s easy to use?" "Of course it is! It''s a skill! You can activate it with a snap!" "Did this damned idiote to the mission without learning anything? "Invincible leaves major aftereffects, sometimes even permanent injuries, upon its use. "If it was easy to trigger, everyone with Zeus Bloodline would''ve been spamming it!" "That''s no excuse¡ª" "Fucking shithead. "If it''s too hard for you to understand, then I''ll spell it out clearly. "We tried. "We tried to activate our skills. "But we couldn''t due to Elemental Interference." The words made Sean frown. He opened his mouth. "Elemental Interference¡­?" "Wait a second. "You don''t know what is Elemental Interference?" Harrison blinked. He couldn''t believe his ears. "Fuck, this is why I hate you fuckers from outside God ns. "Talent? Skills? Potential? "How the fuck is it useful when you idiots are drunk on your sess ¡ª just because you entered the academy ¡ª when you have zero knowledge to back it up!?" "W-what do you mean!?" Sean tried to argue back. It only angered Harrison. "You tried to fight your team leader and my team leader because of yourcking knowledge!" Elemental Interference. Not everyone could use strong skills, like Invincible, and powerful Magic Spells with their limited internal Divine Energy pool. Most demigods absorbed ambient Divine Energy from air and used it for these abilities. When two demigods used simr skills, say Invincible, both of them would draw Divine Energy from air. The one who activated with the skill first would absorb most Divine Energy from the air. Thus, the other demigod wouldn''t be able to activate their skill or they could use only a weaker version. There were ways to avoid Elemental Interference, but they were hard to achieve. "Okay, stop fighting. "ming others is not going to help," Lucas said. The mood of the group was not improving. Neo opened his mouth. "Nathan, did you analyze the area?" "Y-yes." Nathan was surprised when Neo called out to him. He checked his watch and shook his head. "There are no Corners on this Depth Level." "I see. Store the corpses in your Shadow Space. We are going to move now." "S-store?" "Yes, you should know what will happen if we leave them here." Nathan bit his lips and nodded. None of them expected Arthur''s Shadow to go for the kill. It was not how Shadows behaved. They realized it was due to Arthur being an assassin. The Shadow acted how would act. It did not capture the opponents and killed them instead. Suddenly, they heard noises and noticed dozens of Shadow monsters running in their direction. "They were lured by the corpses," Neo said. "Lucas, Harrison, Arthur, and Felix. You four deal with those shadow monsters. "Mars, protect Nathan while he stores the corpses. "I''ll keep an eye on the surroundings for sneak attacks¡­." Neo stopped speaking when he noticed Leonora chanting a Spell. He was fine since he drank only a little from the potion, but she was on the verge of losing her consciousness. A giant whale appeared in the sky. It let out a high-pitched cry and flew over the Shadow monsters. Snowkes fell down from its body. The kes burst into frozen icicles upon contacting the Shadow monsters. The icicles spread rapidly, freezing everything they touched. In moments, the Shadow monsters were buried within a massive, gleaming iceberg. "¡­" Neo looked at Leonora in his arms. She lost consciousness. Her head was burning and her Divine Energy reserves hit rock bottom. ''She would have fainted either way, so she decided to faint after doing everything she could.'' ''Was she wasshing out after Christian''s death?'' Neo picked her up and looked at his teammates. "We need to keep moving." "N-Neo, there is something I need to tell you. "Jack''s corpse disappeared before I could store it." Chapter 104: Contract With Former Grim Reaper "It''s fine. He was a shadow wielder so I expected it to happen." "Doesn''t that mean he is still¡ª" "Focus on the mission for now. "We don''t know at which Depth Level Jack will revive. Trying to rescue him in our current situation is no different from a suicide mission." "¡­" Nathan nodded with a stiffened expression. "Let''s go," Neo said. The group moved towards the swirling portal at the top. It was the doorway to the Depth Level 2. Neo remained at the back of the group. He took a look at their situation. Five members died and they could not kill a single Shadow. They were decimated. And he had to kill Arthur''s Shadow singlehandedly? ''Is that even possible?'' ''Status,'' Neo thought. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 4 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 5 Mythic] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 28 ¦éSpeed: 32 ¦éDexterity: 26 ¦éConstitution: 25 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest] ¦éComplete Barbatos'' training (Part 1) ¦éDefeat Arthur Kingsley''s Shadow singlehandedly He looked at his status screen. "Yeah, it''s impossible with these stats and Spells." Neo couldn''t win unless he cheated. He made his decision and spoke in a barely audible voice, "Paimon, I want to make a contract." "Do you want to revive your friends? It''s not impossible, but I''m no longer a Grim Reaper¡ª" "I''ll sacrifice my blood." "¡­" Paimon became silent. The blood of Hades'' descendent was a nectar for anyone living in Underworld. Even for her. "You do realize what that means doesn''t it? "You will never be able to recover the blood you will sacrifice." "I know." It was only a slight problem. He would gain more God Blood as his rank increased and when he devoured others with Darkness. "What is that you want in exchange for your blood?" "Return the blessing of Underworld to me." Paimon thought about it. "I can return yourplete blessing temporarily. "Or I can return a part of it permanently. "Make your choice." "I can''t gain theplete blessing permanently?" "I cannot do that without Barbatos'' permission and I doubt he wants your blood." Neo was surprised. He wondered how strong Barbatos was for him to think of Neo''s God Blood as worthless. "I''ll give my answerter." Partial blessing of Underworld wouldn''t put him on par with Arthur''s Shadow. The group entered the portal to Depth Level 2. They felt as if they were drowning in quagmire. When they opened their eyes, they were in a simr but different location. The presence of shadow element in the air increased considerably and the area itself grew twice asrge as Depth Level 2. A few shadow monsters attacked them. "Make sure your masks don''t fall." Neo continued. "Team Astra, deal with the monsters. "Nathan,e with me." Lucas, Harrison, and Cassandra intercepted the shadow monsters. Nathan approached Neo with a hesitant gait. "Darkness¡­e." Neo used Coffin of Darkness. The Darkness beneath his feet bloomed and formed a dome with Neo and Nathan within it. "W-what is it?" "I want you to search for the Shadows." Nathan''s brow jumped. "How can I do it!? "Arthur is an Assassin and others have their own unique techniques. I can''t find them." "Calm down. I have a n." Neo exined. "Use your Shadow summons to infiltrate the ranks of Shadow monsters. "As long as you don''t attack first, the Shadow monsters wouldn''t attack your summons. "It should allow you search the entire Depth Level without any interference from the monsters." "¡­" The Shadow monsters summoned by Nathan were named Shadow summons. However, the summons were not different from Shadow monsters at all. Neo''s idea sounded usible on paper. On paper only. "It''s impossible. "I don''t have enough Divine Energy for such thing," Nathan said. "Use the ambient Divine Energy. "It''s already infused with shadow element so it should reduce the strain on your Divine Energy pool drastically," Neo answered. "That¡­ that sounds possible?" Nathan continued with a perplexed expression. "I should be able to do it if I follow your words. "But was there a need to use Coffin of Darkness to talk about this?" Nathan questioned. "Arthur''s Shadow can use Spells to eavesdrop our conversation. Don''t forget he has Sound Affinity," Neo answered. Nathan''s face hardened. He always knew Arthur was strong. But having him as an enemy was an entirely different level of nightmare. Neo patted Nathan''s shoulder. "Do everything covertly. "Make sure no one catches a whiff of what you are doing, not even our teammates." Neo removed the Coffin of Darkness after Nathan agreed to the job. As soon as he came out, Lucas approached him. "We''ve defeated all Shadow monsters in the vicinity. Their next nearest group will reach us in fifteen minutes." "What about the Corners?" Lucas'' watch rang. He read the details and opened his mouth. "Two Corners are at our current Depth Level. "They are in opposite directions. "Left one is 1.5 kilometers away from our current location and the right one is at 3.5 kilometers distance." Neo quickly formted a n. The original information given by the academy said all three Corners were at Depth Level 2. It wasmon for the information to be wrong since they used devices to collect data without entering the Window. "We''ll split into two teams. Five members each. "Lucas, Harrison, Felix, Mars, Cassandra. You five will go to the Corner in the east. "The rest wille to the other Corner with me." Putting Felix together with people from Zeus n could bring trouble. But Neo knew Lucas and Mars would stop any infighting. "What if the Shadows return while we are separated?" Lucas asked. "Adopt a defensive stance and use a re to call back the other team. "Lucas, use your portals to cover the distances quickly if a re is used," Neo exined. The group split up. Neo, Sean, Arthur, and Nathan ran in the direction of the west-side Corner. ¡­ Depth Level 5, Window #12862 Arthur''s Shadow moved through the castle corridor. It entered a broken hall. The Shadows of Harrison, Sean, ra and Lucas sat around on the rubbles. "Good work," it said. "Especially you, Lucas. Your ability to attack from outside their detectors range helped greatly." The Shadows nodded. Arthur''s Shadow frowned. "Why is it that none of you can talk, but I can?" Unable to find an answer, it shook its head. "Prepare ''that''. I can''t use the Invincible again, so I have to be reborn." Lucas'' Shadow nodded. It created a portal and took out a ck crystal from it. Upon seeing the Shadow Elemental Seed in Lucas''s Shadow hand, Arthur''s Shadow nodded and pulled out its dagger. It stabbed its heart. The Shadow''s form shook. ck blood spilled out of its injury and it died. Suddenly, the corpse of Arthur''s Shadow shrunk and formed a ck crystal. The crystal was vaporizing into ck mist at a slow pace. Lucas'' Shadow used the Shadow Elemental Seed in its hand and ced it next to the crystal formed from Arthur Shadow''s corpse. Both crystals fused. They stopped vaporizing and absorbed the shadow element infused Divine Energy from the air. The crystal expanded. It transformed into Arthur''s Shadow. "The timer was reset. I can finally use the skill again." The Shadow yed with the daggers. "I can''t understand why we have to mimic the weakness of the original too." It turned around to look at other Shadows. "Do you guys know why it happens?" There was no answer. The Shadows stared at Arthur''s Shadow silently. A sigh escaped its lips. Arthur''s Shadow did not know why, but it felt lonely. ¡­ West-side of Depth Level 2, Window #12862 The mood couldn''t have been worse. Leonora was unconscious and Neo carried her on his back. Arthur was silent ¡ª too silent ¡ª as he dealt with the stray shadow monsters on their path. Sean fought the monsters that slipped past Arthur''s defense. However, seeing how he was not stopping monsters that attacked Arthur''s back, it was clear Sean was not in the right state of mind. Nathan was busy controlling his Shadow Summons to search for the Shadows. They reached an inconspicuous building. "The detector shows the Corner is inside there," Neo said. He continued as he looked at Arthur and Sean. "I know you guys have a lot on your mind. But you need to focus on what''s infront of you. "If we fail here, none of us can return alive." Sean clenched his teeth. His arms shook and before he could say anything Arthur spoke, "I''m sorry." Sean looked away. "It''s okay. I know it was not your fault," he answered after a short silence. "Since you guys made up, let''s enter the building," Neo said. He knew it was a stopgap, but it had to be done. They had to focus on the mission at hand instead of losing their cool due to the deaths of their teammates. Neo added, "Be on your toes. "Strong monsters stay in the vicinity of Corners since they try to absorb the elementals leaking from the Corners. "I don''t know what we will encounter inside, but it won''t be easy to defeat." They entered the building. Chapter 105: Securing Corners The interior of the building was covered in darkness. "Keep your eyes peeled open¡­." Neo stopped speaking when he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around only to find nothing. "W-what is it?" Nathan questioned. "¡­" Before Neo could answer, he sensed another presence rushing at him. Something came out of the wall. It was the face of a woman with hollow cheek and empty eye sockets. The woman smiled. She giggled and disappeared back into the wall. "Stay sharp!" Neo shouted. Arthur and Sean took out their weapons. Suddenly, a hand came out of the floor and grabbed Sean''s neck. It smashed his face into the floor before disappearing into the wall. A leg came out of the roof to tten Sean''s neck. Arthur arrived at the nick of the time and shed at the leg. He nned to cut off the monster''s limb only to find his dagger passing through the leg as if it was air. The leg returned to where it came from. "Huh?" "It''s a wraith. It can make its body tangible and intangible at wish. "Our attacks won''t connect if it sees theming." Neo''s words made Arthur frown. "Intangibility? Isn''t that too overpowered?" "Not really," Neo answered. He helped Sean stand. "You okay?" "Cough! Y-yes, I was just caught off guard." "Good, let''s keep moving." The wraith kept harassing them on their way to the Corner. Whenever they would try to attack, it would make its body intangible and their attacks would pass through its body harmlessly. Leonora woke up. She groaned and tried to move. "Let''s take a break," Neo said. They sat at the center of a long corridor. Neo put down Leonora carefully. He gave her a bottle of water. Giving her another recovery elixir, even if it was weaker, was lethal in her current condition. "Thank you." She gulped down the water with trembling arms. "Neo, the wraith¡­. Is it okay to sit like this when it can attack us at any moment?" Arthur asked. "Yeah, it''s fine. Look at this." Neo pointed at the ground. The Darkness beneath his feet was not normal. Arthur realized they were inside the Coffin of Darkness. "Monsters follow their instincts. "The wraith won''t try to attack us through the Coffin of Darkness." "Isn''t it hard to maintain something like this for a long time?" "It is. That''s why I used it only when we had to rest." As he answered, Sean spoke up, "What¡­ what are we doing? "We''ve been walking for over two hours and we haven''t reached the Corner. "I should''ve never epted this mission. "My sister died and now even I will die, stuck in a damned ce that is making us walk in the same ce over and over." He started to cry. His voice cracked. "We aren''t stuck in a loop. We are moving forward. "It''s just that this ''space'' couldn''t bear the weight of high amount of elemental leaking from Corner and it ended up being stretched," Neo exined. "No! We are in a loop! Can''t you see we''ve been walking in the same corridor!" "S-Sean, calm down. Shouting will just tire you out." Arthur intervened. He tried to pat Sean''s back, but Sean swatted his hand away and red at him. ''Sean is beginning to lose his cool," Neo thought. While he was thinking of how to improve the mood of the group, he felt a tug. Leonora was holding the end of his sleeve. "¡­?" "I''ll deal with the wraith and the Corner." Neo frowned. Leonora, although awake, was in no condition to fight. She had recovered only a small portion of her Divine Energy. Her eyes were shaking, unable to focus, and her breaths were short. "You should rest. We can deal with it ourselves¡ª" "N-no," she said as she tried to stand. "The Shadows can return at any moment. Trying to close the Corner while dealing with them will cost us greatly. "Open the Coffin of Darkness." Her gaze was firm. She used the wall as a support and waited for him. Neo knew his words wouldn''t change her mind. He sighed and released the Darkness. The giggles of wraith returned. "H-hold your breath," she said. The group followed her instructions before she chanted a Spell. A cry of a whale echoed when suddenly cracks started to appear on the walls. Water leaked into the corridor through the cracks. The flow increased. Like a dam had burst, the corridor was flooded within seconds. A whip of water held everyone by the waist. The Grim Reaper''s giggles turned into the screams of banshee. It came out of the wall. The monster was no longer smiling. It tried to attack Leonora. However, it couldn''t touch her since it had turned intangible to avoid being blown away by the strong water currents. The wraith pulled at its hair. Its scream turned into cries when the building started to break. Cancelling its intangibility, it lunged at Leonora only to get smashed into the wall by a powerful surge of water. The wraith wailed as the wall beneath it cracked. It was crushed to death before it could reactivate the intangibility. Leonora stopped chanting the Spell. She triggered another Spell. The water stopped leaking into the building and it began to turn into the mist. "Cough! Cough!" Nathan and Sean doubled over. Their faces were red from holding their breath for too long. "Couldn''t you have used an air bubble to let us breath?" Nathan asked as he huffed. "I haven''t learned that Spell." "Why?" "Cause all of my nmates can breathe underwater." Nathan flinched when Leonora mentioned her nmates. He looked away. While they talked, Neo devoured the wraith''s corpse. [Reflex +2] He approached Leonora. "How are you feeling now?" "I''m o-okay." It felt wrong to see Leonora, known for herziness, push through pain and exhaustion to fight the monsters. Neo didn''tment on it and instead told them to continue towards the Corner. After the wraith died, it was easy for them to move around. The corridors ended after a long walk and they reached a hall. There, at the center, was a crack in the air. Shadow elementals rushed out of it at great speed. "..." Neo took out a circr object. He pressed the button on it and threw it towards the Corner. The sphere exploded into white sticky substance and covered the crack ¡ª the Corner ¡ª like a cap. He pressed the earpiece. "We have secured the Corner at the west-side. "Team 2, report your progress." There was a short silence before the earpiece crackled to life and Lucas'' voice flowed through it. "We need another hour." "Got it." The group sat in the empty area of the hall. "Won''t there be more monsters here? I doubt the wraith was the only one," Arthur questioned. He looked at Neo. Neo turned to Leonora. "M-my attack took them out and R-ruby is guarding the building''s perimeter." She pulled her hoodie down and tried to suppress her irregr breathing while she answered. Her face was pale and she was sweating heavily. "I don''t think any monster can sneak in here, so w-we should be safe." Arthur''s brow furrowed when he heard her. "What about my Shadow and Lucas'' Shadow?" "Don''t worry about them," Neo said. Neo was covering the hall''s floor with Darkness. It worked as an impromptu detector. "I will sense your Shadow as soon as it steps into the hall even if it''s invisible. "As for Lucas'' Shadow, it can create portals only at ces within its visible range. "The hall is empty and open. It won''t be able to catch us by surprise here." His words put them at the ease. They took a rest until they received an answer from Lucas. Neo''s earpiece rang. "We''ve secured the Corner." "Good job." He heard Lucas cough. "Now what are we going to do? "To close the Window, we have to destroy all three Corners at the same time. "These Stasis Bombs are just a stopgap method." Lucas exhaled as he continued. "The third Corner must be at another Depth Level. "Who will stay behind and who will go ahead?" They had to make sure the seal on the Corners was not lifted by the monsters. And someone had to stay behind and destroy the two Corners at Depth Level 2 when the others destroyed the third Corner. Neo looked at Nathan. "They aren''t at Depth Level 2," Nathan answered. ''So the Shadows are waiting for us at Depth Level 3 where thest Corner is,'' Neo thought. The Shadows wanted to fight them after they split into smaller group. He understood this. However, they could not all go to the third Corner. .... Author''s Note: Thank you to all my readers. It''s been fun to write Hades'' Son and we''ve recently hit 100 chapters mark. It''s something I could do only because of all my readers who read daily or returned to read the chaps every few days. With thanks out of the way, I want to talk about ''Trivia'' section I''m going to start. After writing 100k words, I''ve noticed I can''t put all information in the novel even if it will add to the world building (since it''s not needed or is useless). From today, I''ll add ''Trivia'' to reveal these little world building snippets I''ve been cutting out of the novel. Trivia #1: Arthur''s Shadow spoke the name of the Unique Skills since it enhances the effect of the skills. Mimicked skills and Spells are weaker than the original thus calling out their names to strengthen them is important. It allows the Shadows to use attacks as strong as the original. (The next Trivia will be all in Author''s Thought and not in the chapter. Make sure to check Author''s Thoughts regrly.) Chapter 106: Depth Level 3 "Harrison, Lucas, Sean, Arthur, Nathan and I will go to Depth Level 3. "The rest will stay behind." His words made them react. "I w-want toe to the Depth Level 3," Leonora said. "Let me follow you." Mars'' voice flowed from the earpiece. Neo pursed his lips. ''Looks like the deaths affected them greatly.'' He pressed the earpiece. "No, I can''t allow that. "Mars, I''m taking most of the heavy hitters with myself. I need someone strong to protect the Corners after we leave." "¡­" There was a short silence before Mars responded. "Okay." His voice was off, but Neo did not purse the issue. "Leonora, I can''t take you either. You are in no condition to fight." "I can fight. I defeated multiple monsters after the Shadows'' attack and I dealt with the Corner." She spoke in between her ragged breathes and stared at him with bloodshot eyes. "N-Neo, I will go to the Depth Level 3. "Either with everyone or alone." "What¡­? "You think this is a game? You will die if you encounter Arthur''s Shadow in your current condition!" The group flinched when Neo raised his voice. It was their first time seeing him like that. "Christian, Kendrick, Gwen, and ra are already dead. "We aren''t sure if we can rescue Jack. "People are losing their lives, Leonora. Stop acting like a brat. "This isn''t your n. "We won''t pamper your requests." She clenched her teeth. Heaven''s Gifted¡­ Genius¡­ Leonora had been called with many simr titles. Her natural talent was unrivalled. It was why she couldzy around all day, skip training, and still stand on par with geniuses like Morrigan and Mars. What if she had put in effort and trained diligently? ''I could''ve saved Christian.'' Leonora strengthened her resolve. She red at Neo. "I d-don''t care. I''m going to the next Depth Level." "..." He let out a sigh. "Fine. But I don''t care if you die." When everyone became silent, Lucas spoke, "Is it okay for seven of us to go and leave only thee here? "The Shadows might attack them while we are away." "That won''t happen. The Shadows will attack our group since everyone who has a Shadow ising with us." "What if they are already at this Depth Level? I''m sure they''ll go after Mars and others before following us to Depth Level 3." "They aren''t here." "¡­Are you sure?" "I am." Neo added. "Send Cassandra here. She will guard one Corner while Mars and Felix will guard other." Since Felix was too weak, Neo decided to keep him with Mars for safety purposes. Cassandra arrived at their location after a few dozen minutes. Neo exined to her about the current situation of the building. "There are no monsters at the moment. "You should be able to deal with ones who are lured by the Corner since this is only Depth Level 2. "If too many monsterse at once, use the narrow corridors to fight them one by one while Marse to your location." He gave her two slips of paper, one red and the other blue. "These are one time usemunicators. They will work even if we are at different Depth Level. "Use the red one if you and Mars can''t deal with monsters and need our help. "The blue one is to time the destruction of the Corners." "Understood." She looked far from enthused to receive orders from Neo. "Is there any problem?" he asked. "No." She clicked her tongue and looked away. ''Our teamwork is a mess,'' Neo thought. He left with Leonora, Arthur, Sean and Nathan. They met with Harrison and Lucas at the entrance of the doorway to Depth Level 3. "Let''s enter. "Again, keep an eye on your masks. Make sure it isn''t broken or loose. "We can''t afford a careless mistake like that." The mask created a translucentyer around their bodies. It protected them from the high-concentration of Shadow elemental inside the Window. They would die without it. The group stepped into the swirling mass of shadows. They felt as if they were stepping into quagmire. Opening their eyes, they found themselves on the other side. The concentration of shadow elemental increased by several folds. An invisible presence was pressing down on them. "Use your Divine Energy carefully. "The air here is full of shadow elemental. "There isn''t much non-elemental Divine Energy to absorb if you run out of juice," Neo said. He looked at the groupplicated gaze before releasing an inaudible sigh. ''This is going to decide how everything goes.'' Neo opened his mouth after he checked the watch. "The third Corner is here." The indicator on the watch continuously. "We will split into two groups. "One group will deal with Shadows while the other group ¡ª Nathan and I ¡ª secures the Corner." Everyone stared at him with varied expression. Apprehension, doubt, worry. "Just you two? "The monsters at Depth Level 3 are stronger than the previous Depth Level. Are you sure you want to face the monster guarding the Corner with only Nathan? "What if Shadows attack you?" Lucas spoke. "We can deal with the monsters ourselves. "The Shadows won''t attack us. Despite being strong, they are still monsters in the end. "Their instinct is to attack the original to take over their bodies." Neo''s words made Lucas stare at him for a few seconds. Lucas answered after a while. "¡­It''s your call. I''ll follow the orders of the mission leader." Everyone except Arthur agreed. "We don''t need to split off. "It''s better to deal with the Shadows first, then the Corners." "That''s where you are wrong, Arthur. The Shadows will revive even if we eliminate them. "We have to destroy the Corners if we want to close the Window and leave. "Defeating Shadows is not our goal. It''s a distraction that needs to be dealt with." Arthur did not look convinced. Neo added, "Don''t worry, we''ll ask for help if we can''t secure the Corner ourselves." "Fine¡­" Neo left with Nathan after exining them the order they should fight the Shadows. He created a Domain of Darkness when they were far from the group. "Are we really going to secure the Corner alone?" "No, I lied to them." A relieved expression appeared on Nathan''s face until he heard Neo''s next words. "Keep a Shadow summon near Arthur''s group and use the others to search for Lucas'' Shadow. "Lucas is smart enough to know what I''m nning, so he will make sure the Shadow summon near them isn''t killed." "Is this to¡­" "Yeah, we''ll go after Lucas'' Shadow as soon as Arthur''s Shadow attacks their group." "Two of us alone against Lucas'' Shadow?!" He stared at Neo in disbelief. "There is no other choice. Lucas'' Shadow can use portals. It can help the other Shadows escape or ambush us easily." Unless Lucas'' Shadow was defeated they could never win. Neo continued. "Had I brought anyone else with us, the Shadows would''ve kept an eye on us and went after us too. ''This is why it''s only us two." "Look like I get your n. But it''s impossible for us to defeat Lucas'' Shadow! "He is the second strongest from the Zeus n after Morrigan! "Hell, he could''ve contended for the first rank if he was allowed by his n!" "We can defeat his Shadow. Didn''t I do what he couldn''t? I defeated Morrigan and I''m the Ruler." "You cheated back then!" "I had a n at that time and I do one now." Nathan suddenly became quiet. Despite everything, he was more afraid of Neo than Arthur. Arthur was strong ¡ª very strong ¡ª but only that. He had nothing other than his strength. Neo, however, was shrewd and smart on top of being a capable fighter. He disyed multiple times why he shouldn''t be faced as an enemy. His n back during the ranking tournament to defeat Morrigan and rescue Felix. His team receiving a slot after they failed to clear the participation requirement for the S-rank mission. His crystal clear instructions after they entered the Window. ''Maybe we can defeat Lucas'' Shadow?'' Nathan pursed his lips. "Do you really have a n to defeat Lucas'' Shadow?" "Yeah." It was not exactly a n, but saying the truth would make it hard to get Nathan''s cooperation. After receiving Nathan''s approval, Neo cancelled the Coffin of Darkness. They moved around while fighting and avoiding Shadow monsters before Nathan received a feedback. He clutched his forehead and closed his eyes. "My Shadow summon following the team just died." "Is it the Shadows?" "I think, yes. The summon said Arthur and everyone suddenly took out their weapons." "Looks like the battle started on their side. What about Lucas'' Shadow?" "About that¡­" Nathan squeezed his eyes shut. "I''ve been searching all high vantage points that have a clear view at Arthur and others. "Only three ces are left. One of them should''ve Lucas'' Shadow¡ª" He stopped speaking and took an audible breath. "Found it." Chapter 107: Fighting Against The Shadows Depth Level 3, North-east side The group of Lucas, Harrison, Leonora, Arthur and Sean was moving forward when suddenly Arthur pulled out his dagger and shed. An invisible flying dagger shed against his de. "They are here!" He warned. The group pulled out their weapons. They dodged while Leonora chanted a Spell. The area was quickly covered in faint mist. It allowed them to see the trajectory of the daggers flying at them. Suddenly, Harrison turned around. He stared at the empty air far from them. "Found you!" Condensed golden lightning crackled around him. Skill Invincible. He disappeared from his position, leaving behind a trail of lightning, and shed. "Unique Skill: Invincible." ck lightning surged. The air rippled and Arthur''s Shadow was revealed. It blocked Harrison''s attack with his forearm. Harrison clicked his tongue and disappeared from his position as he reappeared back at the group''s location. "The Shadow can use the Skill even though I used it first." His face contorted. Arthur''s mastery over lightning was higher than him. Far higher. Which was why he could use the skill. Harrison could not ept it. The truth in front of his eyes ¡ª that an illegitimate holder of Zeus'' bloodline was better than him ¡ª made his blood boil with anger. "I''ll deal with him alone." "That wasn''t the n¡ª" "Shut up!" Harrison disappeared, leaving behind a trail of lightning. He shed with Arthur''s Shadow. ck and golden lightning danced around the battlefield. They were too fast to be seen with naked eyes. The others were about to join the fight when suddenly another trail of ck lightning rushed towards Harrison and Arthur''s Shadow. Harrison''s Shadow, having activated Invincible, attacked. He barely had time to block Arthur Shadow''s attack when the de hit his back. It didn''t prate his body since Invincible increased all stats, including durability, greatly. However, it threw him away like a rag doll. His body bounced once and a ck portal suddenly appeared before him, transporting him to another ce. Harrison''s Shadow followed him into the portal before the portal closed. "Damn it. They teleported Harrison away," Arthur said. He clenched his teeth and tried to block his approaching Shadow. Suddenly, Sean shouted. Something invisible grabbed him and pulled him into a portal that appeared next to him. "Follow the n! We''ll defeat them individually!" Lucas shouted. He used his portal to teleport himself. And jumped into the portal where Sean was pulled. It closed as soon as Lucas entered. Only Arthur and Leonora were left. They faced Arthur''s Shadow. ¡­ Depth Level 3, South-east side Lucas looked down. Two daggers pierced his torso and one was stabbed into his thigh. "I couldn''t react on time." Just before Lucas entered the portal, Arthur''s Shadow threw daggers at him. The speed and force behind the attacks took Lucas by surprise. Lucas scanned his surroundings. He was sent to a forest at the edge of the floatingnd. His gaze shifted to Sean on the ground. "Get up." Sean groaned as he tried to stand. The two prepared to fight when the air far ahead of them distorted. Two Shadows ¡ª ra and Sean''s Shadow ¡ª appeared after the invisibility casted on them disappeared. "C-ra? You are alive?" Sean''s voice broke. The Shadow did not attack. They waited. As if they knew Sean would break. "It''s m-me, ra. Your brother." Sean lowered his sword. He staggered towards the Shadow. A portal suddenly appeared below him and Sean fell into it. "It doesn''t look like he is going to help. Might as well send him somewhere else," Lucas said. He could see Sean was not in the right state of mind. Lucas did not care about Sean. He was worried Sean would do something stupid and cost them both their life, and thus teleported him away. "Neo warned me you two are undefeatable when you fight together. I wonder if that''s true." Lucas maintained his smile. His eyes gleamed with confidence as he stared down at Sean and ra Shadows. Sean Shadow''s eyes narrowed. Despite being a monster, it had basic intelligence. It was capable of understanding Lucas'' words. And knowing Lucas'' Shadow it knew he was right. The odds were stacked against them. Lucas'' ability to create portals allowed him to control the battlefield with ease. He could strike from any direction, retreat when needed, and return at any moment. But Sean and ra''s Shadows were not helpless. They gained the experience of the original Sean and ra that they honed over years after fighting side by side. They didn''t need words. They were always in perfect sync. ra''s Shadow twirled it spear and pointed it at Lucas to taunt him. In a blur, Lucas vanished. He stepped into a portal as if stepping into another room. The moment of stillness that followed set Sean Shadow''s on edge. ra''s Shadow spun around, and Sean''s Shadow raised its sword just in time. Lucas emerged above them. Sean''s Shadow barely managed to deflect his sword with the shield, but the force of the attack sent it stumbling backward. Lucas didn''t give it a moment to recover. Another portal snapped open behind Sean''s Shadow, and Lucas lunged through it, his fist aimed for Sean Shadow''s back. But ra''s Shadow was already there. Its spear struck out like lightning, aiming for Lucas'' ribs. He dodged, slipping through another portal, and appeared at ra Shadow''s side in an instant. His hand shot towards her in a vicious arc. ra''s Shadow parried, but the impact jarred its arm, forcing the Shadow back. Lucas continued to smile, amused. "Try to keep up," he taunted. He vanished once more. His voice, seemingly echoing from all directions, disoriented both Shadows. Sean''s Shadow gritted its teeth. It scanned the field, the sword ready, as it tried to predict where Lucas would appear next. But Lucas was everywhere and nowhere, emerging from portals with blinding speed, striking and retreating. His attacks grew more relentless with each passing moment. Each time Sean or ra''s Shadow attempted to counter, Lucas would vanish before they couldnd a solid blow. It was as though they were fighting a phantom. As if he was the monster, not them. Chapter 108: Lucas VS Siblings Shadow Another attack hit Sean''s Shadow and sent it crashing into a tree. The Shadow grunted as if in pain. It struggled to rise as ra''s Shadow fended off Lucas alone. The ground beneath ra Shadow:s feet cracked from the force behind Lucas'' attacks. Sean''s Shadow staggered back to its feet. Its face contorted. The Shadow could see the exhaustion in ra''s Shadow eyes. ra''s Shadow deflected another barrage from Lucas, its spear moving in an elegant dance, but its breath was bingbored. Lucas smiled as he noticed its weariness. He raised his hand, and a portal opened above ra, this onerger, darker. The energy that crackled from it was different¡ªdangerous. Sean Shadow''s eyes widened. He recognized the portal''s purpose. ¡­! It tried to warn ra''s Shadow only to realize it could not speak. The dark portal released a vortex of raw power that hurtled toward ra''s shadow. The Shadow eaped to the side, but the edge of the st clipped its side and sent it sprawling to the ground. The Shadow gasped, trying to push itself up, but the force had knocked the wind from its lungs. Watching ra''s Shadow helpless, Sean Shadow''s rage boiled over. Exhaustion, Anger, Pain. It experienced them for the first time. "Hmm? Your synchronization rate is increasing?" Lucas noticed Sean Shadow''s expression. The synchronization rate represented how simr a Shadow was to the original. 100% synchronization could be achieved only after the Shadow devoured the original. Sean''s Shadow charged at Lucas, swinging its sword with all its might. Lucas merely sidestepped. He opened a portal to redirect Sean Shadow''s strike and caused the Shadow to stumble. Using that moment as a chance, Lucas stepped forward, tightening his grip around the sword, ready to end it. In that moment, something clicked in Sean Shadow''s mind. Impable teamwork. Sean and ra were not strong individually. But together they were undefeatable. The memories and experience were adapted into the body of Sean''s Shadow. Its synchronization increased. "ra, now!" the shadow, suddenly able to speak, shouted. ra''s Shadow, barely standing, understood. It didn''t need the details. ra''s Shadow focused all its energy, summoning what strength it had left, and hurled the spear at Lucas. Not directly at him, but through a small portal Lucas used earlier. Lucas smiled as he noticed the desperation of the Shadow''s move. But then his smirk faltered. His eyes flicked toward the portal¡ªand toote, he realized the trap. The spear shot through the portal. It emerged from a second rift that ra had calcted precisely and struck Lucas'' side with a powerful force. He staggered, blood spraying across the ground. For the first time, the confidence behind Lucas''s gaze faltered. He underestimated them. They had been nning for this moment all along. Sean''s Shadow saw the opportunity and leapt forward. He shed down in a brutal arc. Lucas barely raised his guard in time. He summoned a portal to deflect the blow, but it wasn''t enough. The sword grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. He stumbled back. His portals flickered, unstable. The tide of the battle had shifted. Sean and ra''s Shadow regrouped, panting but determined. Lucas was injured and weakened. The confidence behind his eyes vanished, reced by a look of serious gaze. He pressed a hand to his bleeding side. For a moment, it seemed he would lose. Just for a moment. "I can see why Arthur invited you two to his team. "Neo was not exaggerating your abilities." He smiled. In an instant, the forest around them warped. Multiple portals opened simultaneously. They circled Sean and ra, disorienting them. Lucas moved with a speed and aggression they hadn''t seen before, even while injured. He vanished and reappeared with blinding quickness and stuck both of them from different angles. The Shadows were forced to go on the defensive. Sean Shadow''s breath was caught as he realized what was happening. Lucas wasn''t ying anymore. He was using his full power. Before Sean''s Shadow could react, a portal opened beneath him, swallowing him whole. He fell through the void, tumbling into another part of the battlefield, disoriented. ra''s Shadow tried to regroup with him, but Lucas was already upon ra''s Shadow. He increased his attacks intensity while he still held the advantage. Desperation shed in ra Shadow''s eyes as it parried. But the Shadow was too slow. Lucas delivered a devastating blow. ra''s Shadow was sent crashing to the ground. It tried to rise, but Lucas'' boot pressed down on its stomach and pinned the Shadow down. "It''s over," Lucas said. He raised his hand for the finishing strike, but before he could bring it down, a dark sh of light erupted from the edge of the clearing. "Let her go!" Sean''s Shadow, battered and bruised, returned. His sword glowed with thest of his energy. He threw himself at Lucas with a roar as he swung with everything he had left. Lucas, surprised by the ferocity, was forced to step back, releasing ra''s Shadow. For a moment, it seemed like Sean might turn the tide once more. But Lucas, even wounded, was still the stronger. He sidestepped Sean Shadow''s wild swings and opened one final portal. Lucas plunged his hand through the rift before Sean''s Shadow could react. He reappeared behind the Shadow. With a single, devastating blow, Lucas struck Sean''s Shadow down. The clearing fell silent. Lucas stood over Sean''s Shadow. He looked around. ra''s Shadow was missing. "The other shadow escaped." He snorted. "It wasn''t in any condition to fight, so there should be no problem letting it go. "Rather, this is better. "If I kill that Shadow, it would just revive. "It''s better to leave it injured and make sure it can''t join the battles." Lucas crouched and picked the ck crystal. It was left when Sean''s Shadow evaporated after his death. He pressed his earpiece. "I''ve secured one shadow elemental crystal. Where should I send it?" "Send it to me," Neo''s voice flowed through the earpiece. "I''ll reveal my location in a few seconds. Be prepared." "¡­?" Reveal his location? Lucas looked around. Was Neo nearby? Although he understood Neo was searching for his Shadow, he didn''t understand how Neo would go about it. Neo''s words about him revealing his location confused Lucas further. Chapter 109: When A Genius Faces A Wall Known As Shadow Depth Level 3, South side The domineering presence of shadow elemental pressed down. It corroded everything in the vicinity. "Where was I teleported?" Harrison looked around. He stood in the center of a clearing. The energy of the Unique Skill Invincible pulsed through him. His muscles tensed. He tightened the grip around the sword and stared at his Shadow across the clearing. The Shadow wore the same face, wielded the same sword, but its presence was darker. It felt sinister. "You know you can''t win. "You''re just a shadow of me." The Shadow smirked at his taunts. A shadow mimicked the original. It was always weaker. But, in return, it knew the original better than original itself. Harrison''s Shadow lunged forward without another word. Their swords shed. A storm of golden and ck sparks flew and the ground beneath them trembled. Harrison pressed forward. He used his superior strength to force the Shadow back with brute force. The Shadow tilted the de and let Harrison''s sword slip. Harrison charged again. His Shadow rolled to the side and dodged the powerful strike of golden lightning from his de. It spun on its feet and shed at Harrison''s side. The blow bounced off Harrison''s tough skin harmlessly. Invincible gave a major boost to all abilities. The boost acted differently for everyone. In Harrison''s case, it increased his defenses the most. Harrison barely flinched when the Shadow''s attack connected. He smirked. Lightning crackled around his de as he shed downwards. His Shadow leapt back just in time. The ground where the Shadow stood moments ago was scorched and smoking. "You can''t even scratch me. "You will never win." Harrison grinned. The original could never win against his Shadow? That might be true for everyone, but Harrison was different. He was genius. He would not lose. Never. The Shadow''s smirk stayed on its face as it charged at Harrison, this time faster. Its strikes became more precise. Harrison parried each blow with ease. But he realized something was off. The Shadow''s movements weren''t random¡ªthey were deliberate, almost rehearsed. Each time he moved to counter, the Shadow was already a step ahead. It dodged and parried with uncanny precision. Harrison growled in frustration. He raised his sword high and summoned a surge of lightning from the sky above. "Unique Skill Thunderbolt." The air around him buzzed with electricity. He brought the de down in a powerful, swift arc. A golden arc of lightning descended. His Shadow didn''t dodge. It sidestepped just enough to let the bolt pass and hit the ground next to it. The calcted precision left Harrison stunned. Before he could react, the Shadow closed the distance between them in an instant. It disappeared into a ck arc of lighting and reappeared before him with a sh. The Shadow''s sword struck at his wrist. The attack barely had any strength behind it. It would never hurt Harrison, especially not when he was under the effects of Invincible. Harrison ignored the attack. He should''ve been able to brush it off. But something unexpected happened. ¡­! Harrison''s grip faltered and the sword slipped from his hand. The Shadow capitalized on the opportunity. Itnded a solid kick to Harrison''s chest. Harrison stumbled back. Shock and pain shed through his eyes. His skin was tough, but the spot the Shadow hit was just below his sternum. A spot Harrison didn''t even know was vulnerable. "How¡­?" His voice cracked. He had trouble breathing and he could not speak properly. Looking at his actions, the Shadow continued to grin. And Harrison realized. ''A Shadow knows the original better than the original itself.'' ''My weaknesses, habits, and fears. It knows everything about me.'' Harrison''s heart pounded in his chest. For the first time, he felt truly exposed. As if there was nothing he could hide. The Shadow''s strikes weren''t random. They were calcted, aimed at ces Harrison didn''t defend instinctively. ''It knows me better than I know myself.'' The Shadow came at him again. Its de targeted Harrison''s wrists, elbows, and the small of his back¡ªces Harrison didn''t think twice about. Each strike was weaker than Harrison''s blows. But they were more precise. Harrison gritted his teeth and blocked another attack. ''I can''t lose here!'' ''Not me!'' The Shadow was exploiting his habits. Harrison, who always fought with brute strength, was in a disadvantage. Harrison''s Shadow ducked under a wild swing from him. It shed across his ribs. Harrison hissed in pain. There should''ve been no wound, but the Shadow, capable of mimicking Invincible, could fight against him on equal footing. It retreated before Harrison could retaliate. The Shadow''s mocking smile grew wider. As if it was taunting him. Calling him weaker. A loser. Harrison''s eyes narrowed. He wanted to let loose and attack in a berserk rage. But he held on. He knew attacking without a n would get him killed. ''Predictable.'' That word echoed in his mind. It cut deeper than any sword. The Shadow wasn''t stronger. It was just ying to Harrison''s weaknesses. His habits. His overconfidence. Suddenly, realization struck. ''My habits.'' The Shadow knew exactly where he''d swing, where he''d step, how he''d move. It wasn''t the Shadow''s strength that was the problem ¡ª it was Harrison''s own predictability. He had been relying on the same moves and the same strategies since forever. The Shadow was not beating him. He was beating himself. Harrison had to surpass himself. That was the only way to win. ''Everyone is busy with their battles. They can''t help me. If I lose, I die.'' Harrison could hear his heart beating against his chest. He was in danger and he felt a thrill unlike ever before. Harrison grinned ferociously. The golden lightning crackling around him red. His breathing slowed. He focused not on overwhelming his Shadow with power, but on breaking the patterns the Shadow exploited. ''I can win this. I just have to fight smarter.'' When the Shadow lunged forward again, Harrison didn''t respond with brute force. He sidestepped. Normally, he would''ve met the attack head on. His abrupt action took the Shadow by surprise. Its eyes widened for a split second, unable to understand the cause behind the change. Harrison capitalized on the moment. He brought the sword down in a swift, unexpected angle. The de crackled with golden lightning and struck the Shadow''s shoulder. The Shadow staggered. It gritted its teeth in pain. The wound was shallow since the mimicked Invincible strengthened it. But the attack shook the Shadow. Harrison pressed forward. He switched his style and moved unpredictably. His strikes were different¡ªangled, timed, and powered in ways the Shadows hadn''t anticipated. Harrison, after understanding his weakness, broke free of his old habits, and for the first time, the Shadow struggled to keep up. The two exchanged blows after blow. Their figures blurred. They looked like flickers of lighting dancing around in a dance of fury and chaos. Harrison moved with precision. He tried to exploit the small opening he had created. His confidence returned, stronger than ever. The Shadow was on the back foot. It was barely able to parry his attacks. "I told you," Harrison growled, his voice thick with determination. "You''re just a shadow." At the final moment, Harrison summoned a massive bolt of lightning from the sky. This one was farrger and stronger than before. The air crackled with electricity as he brought it down in one devastating strike aimed directly at the Shadow''s head. But. Just as the attack was about to connect, the Shadow smirked. ¡­! A ck portal opened between them. Harrison''s strike disappeared harmlessly into it. ''Lucas Shadow is helping it¡­?'' Before Harrison could even process what was happening, the Shadow reappeared behind him. It shed. The blow was not strong and it didn''t need to be. It struck the back of Harrison''s neck¡ª the one spot where his imprable skin was the weakest. Harrison''s body seized up as the Shadow''s de discharged a pulse of lightning directly into his spine. His sword slipped from his hand and his legs buckled. He copsed to his knees, gasping for breath. The Shadow stood over him. It smirked triumphantly. ''This damned fucker¡­!'' The Shadow ignored his anger. It grabbed his head with both hands. Suddenly, the Shadow''s form shook. Its skin crumbled into ck motes of energy that entered Harrison''s orifices. Harrison did his best to resist while the Shadow tried to overtake his body. He could not move after the Shadow''sst attack at his nape. His Divine Energy flowed slowly, like sludge, since the Invincible was at its limit, and he couldn''t use his Spells. Harrison clenched his teeth. He tried to hold on and search for a way to stop the Shadow. Chapter 110: Fighting With Awakened Obitus Depth Level 3, Extreme west-side Neo and Nathan stood at the edge of a small road. The world around them was broken while the gravity defied thews of nature. Floating debris and crumbling ruins were scattered around. The road beneath them was cracked and fragmented, and every few feet, chunks of pavement hovered in the air. "The ce is worse than other locations. "Lucas'' Shadow must havee here since it''s easy to hide here," Neo said. He gazed at the surroundings. Some of the buildings were ripped from their foundations entirely. They hovered at odd angles and casted flickering shadows over the chaotic ground below. Wreckage of buildings, vehicles, steel beams, chunks of concrete, shattered ss. Everything drifted without purpose. Nathan pointed at the roof of a building that hung upside down in the air. It was as though the structure had been torn from reality and flipped on its head. "Lucas'' Shadow is there." "Can it see us?" "I doubt it. This ce is filled with broken wreckages that are hiding us. "Besides, the Shadow is assisting other Shadows in their battles. It doesn''t have leisure to search for us," Nathan answered. He pursed his lips. Lucas'' Shadow was dangerous. It was only slightly weaker than Lucas. Moreover, its ability to use portals made it nearly impossible to defeat since the Shadow could run away when it was on the verge of losing. "So what''s the n?" Nathan questioned. Instead of answering, Neo posed another question. "Can you use Noctis Burst Spell?" "How did you even know I can use that¡­. Sigh, nevermind." Nathan massaged his nose. Back in the academy, he used the Spell once during the missions. Felix uploaded the videos of their mission to the private website of the Academy. Neo might''ve seen the Noctis Burst Spell in those videos. "The one I can use is not very powerful since my mastery is low. "It is far weaker than the standard version you can see other Shadow wielders using and¡ª" "Can you use it or not? A simple yes, no is enough." "Yes, I can use it. "But why?" Nathan asked. "I need you to attack Lucas'' Shadow with the Noctis Burst Spell. "Since it''s a long range Spell, you should be able to use it from this distance," Neo answered. "Wait, wait, wait! What!?" Nathan''s eyes shot wide open. He took a step back and shook his head. "Impossible. You want me to attack Lucas'' Shadow? I''m too weak to fight him." "Calm down. You can retreat after the first attack. I''ll handle it from there." "....What do you mean by that?" "Noctis Burst Spell can stop Lucas'' teleportation ability for a few seconds. "That''s the only moment when we can defeat Lucas'' Shadow." Nathan understood what Neo was trying to say. Noctis Burst Spell was a condensed sphere of shadow elementals. It exploded upon contact with the target. The high concentration of shadow elementals released from the explosion would disrupt the elementals in the air. That included Space elementals. Let alone Lucas'' Shadow even Lucas would not be able to manipte the Space elementals to create portals after he was hit by Noctis Spell Burst. But¡­. "I can''t stop Lucas for more than five seconds! "How the hell are you going to defeat the Lucas in five seconds!?" Nathan pointed at the path between their location and Lucas Shadow''s location. "We are several hundred meters apart! "And the path is filled with debris and shadow monsters! "Look at that." A massive shadow monster with long arms and sharp ws slept on the ground. "That thing is as strong as the wraith we fought. There are dozens of monsters with simr strength around the building where Lucas'' Shadow is hiding. "The Shadow chose that location because it knew the monsters would act as rm for it in case it was ambushed. "Five seconds will be up before you cover half of the distance. "There is no way you can defeat Lucas'' Shadow when you can''t even reach it. "You''ll just¡­ die." Nathan bit his lips and looked away. "We should make another n." "It''s fine." Neo smiled at Nathan''s concern. "Just trust me." He put his hand over Obitus'' hilt. Since he could fight at his full strength after Obitus awakened, he was confident. It was not easy to convince Nathan. But Nathan had to agree to the n after Neo remained firm on his decision. "I''ll start." Nathan chanted the Noctis Burst Spell. Motes of ck energy gathered above his palm. They formed a condensed, swirling mass of shadows. The Spell flew through the air and struck the building where Lucas'' Shadow was. Hundreds of shadow hands came out from the explosion. They wrapped around the buildings. The concentration of shadow elementals in the vicinity increased by several folds. "He knows we are here! Go now!" Neo dashed forward. The shadow monsters, alerted by the attack, turned to Neo. ''Be calm.'' Neo exhaled. ''I can do it.'' He didn''t know how strong he would be after releasing Obitus from the sheathe. His current actions were a gamble with his life on the life. If he had a choice, he would have not taken it. Neo pressed his thumb against the hilt of the sword at his waist and pushed it out of its sheath slightly. Instantly, the debuff that weighed him down vanished, and a surge of energy coursed through him. His speed exploded. The world around him turned into a blur of light and shadows. Monsters lunged at him, but they were too slow. Neo weaved between them like a phantom. Their ws and fangs missed him by a fraction of a second. His speed was overwhelming. He turned into a blur that even the sharpest eyes couldn''t follow. The monsters rushed at him from all directions like a giant tsunami. Neo leapt above them. He used the floating debris as foothold and made a straight beeline towards the rooftop where Lucas'' Shadow hid. As he neared the building, he saw Lucas'' Shadow. The Shadow stared at him with a smile. It pulled the bow taut and aimed towards Neo''s head. The air around the bow trembled. Although the Shadow was unable to use portals for the moment, it could not be underestimated. Lucas used the portals to battle, not because he was weak without them, but because they were convenient. He was one of the strongest demigods of his generation for a reason. Neo''s eyes narrowed. He didn''t slow. The Shadow released the arrow. It turned to a ck bolt of energy that tore through the air with deadly precision. Neo drew his sword with a fluid motion. As the de left its sheath, it became wrapped in darkness. The Aura of Death and Darkness swirling around it extended the sword''s length massively. He shed through the air in one smooth strike. The de cleaved through the oing arrow as if it was made of paper. The bolt of energy was split in two. The strike didn''t stop there. It cut across the Shadow''s body and sliced him in half with a single, decisive blow. The giant de continued onward. It split the building where Lucas'' Shadow stood moments before. Neonded on crumbling building gracefully. His de reverted to its true size before he returned it to the sheathe. The fight was over with a single strike. Neo looked at the Shadow''s corpse. The Shadow, split into two halves, continued to smile. It was dead before it knew what had happened. "It wouldn''t have lost so easily if it didn''t underestimate me and used Invincible." Neo shook his head. As the Shadow disintegrated, Neo picked the elemental seed it left behind and devoured it. [Divine Energy +1] "I don''t think this is enough to defeat Arthur''s Shadow." Neo exhaled. He was about to call Paimon when suddenly he saw something far in the distance. In the North-east direction, white mist covered everything. Neo could not see what was happening there. "That must be where Arthur and others are fighting against Arthur''s Shadow." Squinting, he turned his gaze to the South, and... "Huh?" Far into the distance, he could see Harrison about to be devoured by his Shadow. Neo''s face hardened. He was too far to do anything. "No, I need to try. We need as many peoples as alive if we want to win." Neo looked around. He tore apart a long rebar from the floating wreckages. Just as he was about to pull the sword out of the sheathe, a voice spoke into his mind. You don''t need to unsheathe me every time. As long as you wish, I''ll remove the burden over you. Neo nodded. He followed Obitus'' words and thought about removing his debuff. Instantly, endless power surged through his body. The sword began to absorb his Divine Energy at a rapid pace. Neo tightened his grip around the rebar. He wrapped the Aura of Death and Darkness around the iron pole and pulled his hand back. Chapter 111: Fall Of the Arrogance Depth Level 3, South Side The Shadow held Harrison''s head in a tight grip. He tried to break free. It was useless. His Shadow continued to contaminate him. Harrison''s consciousness blurred. He was being overtaken by the Shadow. Losing himself to it. ''I can''t¡­fall¡­ here.'' Harrison struggled to keep his eyes open. A single mistake was about to cost him his life. The Shadow would rece him and no one would ever realize the original Harrison was long gone. ''I don''t want that.'' His chest heaved. "Don''t¡­ fuck¡­ with me!" He grabbed the Shadow''s wrist with ast surge of strength and tried to flip it over. The Shadow scoffed. It didn''t budge. As Harrison''s Shadow, it always knew what he could and would do. There was no way Harrison was going to win against it. Maybe, he shouldn''t have insisted on fighting his Shadow alone and asked for someone''s help. If Lucas was here with him, Harrison could''ve won. Harrison realized he was defeated. Regrets started to slip in. Thest vestige of his consciousness was about to disappear when suddenly he heard the noise of air being torn apart. An iron rebar hit the Shadow''s head from the side and pierced its head. The powerful momentum behind the throw carried the Shadow''s body away and pinned it into the ground far from him. Harrison was free. He heaved. The Shadow, despite having a pole shoved through its head, continued to move. The mimicked Invincible kept it alive. Red lightning wrapped around the rebar surged. It flowed into the Shadow''s body through the iron pole and killed it from the inside. The Shadow stopped moving and it fell with a limp. "Who¡­ was it¡­?" A single attack killed his Shadow. Only Morrigan could achieve such feat, but she never came with them into the Window. Harrison turned his head. He stared in the direction from where the iron rebar came flying. "There is no one there¡­." He squinted. Far into the distance, he could see broken wreckages flying around. The distance was too great for Harrison to see the person who threw the rebar. But¡­ "Red Lightning." There was only one person among them who could manifest Death element. Neo. He saved Harrison by defeating his Shadow from a distance where Harrison couldn''t even see anything and that too in a single attack. Harrison''s face contorted. Had Neo been hiding his strength? Was it funny to act like a weakling while he waited for an opportunity to reveal his strength? The gratitude and relief that came from behind saved turned into something darker. Harrison punched the ground. ¡­ Depth Level 3, Extreme-South side "It doesn''t look like he appreciates the help." Neo could see the frustrated expression on Harrison''s face. He did not regret saving Harrison. It was his job as the mission leader. Suddenly, a silvery portal appeared behind him. Lucas stepped on the rooftop. He smiled wryly. "I never knew you could use such a massive Aura de. "It was visible from my location even though we were so far." He gave the Sean Shadow''s elemental seed to Neo. The elemental seed was almost half evaporated. After the seed evaporatedpletely, it would reform at the deepest part of the Window and the Shadow would be revived. "What are you going to do with the elemental seed?" "This." Neo used Darkness to devour it. The voices returned for a brief moment. [Digestion +3] "Isn''t that harmful to you? "If you keep devouring everything, your body will enter a state of imbnce where your Secondary Stats arepletely mismatched," Lucas asked. "This is the only way we can make sure the Shadows don''t get revived." Neo knew a way to handle the imbnce. Though, he would not reveal that to Lucas. "Bring Nathan here," Neo said. Lucas used a portal to teleport Nathan after Neo revealed his location. Nathan stepped onto the rooftop with a strained expression. "How did you¡­ do that with a single attack?" "Hmm?" Lucas realized something was wrong with Nathan''s words. "What do you mean by that?" "He defeated your Shadow with a single attack." Lucas'' smiling face stiffened. He stared at Nathan as if he had heard an absurd joke, but Nathan''s half-awed, half-afraid face made it clear he was not joking. "Stop talking about unnecessary things. "The Shadow monsters are climbing the building to attack us. Let''s move somewhere else." Neo''s words snapped them out of the shock. He added, "We should meet up with Harrison before regrouping with Arthur and others." Lucas nodded. He quicklyposed himself, and the determination in his gaze solidified. Lucas, able to see Harrison despite the distance, created a portal. The three entered the portal. They appeared next to Harrison. Harrison was in a daze. Half of his body had been contaminated with shadow elementals and he was on the verge of bing a shadow monster. Lucas used Holy Affinity to baptize Harrison. While they were busy, Neo devoured the elemental seed left behind by Harrison''s Shadow. [Constitution +1] ''Now only ra and Arthur''s Shadows are left.'' ra''s Shadow was not a threat alone. They had to focus on Arthur''s Shadow. Neo looked around. He made sure no one was looking at him. "Paimon, I want to make the contract." "Are you thinking of fighting against the lightning n''s boy?" "Yes." The skeletal doll on Neo''s shoulder held a tiny fan in her hand. She used it to hide her mouth. "I hope you are not overestimating yourself after the chains binding you disappeared." "¡­" "Good, seems you have a clear grasp of your limits." She smiled. "So what do you want? A full blessing that will disappear after one use or the partial blessing that will remain with you forever." "Give me the partial blessing." Neo made his decision after careful consideration. He had to look at the future. Losing almost half of his God Blood in exchange for the blessing would weaken him greatly. On top of that, if he took the temporary blessing and lost it after one use, he would be weaker than a Grade 5 Awakened Demigod. "Done. I''ve unsealed the blessing." "¡­I don''t feel any different." Paimon smiled at his words. Chapter 112: Protagonist VS Protagonists Shadow "I''ve used your sword to link your blessing to you. You should be able to feel the blessing''s effect when you unsheathe it." "What about the God Blood? It doesn''t seem like you''ve taken it." "Indeed, I haven''t. "I''ll take your God Blood after you''ve returned from this mission. Until then, use the blessing toplete the mission." Paimon closed the fan. "I need to return to the Underworld. Barbatos isining about unsealing your blessing." Her figure started to disappear. Before she left, she flew and patted his head. "May you be in good health and prosperity when we meet next again, child." Paimon disappeared. "Thank you," Neo said. Although she had left, Neo had a feeling she heard him. Suddenly, Neo''s earpiece came to life. Arthur''s voice followed through it. "Neo, I need your help! "Come here quickly!" He sounded desperate. "What happened¡ª" "There is no time to exin! Please, be quick!" "Got it." An ominous promotion seeped into Neo''s heart. He turned to Lucas. "We need to regroup with Arthur." Lucas nodded. Since Arthur was not within his line of sight and out of the range of his senses, he had to create multiple portals. They returned as quickly as possible. ¡­ Depth Level 3, North-east side Fifteen minutes ago The white mist curled around Arthur and Leonora. Arthur held his daggers in reverse grip and waited for his Shadow to attack. Leonora stood with her back against Arthur''s back. Her breathing wasbored. She was exhausted due to the aftereffects of Neo''s elixir and her Divine Energy had barely recovered. "Stay sharp." Arthur warned her. His heart thumped against his chest. He was nervous and¡­ afraid. ''The Shadow can use Invincible already.'' ''Did it kill itself to reset the skill countdown?'' It was bad news. "Leonora, don''t let the mist disperse. "My Shadow should be able to sense us with the Sound affinity, but the mist still blocks its vision." "Okay." She was used to fighting in the mist. It didn''t hinder her as it did others. Leonora used an ice defense Spell to create an armor. The sound of lightning crackling echoed from all directions. Arthur tried to concentrate and use his Sound Affinity to locate the Shadow. It was of no use. The Shadow was faster ¡ª much faster ¡ª thanks to the Invincible skill that Arthur could not use himself. "It''s near," he whispered. "Mhm." Leonora prepared to cast Spells. Her Holy Affinity was their only advantage against the Shadow, but she was too exhausted to make full use of it. Suddenly, there was a sharp shift in the mist. The Shadow appeared at the corner of their vision. It looked no different from a ck lightning running around. A portal flickered open at its side, conjured by Lucas'' Shadow, and it stepped through it. Arthur''s breath was caught in his throat. Portals. Lucas'' Shadow was helping it. Arthur''s expression worsened. Lucas Shadow''s ability to sense them inside the mist spoke volume of Lucas'' talent. Unfortunately, it was no time or ce to praise him. The Shadow reappeared next to Leonora without warning. It swung the dagger towards her neck. Leonora reacted just in the nick of time. She created a wall of water to block the strike. The force of the blow sent her staggering back. Her ice armor cracked. "Leonora!" Arthur rushed forward to shield her. Another portal opened beneath his feet. His Shadow jumped out from it and mmed a fist into his gut. Arthur doubled over in pain. The air was forced from his lungs. His vision blurred for a split second. The Shadow''s speed was terrifying. It was enhanced beyond anything what Arthur and Leonora could match. Leonora struggled to regain her bnce. She summoned a shard of Holy Ice and threw it with all her strength. It shot through the air, glowing with divine energy, aimed straight at the Shadow''s heart. But the Shadow turned into lightning ad dodged it effortlessly. Another portal opened, and the Shadow vanished again. It was toying with them with its overwhelming speed and the portals to stay untouchable. Arthur gritted his teeth. He focused on the faint ripples of sound around him. His Shadow was close¡ªtoo close. A sh of light erupted and the Shadow reappeared behind Leonora again. The Shadow''s dagger coated in ck lightning moved toward her throat. "Leonora, watch out!" Arthur shouted. He was too far to intervene. Leonora''s eyes widened. Time seemed to slow down. Her body too tired to react. She could see the deing. The strike that would end her. If only she had trained like others... If only she did notze around, drunk on her talent... She would''ve known how to fight even if she was exhausted. She could''ve pushed herself beyond her limit. But. There were no second chances. The dagger slid across her throat. Blood poured out from the wound. "No!" Arthur''s scream tore through the mist. Another person died because he was too weak. Because he could not defeat his own Shadow. In that moment, as death loomed closer, something shifted in Leonora''s mind. This was it. Herst chance. The Shadow thought it had won and let down its guard. Leonora''s hand glowed with onest surge of holy energy. The moment the Shadow''s de cut her, she unleashed her magic in a blinding explosion of light. Holy magic¡ªthe Shadows were weak against it. Arthur''s Shadow staggered back. Its body writhed in agony as the holy energy seared his flesh and broke through its mimicked Invincible. The Shadow never expected it. It thought it had won. It should''ve won. But Leonora used her own impending death to deal the final blow. "De¡­defeat it," Leonora spoke as she tried to stop the blood flowing out of her wound. Arthur gritted his teeth. He rushed forward. His gaze was filled with desperation and fury. He pulled a small vial from his coat before uncorking it with his teeth. Shadow Ink. The trump card against the Shadows, even his Shadow. Arthur''s Shadow remained calm. Although it was injured from Leonora''s attack, it could escape through the portals easily. Chapter 113: Death The portal never materialized. Unknown to Arthur''s Shadow, Neo had just yed Lucas'' Shadow. The Shadow could not escape. Arthur didn''t hesitate. He dashed forward with all his might. In one swift motion, he plunged the dagger into the Shadow''s chest and smashed the vial of Shadow Ink inside its mouth. The Shadow gasped. Its eyes widened and it tried to puke the Shadow Ink. The poison coursed through its veins and it died a slow death, unable to do anything. Arthur almost copsed. He was exhausted beyond limit after pushing himself to fight the Shadow. Despite the seemingly simple battle, he had to block multiple attacks of the Shadow that was boosted by Invincible. He rushed to Leonora. "Wait a second, I''ll use an elixir. Use your Holy Affinity too. "That will definitely heal you." He tried to pull another vial and poured it over her wound with trembling hands. Her body was limp. Blood still trickled from the wound at her throat, but her eyes, though fading, remained fierce. "Th-tha-" Leonora tried to speak and choked on her blood. She did not try to use her holy affinity to heal herself. She couldn''t. Thest attack took everything out from her. The elixir''s healing speed was too slow. Leonora could not be saved. Just then, Arthur sensed someone sneaking on them. ra''s Shadow pounced on the two before he could react. Arthur tried to shield Leonora with his body. ra''s Shadow did not attack them. It snatched Arthur Shadow''s elemental seed from the corpse and ran away. Arthur wanted to stop the Shadow. But he would have to leave Leonora alone during herst moments. He was torn between the choices. "N-no." Leonora tried to push him away. "Go-" Arthur''s expression worsened. Suddenly, he noticed Sean on the path of ra''s Shadow. An idea came to him. "Sean, stop the Shadow!" Sean looked injured. Although he had been teleported away by Lucas and he did not have to face Shadows, he still had to fight shadow monsters to return. His body was covered in contamination. "Stop the Shadow, Sean!" Sean raised his sword towards ra''s Shadow. The Shadow came to a halt. It tried to look for a way to escape but, before it could take more steps, Arthur wrung his blood dry and fired an Air Bullet Spell. The attack, although simple, was powerful. It tore through the air like a canon. ra''s Shadow, injured during the battle with Lucas, could not dodge. However, Sean blocked the attack with his sword. Arthur froze. "What are you doing¡­?" "She is my sister! I w-will protect her! I won''t lose her again!" Sean shielded ra''s Shadow with his body. His words made the Shadow''s face contort into one of a fury. It recalled how Sean''s Shadow, her ''brother'', died at the hand of Sean''s friend. ra''s Shadow raised her sword. "Dodge!" Arthur shouted. Sean moved instinctively after hearing his voice and the de grazed his back lightly. He turned around, stunned. "Why are you attacking me -ra? I''m your brother." The Shadow opened her mouth. Her appearance changed. From a shadowy figure of ra to one that was more real. The change was the proof of increasing synchronization. "I''m not your sister!" The Shadow red at Sean. "You killed my brother!" She wanted to attack again, but she knew time was running out. Neo, Lucas, and others would soon return. ra''s Shadow had to make sure Arthur''s Shadow survived if she wanted revenge. Because she knew Sean''s Shadow was devoured. She ran away. Sean did not try to stop her. Arthur was too exhausted to move after thest attack. "Cough! Cough!" Leonora''s voice snapped Arthur out of the stupor. He tried to think of way to save her. "Yes, Neo! He had a powerful elixir he used to attach your hand. "We can save you with that!" He hurriedly pressed the earpiece. "Neo, I n-need your help! Come here quickly!" "What happened¡ª" "There is no time to exin! Please, be quick!" There was a short silence before Neo answered. "Got it." After cutting the connection, Arthur hit Leonora''s cheek slightly. He could not see more deaths. "Don''t sleep. Just don''t sleep. "Leonora, if you can hear me, use your Holy Affinity." It did not take him long to realize she was out of Divine Energy. He took out a Divine Energy vial and tried to have Leonora drink it. Before he could put the vial against her lips, someone grabbed his hand. "Stop. She''ll overdose and die a painful death if she drinks more elixirs." Arthur turned around when he heard the voice. Neo held his hand while Nathan, Lucas, and Harrison stepped through a portal. Their condition made it clear they had a hard time against whatever they fought. "Neo¡­? What are you saying?" "The elixir I used to reattach her arm was a strong one. She needs to wait for a day before consuming any more elixir." "R-right! The elixir! You have a strong elixir, right? Use it!" "..." Neo exhaled. "I only had one." Arthur''s face stiffened. "T-then?" He looked at Leonora. Neo followed his gaze. The presence of Death around her was thick. "It''s toote for her." Neo knew it was his fault. If only he had insisted on leaving Leonora behind at Depth Level 2. If only he had saved the healing elixir instead of using it to reattach her arm. If only¡­ There were too many things he could''ve done better. She died because of his wrong choices. Not just her. Christian, ra, Kendrick, Gwen. Their deaths were his responsibility. He was the mission leader. He should''ve done better. But. It was already toote. Neo was not going to run away from his responsibilities, or deny them. He took a breath. ''I will revive them.'' No matter how long it took, or how hard it was. ''It won''t be easy to do that.'' ''I can''t let the information about resurrection ritual leak, I need to find perfect sacrifices and I have to make sure their bodies don''t rot until I can resurrect them.'' He clenched his fists. Could he sessfully do that? How long would it take toplete the preparations? The weight of failure was overwhelming him¡ª "Neo! W-what should we do?" Arthur''s voice jolted him back to reality. He stared at Leonora and made his decision. She was in pain. Neo crouched. Red lightning crackled around his hand. "I''ll end it painlessly for you." Chapter 114: Infighting Leonora nodded with difficulty. Before Neo could push the Aura of Death into her body, Arthur grabbed his hand. "What are you doing!? You will kill her!" "¡­" "Stop this! We can still save¡ª" "Arthur, face the truth already." "What truth!? Can''t you see she''s still alive!?" Arthur grabbed Neo''s cor. Lucas and Nathan were about to intervene until Neo raised his hand to stop them. He looked Arthur in the eye. Arthur lowered his gaze after a few seconds. "I''m sorry. I overreacted." He let go of Neo''s cor. "This is my fault. Why am I even shouting at you?" He looked as if he was about to cry. Neo opened his mouth. "It''s not your fault. She was not just strong enough." "¡­What?" Arthur looked at Neo as if he had heard something absurd. "The Shadow used Invincible, didn''t it? "That means it forcefully revived itself by fusing with another elemental seed. "It should''ve been weaker due to it and she died to that¡ª" Arthur punched Neo in the face before he could say another word. He would''ve attacked Neo again if not for others holding back. Neo staggered. Arthur red at him. "What did you just say!? Is that how you talk about your friend who just died!?" Condensed golden lightning flickered around Arthur. The lightning disappeared after a brief moment. ''He is angry after watching his friends die and he is exhausted.'' ''It''s still not enough to break his seal?'' ''That bastard is a sadist to have left such seal on his own child,'' Neo thought as he wiped the blood trickling down his nose. Neo knew his words were insulting to those who died. But he had to corner Arthur physically and mentally while the opportunity presented and try to break the seal on his unique skill. "Did I say something wrong?" "You¡­!" The condensed golden lightning did not return. After knowing the seal was nowhere close to its breaking point, Neo ignored Arthur and approached Leonora. She was dead. "Store her corpse," he said to Nathan. Neo turned to Arthur. "What happened here? I know you guys lost, but how did your Shadow escape?" Arthur clenched his jaw as he retold everything except Sean''s actions. Neo could guess it, but he did not say anything for the moment. "We''ll take a short break before moving again." The group sat down. Lucas drank a healing potion to tend to his injuries. Harrison was weakened after using Invincible and being almost turned to a shadow monster before being baptized. His mental state was worse. Sean sat in the far corner. He pulled his knees closer and muttered gibberish. The venomous words ra''s Shadow spat at him dealt a huge blow to him. Arthur approached Neo. He no longer looked like he was about to cry and he stared down at Neo with a hardened expression. "Did you know already?" "Know what?" "About how many among us would die?" "¡­" "You did, right? You have an unusually strong connection to Death. You should be able to see more than normal Death wielders." "That''s the domain of Fate affinity." "Did you know or not?" Arthur''s eyes glowed. ''Looks like I really pissed him off if he using that Spell.'' Lying when Arthur''s eyes were glowing was useless. Neo had to speak the truth. "I did my best to make sure no one died." Arthur bit his lips after hearing his answer. His eyes stopped glowing and he looked away. After the short break, Neo gave the orders. "Harrison, Nathan, Arthur, and Sean will secure the Corner, and Lucas and I will go rescue Jack." Nathan already exined to Arthur that Neo defeated Lucas''s Shadow instead of securing the Corner and so did Lucas exin to Harrison. It came as a huge shock to them. But there was no time to question Neo about it. "You will rescue Jack?" Nathan questioned. "Yes, he is a Shadow wielder. He should be revived at the end of the Window anytime now. "I don''t n to leave him there and escape alone." "He is alive¡­?" Arthur blinked. His eyes gained a bit of hope. Neo turned to Nathan for the exnation. "Yes, we Shadow wielders need to consume our Shadows to awaken the shadow element. "That makes us half-Shadows. "We can revive just like the Shadows. It takes a long time, and there are more restrictions, but we can do it," Nathan said. ''So that how it works. It was never exined in the novel properly,'' Neo thought. He remembered the Shadow element book he took from library. It didn''t talk about consuming one''s own Shadow to awaken the element. Either what Nathan said was a secret way of awakening. Or it happened naturally during the awakening and barely anyone noticed it. Neo looked at Lucas. "Arthur''s Shadow will take time to revive and they can''t travel quickly without your Shadow''s help. "We can rescue Jack and close the Window without fighting against Arthur''s Shadow if we are fast enough. "That''s why I want your help. "I''ll understand it if you refuse my request since it''s not part of the mission." Lucas'' portals would increase their movement speed by arge margin. It was why Neo wanted Lucas to enter the Window with them. ''Besides rescuing Jack, I have the Quest toplete and I need to get that thing from the end of the Window.'' ''I can''t leave withoutpleting all tasks.'' "Can I count on your help?" "Of course." Lucas smiled. Neo exined how they should secure the Corner. He left with Lucas after giving a detailed n for different scenarios to the group. Lucas created multiple portals to cover the distance quickly. After entering Depth Level 4, Lucas reduced the usage of portals. The presence of non-elemental Divine Energy became scarce as the Depth Level increased. If they continued to use portals, Lucas would''ve exhausted himself before they reached the end of the Window. "Let''s use portals to avoid monsters. It''s good enough we don''t need waste our time on them," Neo said. "Understood." While they were moving towards the doorway of Depth Level 5, Neo spoke, "It might sound rude, but I was surprised when you epted my request so easily. Thank you." "Don''t worry about it. It was an order from my n and it''s the reason why I''ve been saving my skill." Chapter 115: Orders From Zeus Clan "¡­?" "Invincible," Lucas whispered. Golden lightning crackled around him. In one swift motion, he pulled out the bow from his back and aimed at Neo''s head. Time seemed to slow down. "I''ve been ordered to eliminate you." Lucas released the arrow. Neo, aware of the iing attack due to his Death affinity, dodged by a hair''s margin. In that short moment, Lucas was already far away from him. He drew the bow and smiled. "I can see you did not defeat my Shadow through a stroke of coincidence." "Why the sudden attack. "You were listening to all my orders since the beginning. Was all of it an act to for this moment?" Neo frowned. "Indeed, I wanted to finish it with a surprise attack. But I failed since you are a wielder of Death." Unlike what Lucas expected, Neo was calm. He was not surprised by his betrayal. "You seem awfullyposed." "Do I?" Neo never trusted Lucas. Why would he trust him when he tried to kill Neo along with the phoenix during the A-rank mission? And. It was better this way. He could fight Arthur alone after the fallout with Lucas. ''It feels weird how he really did what I expected him to do.'' ''Guess I can''t expect more from a third-rate viin.'' Lucas pursed his lips when he saw Neo unsheathing his sword. "Aren''t you curious why my n ordered to eliminate you?" "Not really. "I can guess it''s something rted to Zeus n not wanting another Great God n to appear andpete with them." "That''s terrifyingly close to the truth." Lucas chuckled. "But you know what? "I have even more surprising news. "You aren''t the first demigod to awaken Hades'' Bloodline. Do you know what happened to your predecessors?" "¡­." "They were eliminated. "Just like you will be." Lucas shot arrows through the portals. Neo ducked to dodge the attack and dashed forward. He used the floating wreckage as footholds to bridge the gap between him and Lucas. Suddenly, a portal appeared ¡ª directly in his path. There was no time to react. Neo was running too fast. His momentum carried him forward into the portal. In an instant, he was spat out on the opposite side of the battlefield, far from where he had been. Neo fell from the sky. He used the wreckages to break his fall. The sudden shift disoriented him. It made him nauseous. Worse, the distance between him and Lucas increased after he was teleported away. ''This is going to be tricky.'' Neo tightened his muscles. He shot forward with explosive speed. But the same situation repeated. Every time he got close, Lucas would use a portal to teleport him away or slip away himself. The sudden shifts due to teleportation gave Neo motion sickness. It made it difficult for him to dodge the arrows that shot out from the fist-sized portals that suddenly appeared around him. Neo''s heart raced. Lucas'' advantage was too overwhelming. His speed, his precise control over the battlefield, the way he used the portals to maintain the distance. Neo couldn''t keep up. He was losing, and they both knew it. "Dammit, I wanted to save this for Arthur''s Shadow." Neo exhaled. He called out to Obitus. His blessing. ''Now''s the time'', he thought. An immense surge of energy exploded through him. His muscles tensed, his senses sharpened, and his perception of the world increased dramatically. Overwhelming power. He hadn''t felt it for ages. Neo bolted towards Lucas. He moved faster than before and dodged arrows with ease. Lucas'' eyes widened. Neo had be faster. Fast enough to almost match him. The battlefield became a blur of movement. Lucas'' arrows whistled through the air, and Neo deflected them with ease. Everytime Neo was teleported away, he returned faster. Every arrow Lucas fired, Neo evaded or parried. It seems as if victory was within Neo''s grasp. But he knew they couldn''t continue fighting like this. The blessing was consuming a great deal of his Divine Energy. With Neo and Lucas in a stalemate, the battle had be a test of endurance. And Neo, a mere Grade 4 Awakened Demigod, would run out of Divine Energy faster than Lucas. His heart raced as a n formed in his mind. Dangerous, reckless, but the only way he could win. Neounched himself at Lucas. He ran while make sudden shifts to throw off Lucas. His affinity did not warn him of the portals since they were not life threatening. But he was beginning to understand their timing. He was learning. Lucas stopped smiling long ago. He hadn''t expected Neo to be strong enough to match him while he was boosted by Invincible. Just as he prepared to use another portal to escape, this time in desperation, Neo was already before him. Red lightning and ck mes flickered around Neo''s de. It seemed Neo had won when suddenly Lucas smiled. "Got you." Multiple portals materialized around them in an instant. Condensed beams of energy shot out from them. Lucas did not dodge. The Invincible would protect him. Neo, however, was not so lucky¡ª "Why are you unharmed?" "I have a good defense Spell." Neo swung his sword. The de and the Aura of Death failed to prate far into his skin, but he was heavily injured. Before Neo could attack again, Lucas created a portal beneath his beneath and slipped away. The portal did not disappear immediately. It was blocked with some kind of translucent screen. Lucas stood on the other side. He pressed his injury to stop the blood from flowing out and stared at Neo with a tired eyes and a smile on his face. "Aren''t you a bit too strong for someone who awakened less than a month ago?" "Yes, I am. "And stop smiling, asshole. You look fucking creepy." "I am just happy I won." "Won? You say that after running away with your tail between your legs?" Lucas continued to smile. Neo clicked his tongue. It was true. He lost and Lucas won. Chapter 116: Lone Survivor Lucas'' goal was to kill Neo. It didn''t matter if he did not do that with his own hands. As long as he injured Neo and made him expend his Divine Energy, it was good enough. Arthur''s Shadow would do the rest of the job. Neo, weakened, would be in a disadvantageous position if he fought against Arthur''s Shadow. He was tired and, although he blocked the attacks with Ocean''s Embrace, some of them went past his defenses and injured him. The portal disappeared. Neo returned the sword to the sheathe and asked Obitus to reseal the blessing. Lucas was likely returning to Depth Level 3. Since he was injured, Neo could catch up to him if he pushed himself. However, that was counterproductive. It would give more time to Arthur''s Shadow to revive, and Neo would be wasting more Divine Energy. Neo turned around. He moved towards the doorway of Depth Level 5. ¡­ Inner Castle, Depth Level 5 Jack woke up with a snap. He sucked in a mouthful of air and copsed to the ground, coughing. "I¡­ I''m alive?" It took him a minute topose himself. Jack looked around and found himself in a room with broken walls. He left the room. "This is a castle." A huge broken castle. Even more shocking was the giant flower that loomed above the castle. Dozens of tendrils came out from the center of the flower. Those tendrils stooped low, some of them entering the castle rooms like the one Jack woke up in. "It''s my first time seeing an elemental flower. I guess I was revived through one of the seeds of the elemental flower." He shivered. It was cold. Looking down, he noticed he was naked. Jack used a Shadow Weave Spell to create a robe out of the Shadows. He wore it and roamed the area slowly. "I can take things at my own pace. "After all, I''m sure everyone already left." Despite his nonchnt face, there was an unhidden mncholy behind his voice. Elemental flowers formed at the core of the Window. The core area was the part of the Window closest to the other dimension. In other words, Jack in the deepest part of the Window. It was too dangerous for others to rescue him. He was left alone to fend for himself. "I guess they would''ve closed the Window by now and left." Jack choked when he realized he was stranded in a ce with no hope of rescue. He held back his tears. This was no time to mope around. He had to look for a way to survive. While he was searching through the castle for something to eat, he came across a giant Shadow monster. Jack hid his presence and entered Shadow Space to hide himself. He stared at the Shadow monster. It kept circling on particr area. As if it was protecting the room behind it. Jack looked above and noticed a group of tendrils entering the room. "Is that where the elemental Seeds of the Shadows are?" His heart raced. He recalled the overwhelming might of Arthur''s Shadow. "How many of the Shadows are alive? "Since the Window should have been closed, I''m sure the group shed with the Shadows and won. "I hope they''ve defeated all of the Shadows before leaving. "Otherwise, it will be hard for me to survive here." Jack did not voice out hisplete thoughts. There was no guarantee that the group won. Maybe they were eradicated by the Shadows. It was certainly possible with Arthur''s Shadow and Lucas'' Shadow. Jack hoped he was wrong. He did not want any of his friends to die. While he was drowned in his thoughts, Arthur''s Shadow, revived, came out of the room. It looked in Jack''s direction. Jack''s break was caught in his throat. ''Don''t find me. Don''t find me. Don''t find me. Don''t find me. Don''t find me.'' Arthur''s Shadow should not be able to sense him while he was in Shadow Space. However, Jack could not help but get nervous. He released his breathe only after Arthur''s Shadow stopped looking in his direction and left. "Arthur''s Shadow is leaving the castle." Jack noticed. The Shadow looked like it was in a hurry. "Is it trying to return quickly to stop the group?" That meant the Window has not been closed and the others were still inside it. Of course, Jack could be wrong. However, the possibility of his assumption being correct was high. Hope appeared within his gaze and it disappeared just as quickly. "Why am I thinking about useless things? "I can''t regroup with everyone either way. "Even if I can avoid all the Shadow monsters on this level, Arthur''s Shadow will find me before others." He was trapped. While Jack was talking to himself, he failed to sense the Shadow monster sneaking towards the entrance of his Shadow Space. ¡­ Third Corner, Depth Level 3 Lucas returned to the group after baptizing himself. He made sure no traces of Neo''s death aura remained on him. The group noticed him. "Lucas!? Why are you injured!?" Arthur ran up to him. He supported Lucas and let him sit near the Corner they secured. "The Shadow attacked while we were on our way to Depth Level 5. "As you can see, this is the oue of that." Lucas pointed at the huge scar on his torso. "It''s enough you came back alive." Arthur looked around. "But where is Neo?" "¡­" Lucas lowered his gaze. Guilt appeared within his eyes. "That can''t be true. Please, tell me that I''m over imagining things." Arthur grabbed Lucas'' shoulder. The silence answered everything. "Is Neo¡­ dead?" "No." Arthur''s eyes widened. Before he could say anything, Lucas continued, "He stayed behind to stop your Shadow and buy us enough time to close the Window." Multitude of emotions appeared in Arthur''s mind. Relief. Hope. Horror. Arthur forcefully calmed himself. He could not lose his calm again. "I''ll rescue Neo." Arthur quickly made his decision. Chapter 117: Hypocrite Lucas stopped him. "You can''t. Neo ordered me to make sure no one, especially you and Mars, try to rescue him." "But¡ª" "I don''t know how but the Shadow revived too quickly. "Maybe there is another Shadow at their base and it fused your Shadow''s elemental seed with another elemental seed to speed up the revival." Lucas added, "It means the Shadow is weaker than thest time you faced it. "Still, are you sure we can win against your Shadow? "Harrison used his skill to defeat his Shadow. "I used mine to help Neo fight your Shadow, but we lost, and I had to escape while Neo shielded for me. "Leonora is dead. "You are tired. "Mars is strong, but he is a poor matchup with your Shadow." "There is no way we can win. If we don''t use the time Neo brought us to close the Window and escape¡­" Lucas clenched his fist. He bit his lips until they bled. "His sacrifice will be useless." "I¡­" Arthur gritted his teeth. "I''ll recuse Neo." He was about to leave when suddenly Lucas spoke, "Tell Arthur I''m sorry for what I said about everyone''s death," Lucas said. "Those were hisst words." Arthur froze. His face contorted. Tears simmered in his eyes. He knew he could not rescue Neo and he would be himself killed by his Shadow. Trying to rescue Neo was a suicide mission. Arthur was prepared to throw his life away. However. Arthur''s Shadow would kill not just him but everyone if they did not escape as soon as possible. "Dammit¡­" No one deserved to die even if they were weak. Those were Arthur''s ideals and it was why he argued with Neo. "Is this your way of saying I shouldn''t throw my life away?" Arthur struggled topose himself. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms and drew blood. "We''ll close the Corners and escape," he said. Arthur felt disgusted with himself for saying those words. His heart was filled with regret. Thest thing he talked about with Neo was not a friendly banter, a heartfelt talk, or even a casual conversation. It was him ming Neo. He had been angry with Neo. Because Neo imed Leonora''s weakness was the cause of her death. Because he seemed to disregard the value of life. But now? Neo, despite disregarding the value of life, was sacrificing himself to given them a chance to live. And Arthur, the one who acted like a justice incarnate, was running away and leaving Neo to fend for himself. In the end, he was just a hypocrite. ¡­ Depth Level 5 "Fuck, I feel like shit." Neo pulled out the sword from the corpse of the Shadow monster. He had no way to avoid the battles without Lucas'' help, and he ended up fighting every Shadow monster on his way to Depth Level 5. His clothes were torn, he was bleeding all over, and he was exhausted. He fixed his gas mask. At Depth Level 5, the mask was not enough to stop the contamination from shadow elementals. He had to use Ocean''s Embrace with the mask to block the shadow elementals from contaminating him. "This whole ce is shit, right?" Neo asked. He looked up at Arthur''s Shadow who was sitting on the edge of rooftop a short distance away. The Shadow nodded. "It is." "That aside, I didn''t expect you to appear like this. I thought you would start with a sneak attack." "It''s useless against you. You''ll probably sense the attack before it can even reaches you." "You could''ve used Invincible to deliver an attack fast enough that I couldn''t react to it." Neo pointed out. "A quick attack like that wouldn''t have made it past your defense Spell. It blocked my attackst time too." While they talked, Neo uncapped the Divine Energy Elixir given to him by Elizabeth and drank it. "Since you are kind enough to wait for me, let me drink these." He popped open the academy''s Divine Energy Elixirs and poured them into his mouth. His stomach felt like it was burning. Immense pain surged through his body. Feeling the overdose, he wondered if Leonora had felt the same. Neo''s eyes turned bloodshot and blood trickled down his nose. Since the air barely had non-elemental Divine Energy at Depth Level 5, he could not use Essence Breath Spell to recover his Divine Energy. This was the only way. He had to use everything if he wanted to have a chance against Arthur''s Shadow. The Shadow opened his mouth. "Wait a second, I don''t want to fight. "I know you must be angry because I killed your friends. "But that was because it''s our, the Shadows, instinct to consume the original and take over them. "I wasn''t in my right state of mind back then. I was driven by my instincts." Arthur''s Shadow clenched its fists. "I don''t want to do that anymore. "I understand my actions were wrong, and I want to apologize for them. "I''ll do anything to repent." "You want to repent?" Neo questioned. He asked Obitus to remove his debuff and unseal his blessing. In a split second, he disappeared and reappeared before Arthur''s Shadow. He shed. The Shadow, expecting the attack, dodged and used Invincible to create a gap between them. He jumped far back. "So we have to fight in the end," Arthur''s Shadow said. "Stop being melodramatic. "I can sense your hidden bloodlust. "It''s clear as day you are just waiting for me to let my guard down." Neo covered his de in Aura of Death and Darkness. Arthur Shadow''s stopped the act when it realized Neo was not going to let down his guard. Both them stood still. They eyed each other, careful to not miss a single movement. The Shadow moved first. It dashed towards Neo, leaving behind trails of ck lightning. Neo leapt to the side. He dodged the attack just in time andnded on a drifting chunk of metal. The Shadow followed up with a strike that sent another wave of sound magic towards him. It distorted the air and shook the wreckage around them. Chapter 118: Arthurs Shadow The Shadow followed up with a strike that sent another wave of sound magic towards him. It distorted the air and shook the wreckage around them. Neo grunted. His ears were ringing and he was disoriented. Arthur''s Shadow disappeared. ''The Shadow is faster than me. I will lose if I face it in a contest of speed.'' Neo knew he was vulnerable. He closed his eyes and spread out his senses. Suddenly, he twisted his wrist and blocked the invisible de. Arthur''s Shadow cancelled its invisibility and retreated. "As I thought, surprise attacks are useless against you." The Shadow maintained an emotionless face. It used its superior agility to attack Neo from different directions. The attacks were perfectly timed and savage. Each one of them was aimed at Neo''s vital. The Shadow disappeared into the debris with a swift movement. It used the environment to hide itself. A faint crackling echoed. Neo barely had time to react before the Shadow reappeared above him. He blocked with his sword. But the force of the blow sent him skidding back and he nearly fell off the floating tform. Neo narrowed his eyes. Fighting against Arthur''s Shadow was eerily simr to his fight against Lucas. Just this time, the Shadow wasn''t relying on portals. It was using pure speed and overwhelming force. Suddenly, a gust of wind surged around Neo. His senses screamed danger and he rolled away without thinking. A beatter, a de of air sliced through the space he''d been just standing in. The Shadow disappeared again, leaving behind trails of ck lightning. It used the floating wreckages to its advantage, slipping in and out of view, as it hid behind them, much like Lucas had done with his portals. Neo cursed under his breath. He knew he couldn''t keep up with Shadow''s speed for long. His Divine Energy was decreasing at a fearsome speed and Arthur''s Shadow was nowhere close to being exhausted. Sweat dripped down Neo''s brow as he dodged another barrage of strikes. The Shadow kept using quick attacks to drain his stamina. It knew Neo could not continue fighting for long. Neo exhaled. He had to take the risk. After condensing his Aura of Death on the tip of the de and stabbing it into the ground, he made it explode. Arcs of red lightning burst into the surrounding with no rhyme and rhythm. They killed whatever they touched. The air, the soil, the wreckage. Everything started to crumble into nothingness. Arthur''s Shadow had nowhere left to hide. Neo bolted towards the Shadow with an explosive speed. Their des shed. They exchanged blows at a speed invisible to naked eye. The impact sent shockwaves through the floating debris, but Neo held firm. Neo needed to end this fast. His eyes were peeled open, looking for even the slightest opening, while he parried one strike after another. There was no opening in the Shadow''s defense. Neo would have to create one himself. He suddenlyunched himself backward and tried to put distance between him and the Shadow. The Shadow sensed an opportunity and pressed for the attack. Itunched a barrage of lightning and Air Bullet Spells to corner Neo. But Neo wasn''t retreating. He was baiting. Before the Shadow could react, he stopped retreating and a massive power surged from his sword. Neo shed. The air around his de distorted as it raced toward the Shadow. For a moment, the Shadow''s eyes widened in realization. It couldn''t dodge. The attack was too close and too fast. The de sliced through its neck without any resistance. ...? There was no resistance? ''Shit!'' Neo scanned his surroundings. He didn''t kill anything. The Shadow in front of him was a ''mirage''. It was created through a Magic Spell. ''When did the Shadow switch with a mirage?'' Neo''s senses rang, and before he could react, a dagger pierced his gas mask. The translucent energy field covering his body shattered and the Shadow elementals stuck to his skin. "You''ve lost." Arthur''s Shadow appeared only a bit far from him. It had thrown the dagger while Neo was distracted and, although he sensed the attack, he was not fast enough to dodge it. Neo used Ocean''s Embrace at full power and wrapped his body in Aura of Darkness. Both of thembined reduced the shadow elementals seeping into his body. But he was only dying the inevitable. "The mask is your lifeline. You''ll die without me doing anything." Neo fell to his knees. He grabbed his neck as if he couldn''t breathe. Arthur''s Shadow approached Neo and stabbed the dagger in Neo''s neck. It stared at Neo''s corpse and the blood pouring out of the wound for a few second before turning around. Suddenly, Neo came back to life and he grabbed the Shadow''s leg. His injury stared to heal. He used Necrotic Touch before Arthur''s Shadow could react. The Shadow''s leg began to crumble. It was forced to slice off its leg before its entire body crumbled. "How are you still alive!? I killed you just now!" "Yeah, you did kill me." Neo stood up. The Shadow gritted its teeth. After losing one of its legs, it couldn''t escape. However,Neo, even if alive, had his mask destroyed. It was a draw. He could kill Arthur''s Shadow before he died, but he would die too¡­. "Why are youpletely fine?" the Shadow asked. "¡­" Neo looked at himself. The high density Shadow elementals should''ve killed him again after he used Immortal to revive himself. But he waspletely fine. ''It can''t be due to my bloodline.'' ''Even Zeus n''s descendent can''t stay in the Window''s connected to World of lightning without proper gear.'' Arthur''s Shadow opened its mouth. "I see. I understand now. You are a Shadow who consumed the original and took his ce. "That''s why the shadow elementals aren''t harmful to you." It red at Neo. "Why are you attacking me when both of us belong to the same side?" Neo was not a Shadow. He never devoured the original Neo and took his ce¡­ Suddenly, Neo froze. What happened to the previous Neo? The video recording he received said someone killed the original Neo. Then, why was not there any injury on the body? What if the different transmigrators who possessed the original Neo were all Shadows? Chapter 119: Closing The Window ''No, that can''t be possible. Every person has only one Shadow.'' ''The original Neo can''t have multiple Shadows.'' Neo did not understand what was happening. He exhaled. ''I''ll think about itter. First I need toplete the task before me.'' He stood in front of Arthur''s Shadow. The Shadow did not try to fight back. It knew its fate was sealed. "Anyst words?" "Last words?" Arthur''s Shadow smirked. "Shadows never die. "We''ll meet again and, next time, I''ll make sure you stay dead. "You damned traitor--" Neo sliced the Shadow''s head off its shoulder. Questpletion notification appeared in his vision. He ignored them. "Dammit, I feel like shit even though I won." Neo used Immortal. There was nothing wrong with using his skill in the battle. Still, he felt like had cheated. It wasn''t the type of victory he wanted. "Fuck, this is almost as if I''m weaker than Arthur." Neo clenched his fist. He would surpass Arthur. He didn''t care if Arthur was the protagonist or the hero who was destined to save the worlds. Neo was not going to give up. ... Depth Level 3 Lucas activated the device. A spatial ring formed around the crack in the space -- the Corner -- and it tried to forcefully close the crack. At the side, Nathan used themunication device to alert the other teams on Depth Level 2. Mars, Felix, and Cassandra used the device to close their Corners. The three Corners were closed at the same time. "It''s done. The Window will soon close. "We need to leave." Lucas created a portal. Arthur didn''t step into the portal immediately. "Arthur, we can''t waste time." "..." Arthur nodded and entered the portal with downcast eyes. The group moved towards the doorway of Depth Level 2 at a quick pace with help of portals. They met with Felix, Mars and Cassandra. "Where are the others?" Mars asked. Arthur shook his head. Mars face hardened. He did not say anything for a few moments. "I see..." A sigh escaped his lips. "Let''s leave," he said. The group returned to Depth Level 1 quickly and left the Window with the help of the portals. The principal, Charlotte, and Elizabeth, disguised as Anna, were waiting for them. "Good work. The medical team will take care of the injured. "All of you can take a rest for three days. You''ll receive your reward after that." Charlotte did not ask about the missing students. It was easy to guess what happened to those who did not return. She looked at the slowly closing giant tear in the sky. Suddenly, Elizabeth took a step. Rings of fire materialized around Elizabeth. Before the students could realize what was happening, Charlotte''s dolls teleported them away. She stared at Elizabeth. "Where are you trying to go?" "To save Neo. He wouldn''t have died." Elizabeth was about to break the mes created by Charlotte until she sensed multiple powerful presences in vicinity. They were hiding, but their bloodlust was as clear as day. "Master, did you prepare those people to stop me?" "Yes, I did, since I knew you would try to enter the Window if that boy died there." Elizabeth clenched her fists. She could sense someone as strong as herself among those people brought by Charlotte. "Eliz, we can''t risk bringing out your Shadow. "If that thing appears when you enter the Window, there will be countless causalities. "We can''t afford such scenario." "I''ll defeat my Shadow." "You can''t. No one can defeat their own Shadow." Elizabeth realized her master would not let her enter the Window. There was no other choice. A spear materialized in her hand and the gravity around her started to go out of control. Before she could take a step, Charlotte sighed. "Fine, I ept it. The boy is alive. "I can see him. He has defeated the Kingsley boy''s Shadow just now." "Then that means I can still save--" "No, the boy doesn''t need your help." "...?" Charlotte looked at the Window that was nearly closed. "He isn''t even trying to return. I''m sure he has a n." "That''s no excuse to leave him there." Elizabeth was about to leave when suddenly her vision blurred. Her body grew weak and she lost consciousness before she could realize what was going on. Charlotte looked at the teacher''s staff room far into the distance. Inside, an old man was drinking his coffee. He smiled bitterly. "Thess is quite strong. It took me an entire day to knock her out." "Thank you." The old man and Charlotte talked as if they were sitting next to each other even though they were thousands of meters apart. "Don''t mind it. But is this okay? What will happen when thess wakes up?" "There will be mayhem." Charlotte massaged her brows. As she watched the Window disappear, she hoped -- prayed -- Neo had a n to return alive by the time Elizabeth woke up. ... Inner Castle, Depth Level 5 The Shadow monster attacked. Its massive arm hit Jack''s abdomen. His body flew back and crashed into the wall. "Cough! Cough!" Jack was caught by the Shadow monsters. He didn''t even realize how long he had been fighting for. He bled from the multiple wounds inflicted on his body. The Shadow monster tried to grab his neck. Jack hurriedly slipped into the shadows on the ground and tried to escape. But the Shadow monster tailed him. When the monster left the hall, running after Jack, a Shadow appeared inside the hall. It was Jack. He fell to the ground, exhausted and injured. "I need to... keep moving... the double won''t fool them for long." Jack used the Shadow Double Spell to create a doppelganger and baited the Shadow monster with it. He had to escape while the shadow monster was gone. Just as he tried to stand and run away, he noticed dozens of shadow monsters patrolling the corridor outside of the hall. "Ahah... hahahaha." A hollowugh escaped his lips. Tears slipped down his cheeks. He couldn''t escape. Chapter 120: Reuniting With Jack The Shadow monsters noticed Jack''s presence. They dashed towards him. With nowhere left to go, Jack was forced to fight them. He continued to cast Spells without break. But it was not enough. Injuries piled up on his body. His exhaustion grew. And finally, an attack managed to go past his guard. The ws of Shadow monster stabbed deep into his shoulder. The monster grabbed him. It raised Jack and smashed him into the ground. The air was knocked out of his lungs and blood poured out of his wound non-stop. His vision blurred. The monsters rushed at him from all sides. Jack could not move, let alone resist. He closed his eyes, not wanting to see his own death, when suddenly the presence of Death erupted inside the hall. He opened his eyes in shock. The monsters were cleaved into two halves with their upper torso separated from their legs. Dead, their bodies fell to the side and he heard the familiar voice. "Stop crying like a bitch already." Those blood red eyes stared at him. "Neo....?" "It''s team leader." Suddenly, Jackughed. It wasn''t theugh of hopelessness. Heughed cheerfully. "You arete, you damned team leader." "I had to take care of some issues on the way." Neo approached him. "Good work surviving until now." "I know, right? I''m pretty awesome." Hope returned to Jack''s eyes. "Only someone like me could''ve survived so long in this hellhole." He grinned. A wave of relief washed over him and he lost consciousness. ... Jack woke up with a groan. His body seized up. Where were the Shadow monsters? He prepared to fight as soon as he recalled where he was. Depth Level 5. It was the deepest part of the Window. The ce closest to the World of Treacherous Shadow. The Shadow monsters there were highest in numbers and the strongest across all Depth Levels. "Calm down." Neo''s voice flowed from his side. "I''ve dealt with the Shadow monsters." "Neo? Wait, that wasn''t a dream? You are really here!?" "Yes, I came to rescue you--" "Are you stupid?! Now, you are trapped with me! You are just throwing your life bying to save me!" "..." Neo sighed. He didn''t take offense to Jack''s words. He definitely didn''t. "Stop shouting and wear something. Jr. Jack has breathed enough air for one day." Jack froze. He looked down and screamed like a girl. "You shamed on me when I removed my shirt during the Smander mission and you now you are goingmando?" "Hey, I didn''t do it in front of girls!" After wearing a robe of shadows, he calmed down, but his ears remained beet red. Neo stood up and dusted his clothes. "Follow me." The two roamed the castle. Jack realized there were no Shadow monsters. He could sense a faint presence of death -- probably due to how many Shadow monsters Neo''s killed -- but there was no corpse. ''Did he devour everything?'' They reached a door. Neo pushed it open. The two entered the office. "Cough! Cough! There is a lot of dust here. Why did wee to this room?" "I wanted to show you this." Neo pointed at the briefcase on top of the table. Unlike everything in the room, the briefcase was not broken or covered in cobwebs. "This is?" "It''s a God Relic. I tried to open the briefcase, but I couldn''t, so it''s not from my bloodline." "And?" Jack wanted to ask why Neo was so sure it was a God Relic, but he asked another question first. "Why are you showing this to me?" "Try to open it. Maybe it will react to your bloodline." "Huh?" Jack looked at Neo, perplexed. God Relics could only be used by the bloodline of the person who owned the God Relic. What were the chances the random God Relic they found inside a Window belonged to Jack''s bloodline? He ced his hand on the briefcase. "There is no way it will react to my blood...." Jack stopped speaking when the briefcase unlocked itself with a click. He looked at Neo, stunned. "Seriously? "Wait a second, did you know this God Relic belonged to my bloodline?" "Yes, I did. Actually, you were supposed to be trapped in this ce for months if I did note to rescue you. "You would''ve found this God Relic during your time here." "Okay, okay, stop. Sorry for that weird question." Jack raised his hands when he thought Neo was giving a nonsensical answer. "Of course you could not have known that this God Relic belonged to my bloodline." Jack shook his head. He opened the briefcase. There was a map and a key inside it. Jack touched the key. The key crumbled into motes of ck dust and seeped into Jack''s finger. "A...agrhhh..." He fell to his knees and clutched his head, groaning in pain. While Jack was absorbing the key, Neo took a look at the map. The key was a God Relic and he could not use it, nor did he want to, however, the map was different. He memorized the map. Jack stood up after a few minutes. He was huffing and covered in sweat. "Neo, is the Window closed?" "It should be by now." "If that''s the case, I have good news and not so good news. "The key. "I can open the Window with it. "But I need to increase my mastery over the key first." "How long will it take you to master the key?" "I don''t know." It could be days, months, or even years. There was nothing to eat inside the Window. Neo and Jack could devour the Shadow monsters to sustain themselves. But doing that for a long period of time was bound to turn them insane. Suddenly, a powerful roar echoed. Neo looked out of the broken walls. "Seems like their patience is running thin. We might need to leave this ce soon." "What are you talking about..." Jack''s voice was caught up in his throat. Outside, the entirendscape was covered in a nket of shadows. Looking closer, Jack realized the ''nket'' were Shadow monsters. Hundreds of Shadow monsters. They had surrounded the castle. "Why aren''t they entering into the castle?" "Look carefully." Jack followed Neo''s advice. Chapter 121: Escape [1] His eyes shot wide open. "W-what? How are you doing that?" Jack could not believe his eyes. The ground below the castle was covered in Darkness. He noticed the Shadow monsters, afraid of the Darkness, had not stepped into the castle. An entire castle''s area was under Neo''s protection. The amount of Divine Energy and mastery of Darkness needed for such feat left Jack stunned. "Since when could you use Darkness to this level. "No wait, I forgot to ask about it, but how did you defeat the Shadow monsters inside the castle alone?" "I''ll exin about itter. For now, let''s go." "Go where?" "Somewhere not here." Neo added, "The Darkness is scary to the monsters, but it''s not harmful them, since it takes time to devour anything and devouring something alive takes even longer. "As soon the monsters realize this, they''ll rush in to attack us." Jack nodded with a concerned gaze. He gave the map to Neo, since he took the key, and they left the room. "We need to be careful about the Shadows too," Jack spoke. "Don''t worry about it. All of the Shadows have been defeated." "Arthur''s too? I saw it a few hours ago." "Yeah." Jack did not ask how many of them died while they defeated Arthur''s Shadow. He did not want to know. "How are we going to leave through that horde of monsters?" Jack asked. They stood at the castle gate. Neo posed a different question instead of answering. "How fast can you run?" "I''m pretty slow. Why?" "We''ll run through the Shadow monsters." "..." Jack was not surprised. He was getting used to Neo saying or doing batshit crazy things by now. "I can summon Phantom Steed. What will you use?" "I''ll run." "What!? Just summon something!" "...?" "Call a Shadow summon for yourself." "I can''t use that Spell." "...That''s the first Spell every Shadow wielder learns after they awaken their Shadow element." Neo, like Jack, was not using mask. Only Shadow wielders could do that and survive inside the Window connected to World of Shadow. Because they were Half-Shadows themselves. Neo did not say anything, but he found his situation weird. If he was a Shadow who devoured the original Neo, he should''ve awakened his Shadow element. But he was not able to use it. If he was not a Shadow, or a Shadow wielder, it did not make sense why he could survive without the mask. Jack summoned a Phantom Steed. The ck horse had thick legs and blue mes burned at his hooves, Jack sat on top of it. "Where are we going?" he asked. "To the Depth Level 1. You''ll use the key to open the Window." A sigh escaped Jack''s lips. "I told you I need to learn how to use the key. "At my current mastery, I can''t open the Window," Jack said. "The Window closed recently. The space at its border should be unstable and it will be easier to open. "If we wait, the space will be stabilized. "Besides, this is a Cmity-ranked Window. The monsters here will keep growing stronger. "If we dy our escape, it wouldn''t take long for each Shadow monster to far surpass us in terms of strength." "...Did I tell you I hate it when you make sense like that?" "I don''t care about you think." "Yeah, sure, dear tsundere team leader." Neo''s answer was mixed with lies and truth. The main reason why he was hurrying to leave was due to the corpses of his friends. The corpses of Demigods would take time to start rotting, but dying months was bound to damage them. Neo wouldn''t be able to revive anyone if the corpses were not in pristine condition. "So? How do we leave through that horde? It''s not like they''ll let us go if we ask them politely." "You can used anti-debuff Spells, right? Use them on me." "Are you sure you want them? You look exhausted. "I don''t think you''ll survive the strain of if I apply anti-debuffs." "I''ll manage." Jack clicked his tongue. He chanted Spells under his breath. ck mes materialized on his palms. They circled around Neo and seeped into him before forming glyphs over his skin. As soon as Neo started to feel weak, Jack chanted reverse technique Spell. The glyphs glowed. The weakness disappeared and Neo could feel endless power rushing into his limbs. His Divine Energy started to disappear at frightening pace. Blood trickled down Jack''s eyes. "You okay?" Neo asked. "It''s my first time using so many anti-debuffs at once." Before Neo could say anything, Jack added, "If you have time to worry, worry about yourself." "I''ll do just that." Neo stood at the castle gate. He asked Obitus to remove the debuff of his bloodline and unseal his blessing. Neo felt as if he had be invincible. He called back the Darkness he was using to cover the castle. He felt refreshed, no longer forced to split his focus to protect the castle. Neo''s ced his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist. The Aura of Death and Darkness erupted around him. It condensed and condensed and condensed again until it was covering his de. The monsters did not attack immediately. They could sense the dangerous presence around Neo. But they were too many. A few Shadow monsters rushed forward and soon the horde was running towards Neo and Jack. Neo exhaled deeply. The sword fit perfectly in his hand. It felt like an extension of himself. Obitus became happy when it senses his emotions. His synchronization with the sword increased. Neo''s thumb pushed the de slightly from the scabbard. Death and Darkness coiled around the de. In a single, fluid motion, too fast for the eye to follow, his de shed through the air. The Auras wrapped around the de expanded violently. The ground beneath him cracked as the sheer force of his sh tore through the mass of Shadow monsters. The monsters didn''t even have time to react. One moment they were charging at Neo with their wed limbs ready to attack. The next, they were cut down. The red lightning flickered. It disintegrated them in a chilling instant. For a moment, only silence remained. Chapter 122: Escape [2] Neo slid his de back into the sheath with a soft click. He resealed the blessing. The Aura of Death crackled around his arms. It tore his skin apart and injured him. He had overdone it. Short of breath, he turned to Jack who was in a daze. "Wow, the hell was that?" "Let''s run," Neo said. Jackmanded the Phantom Steed. It darted forward with a blinding speed, leaving blue mes on the ground. Jack looked behind, worried Neo could not keep up with his speed, only to noticed Neo using the flying wreckages to run at a pace no less than the Phantom Steed. "Isn''t he supposed to be weak?" The anti-debuffs should not have boosted Neo to this degree. It did not take long for the Shadow monsters to return. Although Neo killed hundreds of them, there was no end to their numbers. The Window was filled with thousands if not tens of thousands of Shadow monsters. Neo''s aggressive method of killing the Shadow monsters revealed their location to all of them. Unfortunately, he had no choice but to use that reckless attack to escape the encirclement. "Neo! The Shadow monsters are returning!" "I know! Keep going! I''ll handle the monsters!" Neo increased his speed and took over Jack. He shed. The Aura of Death and Darkness wrapped around the de and its length by several folds. After killing the monsters, Neo returned to de to the scabbard and kept running. "You can spam that attack!? "You fucking fraud! "Why have you been acting like a weakling until now!?" Jack shouted as he threw Shadow Spears at the Shadow monsters. "I''ll throw you into the midst of monsters if you curse at me again, bitch!" Wounds appeared over their bodies at an rming pace. They continued to sh and attack at anything that blocked their path as they rushed to the doorway of Depth Level 4. As soon as they entered Depth Level 4, Neo trigged the Essence Breath Spell at full power. "Neo, stop fighting! Rest for a few minutes!" "Why!?" "You are dying!" "Well, I like that!" "Stop, you fucking crazy lunatic!" Neo''s body was crumbling under the effects of the overwhelming amount of Death and Darkness Aura he was using. He was walking on the thin line between death and life. If he pushed himself more, Death would embrace him. He would die from exhaustion. But Neo never felt more clear-headed. The monsters he killed, the Death Aura he created, the Death that tried to im him. The battlefield was covered in the presence of Death. It wasforting. ''More! I can do it!'' Neo pushed himself to the limit. He had to be closer with Death. Giant bolts of condensed red lightning erupted around Neo. With every step he took, the presence of Death surrounding him increased by several folds. ''This crazy guy.... He is having an enlightenment while he is dying!?'' Jack could not believe his eyes. He started to use Darkness along with Shadow Spells. He had to take off the burden from Neo, or Neo would die from exhaustion. The voices spoke to him in a jarring cacophony. Jack felt like he was being devoured by the Darkness. But he held on. To help Neo. To return. The pressure over the two decreased as they went down the Depth Levels. They reached the boundary of Depth Level 1 covered in blood, bruises and life-threatening wounds. "Use this." Neo threw the vials of healing elixir, given by Academy, towards Jack. Jack caught them. "What about you?" "I don''t need them." Neo wanted to reach Adept-mastery in Death. Healing himself would kill the enlightenment he was trying to gain. "Now, get to the work," Neo said. Jack wanted to advice Neo to drink the elixir. But he knew Neo would not listen to him. Crazy bastards wouldn''t be crazy if they listened. "I''ll do my best." Jack tried to activate the key. ck circuit line patterns appeared on his arms. They glowed with eerie, dark energy. He put his hand on boundary and focused. "Can you do it?" "I should be able to. But it will take time." "Fine." Neo shed on the ground and left a line on it. "Don''t cross this line. I''ll make sure the Shadow monsters don''t touch you." The ground trembled as if earthquakes arrived. Hundreds of Shadow monsters appeared on the horizon. They, gathered from Depth Level 5 to Depth Level 1, rushed over like a tsunami threatening drown them. Some of the Shadow monsters were as big as houses, some of them were faster than wind, and some had shells harder than bullet-proof shields. Jack tried to hurry. He aggravated his injuries and found it hard to focus on the task. "Calm down. I''ll buy as much time as you need. Do it at your own pace." Jack bit his lips. He saw Neo''s back as he stood against the horde of Shadow monsters. He could open the Window if he took his sweet time, but Neo would not survive that long. Jack had to hurry. He exhaled. Despite his worries, he tuned out everything. The monsters... Neo on deathbed... Jack stopped thinking about everything. He trusted his back to Neo. He would do his own task. On the other side, Neo cut off the area behind the line by creating a wall of Darkness. He shed with the first Shadow monster and unsealed his blessing. The monsters attacked from all sides. Neo moved like a blur. He did not dodge the attacks or use Ocean''s Embrace. His entire focus was on killing the Shadow monsters. He shed at anything that moved and went on a killing spree. A whip-like tail pierced his abdomen. Neo grabbed the tail and pulled it out from the monster''s body with a snap. Just then, he sensed an attack from above. He raised his head and saw a giant handing down to crush him. Neo shifted and ced himself between the gaps of giant fingers. He jumped, running over the monster''s arm, and used the tail of the monster he killed to choke the giant Shadow monster. The giant Shadow monster tried to throw him off. Neo sent Aura of Death through the tail into the monster. Dead, the giant monster fell and crushed dozens of monsters beneath it. Flying harpies-like Shadow monster pounced on Neo while he was still in air. He created a condensed sphere of Death Aura and made it explode. The attack did not kill them, but it slowed them. Neonded on the ground. He fought like a mad berserker. His mind was focused on killing as many Shadow monsters as he could. The presence of Death covering the surroundings continued to increase. ''More!'' ''More!'' ''More!'' Neo killed any monster that stepped close to the line and the wall of Darkness. Time lost its meaning to him. He continued to fight. Suddenly, Jack''s voice rang. "Neo, it''s done! Let''s escape!" The border of the Window opened. However, Neo did not stop. He was immersed in the battle. The increasing Death had intoxicated him. Neo did not realize his Aura of Death was going under massive changes. It grew more sinister. More malevolent. Chapter 123: Adept-mastery of Death The entrance started to close. "Neo!" Jack was about to enter the battle and pull Neo when suddenly Neo raised his sword. Red lightning gathered at the tip of his de. Its size increased until it turned into a giant orb of red lightning. The sphere looked like a fiery red sun. Neo swung his sword down. The orb of lightning fell. It hit the ground and, a beatter, exploded into a blinding st of energy. The space twisted from the force of the attack. Anything that touched the explosion crumbled into nothingness. Neo created a Coffin of Darkness to shield himself and Jack. When he removed it, he saw a giant chasm. A massive hole had been punched into the ground. The Shadow monsters on the other side of the chasm roared, unable to cross the enormous gap. They could only watch as Neo and Jack left the Window and it closed behind them. ¡­ Demigod Academy A dark presence suddenly enveloped the academy. Every person could sense it. The presence increased and the sky started to crack. The low-ranked demigods, unable to handle the powerful presence, started to lose consciousness. People were dropping like flies. Charlotte issued an rm. "All Mythic Demigods spread out! "Protect those who cannot handle the pressure!" Hundreds of new emergency missions were posted in mission halls. "Empyrean Demigods and above, gather near the dimensional crack! "Window #12862 is reopening! "I repeat, this is an emergency! "Window #12862, a dimensional crack with the potential of cmity-rank, is reopening!" Charlotte called her phoenix. It flew through the sky at breakneck speed and brought her near the opening of the Window. Hundreds of Demigods gathered around the ce. Shended on the ground. Percival, the student council president, approached her. "Principal, we''ve mobilized every 2nd year and 1st year student. "The evacuation process is going smoothly." "What about the Window?" "The student council and several professors are already securing the perimeter. "Even if a battle breaks out, we''ll make sure the destruction is contained." Charlotte nodded. A closed Window could not be opened easily. Only a monstrously strong demigod ¡ª or a powerful monster ¡ª could do that. ''Who is opening the Window from the other side?'' If it was a monster, a huge battle was bound to break out. Charlotte could not help but worry. The academy would stand tall even if it was attacked by an Exalted demigod. They would win against whatever wasing out of the Window. However, they would incur huge losses. ''Is it that boy''s doing?'' Charlotte was not able to see inside the Window after it closed. She had no idea what was going on. The tear in the sky spread apart in multiple directions. It reached the ground. The demigods waited with bated breaths. The Window reopened and suddenly an overwhelming pressure descended. ''This is death element! Why is iting out of a window connected to World of Shadows?!'' Percival''s back was drenched in sweat. Two figures, Neo and Jack, covered in injuries and blood walked out of the Window. The Window closed behind them and disappeared. However, no one rxed. ''What is that?'' Percival frowned. Neo was the source of the ominous presence of Death. The presence radiating from him was strong. Too strong. As if¡­ ¡­!? Percival flinched when he tried to sense Neo''s condition. Neo''s heart was not beating. He was¡­ dead. Yet. He was alive. It was contradictory. His fatal injuries were a clear sign he could not be alive. He shouldn''t have been alive. "Ready your weapons!" Percival shouted, instinctively, when Neo looked at him. He was afraid. Of the abomination he was witnessing before his eyes. "No need. The boy has reached Adept-mastery in Death element. That''s all," Charlotte said. She stared at Neo and shifted her gaze to Jack who was consciousness. "Is he alive?" "Yes, but he needs immediate medical attention. He forced himself beyond what his body could handle." Neo answered. Charlotte nodded. She looked at the professor responsible for healing injured students. "Please, heal that kid." Before H could approach Jack, another professor, Daniel, stopped her. "But principal what if they are Shadows? We can''t guarantee they haven''t devoured the originals and are trying to infiltrate us." Many voiced their agreement to the Daniel''s doubt. No one could believe two Awakened Demigods escaped a Window without any help. Neo opened his mouth. "Jack is a Shadow Wielder. He can''t be a Shadow." "Oh." His words brought a sense of relief. The professor, H, approached Neo and Jack. She took Jack from Neo. After sitting on the ground and cing Jack''s head on herp, she began to heal him. H looked at Neo. "What about you? Are you a Shadow?" "¡­" Neo looked at Charlotte. The principal nodded and announced. "Neo Hargraves'' Shadow did not appear inside the Window. He is the original." After the principal''s confirmation and the disappearance of the Window, the people rxed. The fear and anxiety in their eyes was reced by awe and admiration. Two Awakened Demigods. They escaped a Window, which had the potential to reach cmity-rank, alone. And judging by the injuries of Neo and Jack, they could tell which of the two was responsible for the sessful escape. The professors gathered around Neo. "Neo Hargraves, congrattions on escaping Window." "You have reached Adept-mastery in Death at such young age. Your future is bright, young man. How about you join my club? I''ll help you learn about your element." "Back off, you don''t even use Death element. I''ll teach this kid instead." "Neo Hargraves¡­." "It''s my pleasure¡­" Although they did not know the full story of what happened inside the Window, all of them understood one thing. Neo Hargraves was a monstrous genius. While everyone was trying to talk to Neo, Charlotte coughed and leaked a bit of her pressure to warn the professors. "Give the boy some space. He needs to be healed first." Only then did everyone realize Neo''s physical body was dead. He was forcefully keeping himself alive after reaching Adept-mastery in Death. But he would soon diepletely. Chapter 124: A Deal With The Principal "All of you can return to your posts. "Neo Hargraves,e with me," Charlotte said. She summoned her phoenix. Neo climbed on its back with her. The beast''s body, despite being covered in mes, was not burning Neo. It was warm. They reached the mansion of top of clouds and entered the study room. The principal called the puppet maids. "Prepare tea for us." "Understood." The puppet with silver eyes brought them tea. Neo drank it quietly. "Let''s settle the important topic first. "How much time do you have left?" Charlotte asked. "A few minutes at best." Neo raised his palm. Sparks of condensed red lightning flickered around his body. Although dead, the Death could not embrace him. He was manifesting the Death, which came for him, outwardly and stopping it from pulling him into the Underworld. Charlotte opened her mouth. "The life-element and holy-element can''t heal you since you are technically dead. "The elixirs won''t work either. "We''d need to reverse time of your physical body and return it to the state before it died. Only then can we heal you." "What are you trying to say principal?" "I can rmend a healer with time-element to heal you. "But what do I get in return?" Charlotte asked as she sipped the tea. "I''m sure it''s Academy''s job to provide healers to the students who''ve returned from S-rank mission?" "It is. But what can you do if I refuse?" Neo smiled as he heard her. He could see where Elizabeth had gotten her habits from. "What do I need to pay to be healed?" "Don''t leak the news about what happened inside the Window." "I''m sorry, but I don''t understand what you mean, principal. "Is it possible that you saw something hical and now you are trying to bury the news?" Her expression worsened. Neo knew exactly what she wanted and he was trying to act oblivious. "Lucas'' attack. I want you to keep quiet about it." "Oh, you mean how he backstabbed me?" Neo faked a sad expression. "I must say, I was quiet scared back then. "Do you know how I felt when the heir of Zeus n tried to kill me?" Charlotte''s eyebrow gave a slight twitch. She had seen how Neo''s forced Lucas to run away with tail between his legs. Scared? It was like saying a lion was afraid of a hyena. It was impossible. ''He knows he has the upper hand in the negotiations,'' Charlotte thought. If Neo was a normal demigod, she could''ve threatened him. Unfortunately, he was the little brother of Henry Hargraves, and it seemed her disciple fancied him. Charlotte could not let him die. Or else, there would be consequences. Neo understood this. A sigh escaped Charlotte''s lips. "I''ll be upfront. "If you reveal Lucas'' betrayal, the Academy will be forced to take strict action against Lucas. "The Zeus n won''t take it lying down. "At best, they''ll crush Hargraves Corporation to take revenge. "At worst they''ll dere the Academy as their enemy and demand us to spare Lucas in order to stop a war from breaking out. "There will be enormous damage to both sides. "But we can avoid that if you keep your mouth shut," Charlotte said. ''I doubt a war will happen,'' Neo thought. The Zeus n did not put too much importance on Lucas even though he was the heir. There was a slight chance the Zeus n would protect Lucas to save their image. However, it did not matter. Henry would protect Neo. Knowing how strong Henry actually was, Neo was not worried about any God n. Besides, there was a high chance Elizabeth would take his side too. "What if I refuse your offer, principal? "I''m Immortal. I can just revive after I die." "So you won''t ept the deal¡ª" "Oh, I will. But I want to change the terms of the negotiations." Charlotte went quiet after hearing his words. Neo smiled when he saw her confused expression. He did not want the academy to punish Lucas. He did not want to kill Lucas either. After dying multiple times, Neo realized death was not scary to everyone. Living, even though the times were difficult, was more painful to some people. Lucas was one of those people. Neo would turn Lucas'' life living hell. He would take his revenge with his own hands and not through someone else''s help. He would make sure Lucas regretted making an enemy out of him. "If you don''t want to be healed, then what do you want?" "Give me the corpses of those who died in the mission." Charlotte''s face stiffened. Each student that died had a high-profile background. Especially Leonora. She was once in a century genius. The Poseidon n had high expectations of her. The families'' of the deceased had demanded the corpse of their children. "It is nearly impossible to deny the families since they already know the corpses of their kids were brought back." "That''s not my problem, is it? "You fulfill your side of the deal, and I''ll fulfill mine." Charlotte''s brows creased. She was stuck between a rock and a hard ce. In the end, she chose the lesser evil. "Fine. I''ll do as you want. "But I need to know why you want the corpses." A heavy pressure hit Neo. Charlotte spoke in a chilling voice. "I''ll kill you with my own hands if you are nning to devourer those corpses." "I won''t do that." "Then what is it?" "¡­." "Necromancy?" "¡­" Charlotte believed she was right when Neo did not object. Neo, on the other hand, let her misunderstand his intentions. He had no n to reveal the existence of the resurrection ritual. "Since we''ve decided to go ahead with the deal, please let Nathan keep the corpses for now. "I will take them from him." Neo stood up. "I''ll be taking my leave." "Wait, take this." Charlotte threw a badge towards him. "Go to professor Daniel in mediation hall and get yourself healed." Neo nodded. He was about to leave when Charlotte spoke again. "And keep our conversation secret. Especially from Eliz." "Understood." "Send him away," Charlotte spoke to the maids. A portal appeared beneath Neo. He smiled just before he was teleported away. "It was good doing business with you, principal." Charlotte frowned after hearing those words. She hadpleted a sessful deal with Neo. It was the truth. However, Neo''s smile made her uneasy. She felt as if she had somehow made a loss. Chapter 125: Completing The Contract Neo appeared inside his dorm. He looked at the badge in his hands. "I''ll heal myself on my own. "But I guess I can use this thing to ask the professor help me awaken my time element." The corpses of Christian and others would be fine for a few weeks. Neo needed to awaken his time element. After that, he had to learn to create a frozen time prison to make sure the corpses don''t rot. "Fuck, it would''ve been easier if I could put their corpses in cyro chambers. "But I can''t do that. "The less people know about the corpses the better." "I''ll have to do it myself." Neo massaged his brows. Resurrection ritual was not easy to prepare. The entire academy was within the principal''s range. He could not get the sacrifices here or she would know. "I can only wait until the 2nd semester starts and we are given the permission to leave the academy." As he entered the room, his body started to stop functioning. He could not control his left hand or his mouth. ''Looks like I''m about to die.'' Neo sat on the sofa. He closed his eyes. ¡­. 490th Floor, Hargraves Corporation The butler entered the office after the knock. He saw Henry going through some documents. "Master, I have received the news from the spies we''ve put in the academy. "The young master has returned alive." "I guess I don''t need to go there and rescue him." Henry nodded, his eyes fixed on the documents. "Anything else to report?" "Yes, young master has reached Adept-mastery in Death element and he likely as strong as Top 5 students in his year." A smile appeared on Henry''s face. Contrary to him, the butler looked anxious. "Master, if young master continues to grow at this rate, then¡ª" "It''s fine. We''ll cross the bridge when we get there." Henry cut off Sebastian before he couldplete his words. He added. "I want Neo to be strong enough to fight them; instead of making sure he stays weak and hoping they spare him." A sigh escaped Henry''s lips. He closed the document and took out a cigarette. "Fuck." ¡­ Arthur''s Private Training Room, Seraphim Hall, Demigod Academy The noises of des shing echoed. Arthur disappeared and reappeared around the ce. He kept attacking Mars. Mars used his fists, which were as hard as steel, to block the attacks. Both of them were fighting without holding back. Their bodies were covered in bruises and their gazes were filled with exhaustion. They had been training since the moment they return. Felix entered the room. He noticed them training and shifted his gaze to the side. Nathan sat at the corner. His eyes were closed as he manipted the Darkness, training. Felix approached Nathan. "You should take a break." "I''ll take one after a bit." Nathan kept his eyes closed. A sigh escaped Felix''s lips. He sat near Nathan and opened the dinner. "I didn''t take you to be the sentimental type. But I guess I the deaths hit you hard." "I¡­ I''m not sad." Nathan opened his eyes. He let go over his hold of the Darkness and he continued. "I''m just scared. "I never thought geniuses like Leonora and Christian could die so easily. "It made me realize death cane for me anytime and I''ll never be able to stop it." "So easily, huh." Felix puckered his lips. He smiled miserably. "What about Neo? He is a genius too." "I don''t think Neo died." "¡­?" "He was murdered. Lucas must''ve¡ª" "Hey, shut up!" Felix cut off Nathan mid-sentence. "Don''t say those words to anyone else. Or you won''t know what killed you." Nathan bit his lips. He never trusted Lucas after he killed his friend in the rankingpetition. But, he knew. They could not oppose the Zeus n. Watching Nathan''s miserable expression, Felix felt his resolve strengthen. Felix hated their world where¡­. The bloodline was everything. The person''s fate was decided before they were born. The weak had no right. Felix would change the ursed system. Even if he had to kill the Gods. For freedom. For equality. ¡­ Lucas'' Room, Seraphim Hall, Demigod Academy "Lucas!" Harrison rushed into the room. He was breathing heavily after running for a long while. "He, huff, huff, he is alive." "He?" Lucas put down his knife and looked out of the kitchen. "Neo Hargraves has returned. He sessfully rescued that Shadow-wielder and came back." "I see." Lucas smiled. "Lucky for them." He wiped his hand on the apron and focused on cooking. "Why are you so calm?! What if he reports you¡ª" "Harrison, that''s not for you to worry about. The n elders will handle the aftermath." Harrison was stunned at Lucas'' attitude. Before he could argue back, Lucas added, "Don''t ask unnecessary things. "Just do as you are told and keep your mouth shut if you don''t want to get discarded like Morrigan." ¡­ Willow Mansion, Forest of All Beginnings, Underworld Neo appeared in the garden of Paimon''s mansion. He exhaled. He gained the Death Elemental Vision after he reached Adept-mastery. The thick amount of Death in the Underworld surprised him. After looking around, he entered the mansion. He found Paimon and Barbatos in the open hall. The two grim reapers were sitting on sofa, sipping tea. Paimon was smiling as usual. Barbatos, on the other hand, seemed angry. "Would you like some tea?" Paimon questioned. "Yes, please." She prepared the tea with finesse. Her movements were graceful and precise. "Why did you return to the Underworld, child? "I believed you would meet the sphinx as soon as possible and try toplete the third trial." "I''m here to fulfill the contract." Neo''s words made Paimon''s smile deepen. "It doesn''t look like you are afraid of losing your God Blood. "Don''t you regret it? "If you did not fight to protect your friend and instead escaped on your own, you would''ve never needed the blessing. "In the end, you could''vepleted the mission without sacrificing your God Blood." She watched Neo with interest, wanting to know his answer. Neo opened his mouth. "I don''t regret it. "Jack was my teammate. I was the one who brought him to the Window. He was my responsibility." Neo exhaled." "I never sacrificed my God Blood. I used it to rescue my friend." His answer made Paimon chuckle. She turned to Barbatos. "See, I told you. The child has grown. He can handle the responsibilities thate with the blessing." Barbatos continued to stare at Neo. "O Great Child of Monarch, do you realize the cost of your sacrifice? "Wemend your bravery and brotherhood, but we cannot praise you, not when you have decided to squander Monarch''s precious blood." Barbatos was not angry with Neo. He was proud of Neo''s decisive mentality. It showed Neo put thought into his actions before doing anything and stood by his decision even if they had consequences. Paimon coughed. "Should we begin?" "Yes." "Please close your eyes, child." Neo followed her words. He sensed Paimon going behind him. She unbuttoned his cor button and tugged his shirt off his shoulder. Suddenly, Neo felt two sharp objects burrowing into his shoulders. He almost screamed, even though he was used to pain, and felt his soul burn. After a few seconds, the sharp objects were removed. Something cold and soft licked his bleeding shoulder. The injury and pain disappeared as soon as they had arrived and Neo felt a soothing sensation surging through his body. It was addicting. "Thank you for the meal, child. It''s been decades since I drank Monarch''s blood." Neo opened his eyes. He was stunned when he saw Paimon return to her seat. She was no longer a bag of bones, but a beauty with milk-white skin, golden hair, and blood-red eyes. Her fangs were revealed when she smiled. "Did I surprise you, child?" "¡­." She chuckled at his speechless reaction. Neo spoke after a few moments, "I don''t feel much different. Did you really take my God Blood?" "Indeed, I did. Your stats haven''t changed which is why you don''t feel different. "But your Divine Energy pool has been reduced to half. "You''ll notice it if you use your Divine Energy." Neo closed his eyes. He tried to manifest Aura of Death. Red lightning flickered around his fingers and he felt a strain on his Divine Energy reserves. ''I was reduced by almost half.'' Neo noted. Thankfully, his stats were still same. As long as he was careful to keep the battles short, he could fight at full power without any problem Neo did not regret his actions. He could always recover his God Blood by devouring monsters with Darkness. To him, it was but a minor inconvenience. "If that is all, I''ll return now." "Good bye, child." "¡­" Barbatos stayed quiet. In the end, he spoke only after Paimon elbowed him. "May you live in peace and prosperity, O Child of Monarch." "See youter." Neo used the Immortal and arrived back into his body in the world of living. Chapter 126: Hallucinations Neo, revived, open his eyes. A burning sensation surged through his body. He clutched his heart and doubled over. Groans escaped his lips. Hecked the Divine Energy to healpletely after the revival. The torturous pain nearly knocked him out when suddenly Neo felt someone ce their hand on his back. Afortable flow of energy entered his body through those hands. The pain disappeared. Healed, Neo raised his eyes. "Amelia? What are you doing here?" "I came to check on you." She scratched her cheeks. After helping him sit on the sofa, he prepared a drink for him. "Thanks." Neo sipped the drink. "But how did you enter the room? I''m sure I locked the door." "Neo, congrats onpleting the mission¡ª" "Amelia, don''t change the topic." "¡­Mom gave the keys to me." "Why does she have keys to my room?" "She has the keys to my room too." Amelia stared at him in annoyance. "You should be happy you don''t need to share the bed with her." "She sleeps with you?" "Yes, and she¡­" Amelia let out a subdued frustrated scream. "I can''t sleep with her! She hugs me too tightly! I haven''t slept properly a day since she came here!" Neo ced the empty cup on the table. "Why didn''t shee to meet me herself?" "She doesn''t want to meet you right now. Mom''s frustrated she couldn''t help you." Amelia sighed. "She is thinking she failed you." "What?" "Don''t ask me what goes through her head." Amelia shrugged. She stood up. "I came here to check up on you. You can rest now." Just as she was about to leave, she stooped at the door and turned to look at him. "Wee back." Amelia left and the door closed behind her. Neo massaged the back of his neck. "I guess I need to buy a new lock." After taking a bath, he slept. The mission had been too exhausting. He wanted to rest. In the morning, he woke up with a jolt when his senses warned him of an iing attack. He rolled off from the bed and dodged the poison-coated dagger by a hair''s breadth. The assassin was wearing a shroud of shadows that hid his body and face. ''Did Zeus n send him? No, even they won''t do as assassination so openly.'' Neo got in a position to fight. Suddenly, a dagger pierced his heart from the behind. The second assassin, who sneaked up on Neo, twisted the de. Neo looked down at the tip of the deing out of his chest. "How¡­?" His Death affinity never warned him of the sneak attack¡ª Neo woke up. He was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. Looking around, he noticed it was only midnight. "Was it a dream?" He grabbed his forehead. "It was too realistic to be a dream." The faint headache made it hard for him to think straight. Hearing the voices, Neo realized it was not a simple dream. It was a hallucination created by the Darkness. "Seems like I overused the Darkness during the mission. I can''t control it properly anymore." The volume of the noises increased. Neo could not sleep. The hallucinations of the assassins began to appear in front of his eyes while he was awake. He groaned. His head felt like it would explode. Amidst the countless voices speaking to him, he heard the voice of Obitus. Hold me¡­ Neo¡­. The sword called out to him. Neo found it hard to concentrate. He bit his lips and tried to look around the room. The hallucinations made it hard for him to find the sword. One moment, he was falling from the sky, the other he was burning alive, and suddenly, he was fighting the assassins. Neo¡­ Move to the right¡­ Continue forward¡­ The sword guided him through the hallucinations. He reached the ce where the sword should''ve been. Yes, now grab me¡­. Neo held the air in front of him. He felt the cold grip of the handle in his arms as his control over his elements was boosted by Obitus. The voices disappeared along with the hallucinations. Neo was back in his room. He fell to his knees, shivering uncontrobly. "Thanks you, Obitus." A surge of positive emotions appeared in his mind. No need to thank me¡­ I will always help you no matter what¡­ Now, go sleep¡­. You need rest¡­. Neo nodded. He held the sword in his hand andy on the bed. Normally, Neo kept a lid on his Darkness affinity to stop it from going berserk. He could not hold the lid down while he was asleep. It was not a problem until today since his Darkness affinity was never strong enough. But after the mission his Darkness affinity grew a lot stronger. He could not suppress it anymore unless he was diverting his focus towards it, which was impossible to achieve while he was asleep. Neo did not know what he would''ve done without Obitus. The sword increased his control over his elements. He had to sleep with the sword in his hands if he did not want to fall victim to the hallucinations again. In the morning, Neo received a notification from the academy. [All participants of the recent S-rank mission must report to the assembly hall in 1 hour.] [Mission Evaluation Report will be distributed.] [Please make sure to attend the meeting.] He ordered the food to his room. After filling his stomach, he moved towards the venue. He met Jack on the way. "Hi, yawn, how are you?" "Good enough, I guess. What about you? Did you stay awake the whole night?" "I''ve been sleeping since we returned. "I''m tired due to the side effect of the revival." Jack answered as he yawned. The two reached the assembly hall. They met Arthur, Felix, Mars, Sean and Nathan. Noticing their sorrowful expression, Neo spoke, "Why do you all look like shit?" Arthur raised his head when he heard Neo''s voice. He stared at Neo. "It''s just that too many died during the mission. Leonora, ra, you¡­" Suddenly, Arthur closed his mouth. He stared at Neo, turned his head, stared at Jack, turned his head, and stared at Neo again. "Felix, can you pinch me?" "Sure, but pinch me too." Felix, in her female body, stared at Neo and Jack with a stupefied expression. The others were no different. Arthur winced when Felix pinched him. "Neo ¡­. are you really alive?" "Yes, I am and please stop acting like you saw a ghost¡ª" "You are alive!" Arthur jumped from his seat. He hugged Neo and Jack with a speed that made them think they were hit by a truck. "You are alive! You are alive!" Tears strolled down Arthur''s cheek. His voice cracked. "Tha-thank you for being alive." Jack looked at Neo with awkward expression, not sure of what to do. Before Neo could do anything, Felix followed Arthur''s example and hugged them tightly. After a minute of crying, Arthur calmed down. He wiped his tears and stared at Neo. "How did you survive? Lucas told us you stayed back to buy time for us." "Lucas told you that?" "Yes? Isn''t that what happened?" Neo smiled. He saw Lucas, Harrison, and Cassandra entering the hall from the corner of his eyes. "Actually, yeah, that''s what happened back then." "Then how did you return¡ª" Chapter 127: Mission Evaluation Report "Attention all students! Please return to your seats and stop talking!" A young professor stood at the podium. He red at Arthur and Neo''s group for making amotion. They sat down. After the ceremonial speech, where the professor talked about the deaths and difficulties they faced during the mission, he invited the principal on the stage. Charlotte arrived. She swept her gaze around the hall. "Good morning, students. Congrattions on sessfullypleting the S-rank mission. "I know some of your friends could not return from the mission, and I''m terribly saddened by the news. "But, I hope this defeat would not cause you to crumble under the losses you''ve suffered, and instead serve as the nourishment for your growth." She spoke a few words for the condolences before moving towards the mission evaluation. "I''ll be announcing the mission evaluation report. "This report is solely to serve as a reminder for your performance during the S-rank mission. "The professors who''vepiled the reports, myself included, hope these reports will help you understand the areas where you arecking." Charlotte coughed before she added. "The parameters included in these reports are calcted using the devices included in your gears. "Some of you might think the reports are unfair. "And that means you still haven''t understood how much you arecking. "I hope all of you are understanding students and will notin about your results." Charlotte wore her sses and flipped the pages in her hand. "Arthur Kingsley "Mission Evaluation: C "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 28 "Summary: "Arthur has a good control over his elements and is a capable fighter. He can cover his own weakness perfectly. "However, he is bad at teamwork and is susceptible to emotional outbursts." Charlotte added, "Arthur''s Kingsley,e up on the stage and take your report. "The summary I''ve said is only a small part. "The report itself has a detailed assessment of your performance spanning several pages." Arthur stood up and went to take his report. After he returned, Charlotte continued. "Mars Everhart "Mission Evaluation: B+ "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 42 "Summary "Despite being a proud student and one of the strongest demigod among his peers, Mars repeatedly showed his calmness by following his team leader''s orders even though he wanted to do otherwise. "His performance of protecting his two teammates on Depth Level 2, while the others went to Depth Level 3, was exceptionally noteworthy." Mars took his report. Charlotte continued. "Harrison di Valemont "Mission Evaluation: C- "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 20 "Summary "Harrison has a good grasp of his techniques and he has shown his potential for further growth. "His biggest w, however, is his pride. He fought his Shadow alone, even though he could''ve asked for help, and was nearly defeated." Harrison grunted when he heard the report. He turned his head to stare at Neo for a short moment before taking his report file. "Lucas di Valemont "Mission Evaluation: B+ "Number of Shadows defeated: 1 (Sean''s Shadow) "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 17 "Summary: "Lucas'' ability to use portals assisted the team greatly. "Without him, the mission would''ve been at least 10 times more difficult. "Hispassionate nature, which led him to help his team leader in rescuing Jack, is the only mistake he did during the mission. "Going on a suicide rescue mission that put the rest of team''s life on the line is notmendable." Lucas stood up with a smile. He took the mission report and returned to his seat. "Nathan Darkholme "Mission Evaluation: A "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 12 "Summary "Nathan''s scouting ability with his Shadow summons is one of the most important reasons for the mission''s sess. "He made almost no major mistakes and his biggest contribution is locating Lucas'' Shadow." Nathan broke into a smile when he heard his report. After taking his report file, the group gave him thumbs up. He looked at Neo, mouthing thanks, since he knew he only followed Neo''s orders. "Sean Brown "Mission Evaluation: F "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 25 "Sean''s careless during the battle nearly caused the team their life. "Due to the confidentiality use, we will not be disclosing his errors, however¡­" Charlotte raised her gaze from the file. Her powerful pressure hit Sean and he almost screamed. "Sean Brown, if you repeat a mistake like this again, you will be expelled, and charged with attempted murder." "I-I understand, principal." He stood up with downcast eyes. The group did not ask what Sean had done. They had an idea of what happened during the battle, but since Arthur had apologized in ce of Sean, they had to let go of the matter. "Jack Hanma "Mission Evaluation: D+ "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 152 "Summary "Jack was defeated at the beginning of the mission. "His Shadow monster count was taken from the Neo Hargraves'' device. "Although the number of Shadows monsters he defeated is useless since it did not contribute to the mission, we can see the untapped potential in Jack Hanma. "We rmend him to undertake more challenging tasks to help unlock that potential. "If he can do that, Jack Hanma will surely be a renowned figure in the future." Felix, Arthur, and Mars stared at Jack with stunned expression. "One hundred fifty two, seriously?" Felix questioned. Jack let out an embarrassed smile. His evaluation grade was second lowest amongst his peers. However, he couldn''t help but smile. The mission made Jack understand he was not as weak as he thought himself to be. As long as he could ovee his cowardice, he could do more and be more. "Cassandra di Langley "Mission Evaluation: D+ "Number of Shadows defeated: 0 "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 19 "Summary "Cassandra''s performance during the mission was average. "She neither excelled nor made many mistakes. "However, we would rmend she does not let her arrogance cloud her eyes and follow the orders from her higher-ups without prejudice." Cassandra snorted and went up to take the report. After almost everyone''s report was done, Charlotte looked at Neo. He was the only one left. She opened her mouth. "Neo Hargraves. "Mission Evaluation:¡­." Chapter 128: Neos Mission Evaluation "Neo Hargraves. "Number of Shadow defeated: 3 (Arthur''s Shadow, Lucas'' Shadow, and Harrison''s Shadow) "Number of Shadow monsters defeated: 1,243" Charlotte stopped speaking and stared at Neo. The hall was submerged into an icy silence. No one could believe what they heard. Neo alone defeated three of the strongest Shadows and killed more than twice Shadow monsters than all of thembined. Surprisingly, no one objected to the report. After hearing what happened during the mission from Nathan, they had guessed Neo was stronger than he revealed. Nheless, the contents of the reports were beyond their imagination. Jack opened his mouth. "I thought the team defeated Arthur''s Shadow together?" "I did it alone." "But you said¡­." Jack closed his mouth. Clearly, he had misunderstood Neo''s words back then. "You defeated that monster and came to rescue to me after that?" His rhetorical words sent the hall words in a flurry. "Neo, why have you been hiding your strength!?" "I knew my rival¡­" "You¡­" They surrounded Neo and spoke without a break. "Silence!" Charlotte shouted. "The mission evaluation has not ended yet!" The group became quiet. They returned to their seats. "Neo Hargraves, it''s clear to everyone that the S-mission''s sess would''ve been impossible without you. "However, you''ve failed miserably as a team leader. "You left only three members at Depth Level 2. Did it ur to you what would''ve happened if a Shadow managed to sneak past you into Depth Level 2? "Those three could''ve died and your path of retreat would''ve been blocked. "You failed to make proper use of Mars Everhart. Despite being one of the strongest demigods in the mission, he barely had any opportunity to make use of his strength. "You did not take into ount the probability of Lucas'' Shadow appearing when you entered the Window. Your carelessness led to death of Gwen di Langley, Kendrick di Valemont, ra Brown, and Jack Hanma. "You failed to pursue Leonora von Villiers and took her to Depth Level 3 when she was in no condition to fight. Yourck of decisiveness led to the death of a once in a century genius. "After the first defeat against the Shadows, you should''ve retreated and left the Window. But you did not. Instead of low-risk and low-reward scenario, you took the high-risk and high-reward path, which led to death of multiple students. "Your Death affinity was an important technique to detect the ambushes. It could decide the life and death of entire team. "Even after knowing this, you left the team and proceeded to go towards Depth Level 5 alone to rescue a teammate who might or might not have been alive. "It needs to be mentioned you had no sure-fire method of defeating Arthur''s Shadow. You gambled with your life and the entire team''s life. "Mission Evaluation: F-" Her words made the group''s face harden. None of the mistakes were Neo''s alone. All of them were to be equally med. They could not have done better than Neo if they were the mission leader. "Neo Hargraves, the deaths of the students in S-rank mission are your responsibility and yours alone. "Do you ept the mission evaluation?" "I do." Charlotte smiled. "Good. It seems you understand your own weaknesses. "Take this report as a lesson and improve as much as you can." When Neo went to recieve the report, she added in a whisper, "Your evaluation is better than what most mission leaders receive for their first S-rank mission." Neo nodded. He knew most of them received FFF rank evaluation. Percival, the current student council president, made a record by receiving an FF+ rank evaluation. Neo''s F- rank evaluation was a new record. However, Neo was not satisfied with it. Just because others failed didn''t mean he had to fail too. He could''ve done better. He should''ve done better. ''One F-rank evaluation from the A-rank phoenix mission and another from S-rank mission.'' ''One more F rank evaluation and our team will be disbanded.'' Neo returned to the seats. After another speech, Charlotte ended the mission evaluation ceremony. The group left the assembly hall. Neo was bombarded with questions. He decided to leave when the questions seemed like they would continue on forever. "I need to meet Prof. Daniel to heal my injuries. See you guyster." Neo slipped away before anyone could stop him. He approached the meditation hall. The ce was empty. After entering the dojo-like building, he went towards the office. He knocked. "Professor Daniel?" There was no reply. He knocked again, louder. "Professor Daniel, I was sent to you by the principal." "Stop crying. I''m opening the door." The door opened. Professor Daniel stood at the door and stared at Neo. "Why are you here? You seem to be already healed." "I wanted to ask if you could help me awaken my Time element. Of course, I''llpensate you." Professor Daniel took a good look at him. Before he could speak, a voice flowed from the office, "Daniel, who is there?" "No one important." He turned to Neo. "Wait here, I''m busy right now." Professor Daniel shut the door at Neo''s face. Neo sat on the seats outside on the corridor. The sun reached the peak and hid behind the horizon after a few hours. The voices from the office disappeared. "Did he leave from a backdoor?" It confirmed Neo''s suspicion. "He is just messing with me." Still Neo did not leave. He remained seated outside the office room. To pass time, he manifested the Aura of Darkness and trained with it. Neo was focused on improving his control. He lost the track of time. A familiar voice shook him out of his reverie. "Neo, where have you been for the past two days?" "¡­?" Neo opened his eyes. He saw Jack. "Two days?" His stomach grumbled. Sighing, Neo stood up. "Since you are here, I guess it''s time to meet the Sphinx?" "Yeah, that''s why I came to find you." "I see. Let''s go." They met with others. Mars and Arthur seemed to have be quite close after training together. While the group was waiting for someone to bring them to the Sphinx, Felix brought him snacks. Chapter 129: Administrator of the Akashic Record [1] "This is?" "Eat something while we wait. Jack told us you''ve outside the professor''s office for thest two days and you looked hungry." Neo narrowed his eyes, staring at Jack with a piercing gaze. Why did you tell them? His eyes were asking. Jack whistled and looked away. "Hey, don''t me Jack. He was worried about you." Felix stuffed the snacks in his hands. "Besides, all this is luxury food. Do you know how long I waited in the line for all this?" Neo, sighing internally, sat on the nearby bench. The food was too much for him to eat alone. While he wondering what to do, he noticed Jack and Felix staring at the food in his hand with salivating gaze. "¡­Want some?" "N-no, I''m not hungry." Felix gulped. Neo clicked his tongue. "Come eat with me, or I can just throw away the extra food." "Well, if you insist so much. "I''m not hungry, okay? I''ll just take a bite because you are insisting so much." Felix hopped to the empty seat next to him. Jack followed behind her. "Do you guys need separate invitation?" Neo stared at Arthur, Mars, Nathan and Sean. Arthur, Nathan and Mars came. "Sean, you too." Sean nodded. Looking at him, he was clearly feeling guilty about what happened during the mission. Sean, along with other members, was undergoing therapy to handle the stress caused by the mission. He understood his actions back then were horribly wrong. Lucas, Harrison and Cassandra arrived. They waited at the side for a few minutes. The principal and the puppet maids came to the venue after an hour. "I''ll make it quick since I''m short on time." She continued, "The Sphinx is a formless being, one of the four protectors of the academy and an administrator of the Akashic Record. "It holds infinite knowledge. "It can answer almost any question you ask. "However, be careful of the Sphinx. "It likes to y with the mind of the people. "If you value your sanity, don''t do anything that couldnd you in trouble. "Just go inside, ask the question, get the answer, and return." Arthur raised his hand. "What should we not do?" "Maybe start by not asking stupid questions and instead use yourmon sense." "¡­" Arthur lowered his hand with an awkward expression. After a short QnA, Charlotte told them to close their eyes. She snapped her fingers. "Don''t open your eyes unless you want to go blind. "Now, if you understand everything, start walking forward." The students followed her words. Neo felt himself entering a portal. He continued to move and entered multiple portals. "You can open your eyes now," Charlotte spoke after they changed the location multiple times. They were standing in a giant hall. Whist mist gathered near the floor and giant pirs held the roof. The gate at the end of the hall opened. Only darkness existed beyond it. "Go inside." Following Charlotte''s words, they entered the door. Mars and others with Fire or Light element created source of light inside the pitch ck darkness. However, it was useless. They could not see anything. Neo suddenly realized he was alone. The others disappeared before he could notice anything. He kept moving forward calmly. Soon he saw light at the end of the tunnel. Stepping into the light, he met the Sphinx. ¡­ Felix''s POV "You are the Sphinx?" She stared at the giant snake that covered the room. "I am." The snake hissed. Felix had been separated from others. She arrived at the room alone. "Where are my friends?" "They are meeting the other me. Alone, of course." The hissing voice of the Sphinx crawled under Felix''s skin and gave her goosebumps. "I want to ask¡ª" "Now, now, why are you in such a hurry? How about we have a small chat? "It''s not every day that you meet The Sphinx." The giant snake circled Felix, trapping her within its giant body. Felix recalled the principal''s advice. "I''m honored to meet the great Sphinx. "Your boundless wisdom stretches far beyond theprehension of mere mortals. "Truly, there is no corner of existence, no hidden mystery, no fleeting thought that escapes your all-knowing gaze. "The universe itself seems to pale inparison to the depths of your knowledge. "Each word you utter is a beacon of enlightenment, an endless fountain of insight that nourishes the minds of all who have the honor to listen. "You are the living embodiment of wisdom itself, a force both eternal and immeasurable ¡ª" "Just ask the question." The Sphinx, irritated by Felix''s machine like response, cut her off. Felix smiled. "I want to know the method to kill the Gods." The Sphinxughed. Its eerieughter was a mix of hissing and rasping sounds. ¡­ Arthur''s POV "I greet the Sphinx." Arthur bowed to the being in front of him. It had the body of a lion, the head of a pharaoh, and majestic wings behind its back. The Sphinx sat on the ground. One of its front legs rested over the other with regal grace. "What is your question, child?" "¡­?" Arthur realized the Sphinx was not trying to do idle talk. He wondered if the principal''s advice was wrong or the Sphinx was not interested in chatting with him. "I want to know why I have been given the name ''Kingsley''." "Ho? You are not going to ask about the whereabouts of your father?" Arthur flinched. He became wary. "¡­How do you know about that?" "I know everything, child. I know you were raised by your grandfather alone on a mountain. "I know what kind of life you''ve lived until a few months ago. "I know why your grandfather mysteriously disappeared. "And I know why you are searching for ¡ª" "Shut up!" Arthur shouted. He was breathing heavily. His eyes shook. "Are you not going to ask about your father because you want to find him yourself?" The Sphinx smiled. Arthur red at it. "Just answer the question I''ve asked about." "Mhm, I thought you would attack me if I poke you a bit. "Seems like the mission taught you an important lesson." "What?" Arthur felt something was weird with Sphinx''s words. It was as if Arthur was the Sphinx''s goal. Chapter 130: Administrator of the Akashic Record [2] "Did you put that mission up to¡­ to¡­" "To help you grow through the loss of your friends." "You¡­!" Arthur lunged at the Sphinx, his daggers drawn. An invisible force struck him and smashed him back into the wall. His vision blurred. The attack nearly knocked him out. "Child of lightning, you''ve inherited the purest blood of Zeus. That''s why you are the rightful owner of the words ''Kingsley''." Arthur''s father was the Great Sky God, Zeus. The news would''ve shocked him if it was not for the current circumstances. "They died because of me¡­?" Arthur felt like he was being crushed under the weight of the truth. ¡­ Mars'' POV Mars entered the giant library. The shelves stretched as far as his eyes could see. He looked around Each book contained a different Spell, a different technique, a different knowledge. However, all of it was useless to him. His cursed body could not use anything. Suddenly, a voice spoke to him. "Ask your question, child." Mars looked around. He could not find the Sphinx. "No need to search for me. "This form is your visualization of me. "In my current state, I''m omnipresent. I''m knowledge itself." The Sphinx chuckled. "It''s been a long time since someone thought so highly of me." Mars felt as if the air was talking to him. He could feel the faint presence of Sphinx all around him. "Speak, child. What is that you want you know?" Mars could feel his heart loudly thumping in his chest. He opened his mouth. There was no hesitation in his words. "I want to surpass the Supreme." This was it. The moment he had been waiting for¡­ "You cannot surpass the Supreme. It''s impossible for you." The Sphinx''s words struck him like thunderbolts. Silence. For a moment, Mars felt everything came crumbling down. Just for a moment. He quicklyposed himself. It was not the first time his hopes were crushed. "Child, I will allow you to ask another question." The Sphinx''s words were generous. But, Mars felt it. The Sphinx''s ill-intended excitement. It wanted to see how Mars would crumble. Unfortunately for the Sphinx, he had long learned to keep moving forward no matter how thorny his path was. "O Great Sphinx, from your words, it seems the method to surpass Supreme exists and I cannot use it?" "That''s the truth, child. The method is useless for you." Mars bowed. "I want to know the method, O Great Sphinx." "Even though you can never surpass Supreme? "Child, you should change your question. Chasing after an impossible dream is not worth your life." "Please, O Great Sphinx." "Sigh, if that is your wish, then¡­" The Sphinx decided to answer Mars'' question. ¡­ Lucas'' POV Lucas entered the massive room. He saw the baboon, a type of monkey, resting on the stone in the center of the room. A giant blue cube, made of millions of smaller glowing cubes, floated in the sky. "It''s Akashic Record," the baboon spoke. It smiled. "Greetings, heir of the mighty Zeus n. "Or would you prefer ''puppet of the mighty Zeus n''?" Contrary to the Sphinx''s expectations, Lucas'' smile did not crack. He gave a pretentious bow. "It''s my honor to meet the omniscient Sphinx." The baboon licked its lips, irritated by Lucas'' smile. "I don''t like to talk with those who are the same as me. "Just ask your question and leave." "You are far too generous topare my inconsequential self to someone as great as you, O Sphinx. "I humbly thank you for your kind words." "Yeah, yeah, hurry up." "I want to know¡­" Lucas raised his head to stare at the giant cube in the sky. "Why is the Akashic Record being created?" The Sphinx''s smile disappeared. "What?" "I want to ask the purpose of creating the¡ª" It appeared behind Lucas and grabbed his neck. "Who told you that the Akashic Record is still iplete?" "O Sphinx, please calm down¡ª" "Don''t test my patience, brat!" The Sphinx tightened its grip around Lucas'' neck. "Tell me, who told you about the Akashic Record''s truth and how much do you know!?" "I¡­ I know nothing. My question was borne purely out of curiosity." Lucas'' face reddened. He could not breathe. After a few moments, the Sphinx let him go. It could not kill Lucas unless it had the proof that Lucas'' question was borne out of malicious intent towards the Akashic Record. "Will I receive an answer?" "Grrrr¡­.." The baboon scratched its head in a mad frenzy. Just when it seemed the baboon would not answer, it opened its mouth. "Akashic Record is thependium of all knowledge we''ve gathered. "The inte is but a small part of its true ability. "Akashic Record is hope itself. It¡­" ¡­ Neo''s POV Neo stepped into an empty hall. He did not see the Sphinx. An unfamiliar voice flowed into his ears. "This is interesting. "Although everyone knows I''m formless, they end up associating me with an image, even if that image is ''formless'' itself. "I did not think I would meet two students today who did not associate me with an image." A table appeared in the center of the hall. Sphinx, in a body of a man, wearing a suit and a faceless face, sat on one of the two chairs. It beckoned Neo to take the other seat in front of it. "I hope this form is eptable?" "I have no problem with it." Both of them became quiet. Neo opened his mouth after a few minutes, "Why aren''t you saying anything? I thought you liked to talk." "I''m observing you." The Sphinx leaned over the table. "Who are you?" It stared at Neo in the eye. "You are not supposed to exist. "The S-rank mission I posted was meant to kill all but 5 participants. "Not only did theposition of the teams change, more than 7 survived and the future changedpletely." The Sphinx leaned back. It drummed its finger on the armrest and continued, "Everything has been different since a while back. "Elizabeth de Beaufort is alive, Morrigan di Montaigne is not the Ruler, the attack nned by the head of Mystical Fauna Reserve was thwarted a year earlier, and now the S-rank mission too. "The future is not flowing as how it is supposed to flow. "I was suspicious of what was causing the changes. "It''s you, isn''t it? The one who is changing the pre-determined future," the Sphinx said. Chapter 131: Silas "I am clueless about everything you just said." Neo shook his head. "I''m living my life normally." "You aren''t changing the future purposefully?" "I don''t know the future. How can I change it?" "That''s even weirder." The Sphinx continued. "Neo Hargraves, you don''t exist in the Akashic Record. Not in the past, not in the present, not in the future. "You are absent in the pre-determined timeline recorded in the Akashic Record. "But you exist here in reality. Your presence itself is causing the changes." "¡­?" "Forget it, doesn''t look like you know what is happening either." "Are you¡­ going to kill me because I''m changing the future?" "Mhm?" "Listening to your words, its clear Akashic Record can predict the future. "Are you nning to eliminate me since I''m a variable to the predictions?" Neo knew the answer. He asked to question to make sure he looked innocent. "No? I don''t care about the future. "Our Akashic Record isn''t made to predict the future. That''s just a side-effect." The Sphinx realized it had spoken more than it should have. It decided to change the topic. "What is your question, Inheritor of Death?" "I want to learn about emotions." "That''s too broad of a topic, no? Tell me why you want to know about emotions, so I can phrase the answer to match your needs." "It''s to increase my mastery over Darkness." "Ah." The Sphinx nodded. "Sacrifices to the Darkness and understanding what you need to sacrifice. Did the Angels of Death tell you learn about them?" "Yes." "I can answer your question. You are not the first person who wants to know this but¡­" "But?" "Answer me, Inheritor of Death. "Do you really think the Darkness asks for sacrifices in return for the powers it bestow?" Neo did not understand why Sphinx asked the question. He thought about it carefully. It was Darkness'' nature to devour. It demanded sacrifices. That was what he learned from his experience with Darkness and Paimon told him the same. "Yes, it does. I think so at least." "I see." The Sphinx nodded. "You are following the teachings of your teacher." Before Neo could ask why it questioned him, it snapped its finger. "I''ll show you four visions and ask a question at the end of each vision. "By the end, you will learn what emotions are." "¡­Is this a test?" "Yes and no. It is a test, but it''s very easy. "No can fail it and it will give you the answers you need." Neo frowned. "Can''t you answer my question normally?" "I can give a vocal answer, if you want, instead of teaching you about the emotions through the visions. "Of course, the visions will teach you a lot more. "The choice is yours." Suddenly, a window appeared before Neo. [Quest: Answer all four questions of Sphinx. (0/4)] [Reward: Immortal Exp +100] [ept/Refuse] The quest made Neo wary. The Exp reward was twice what he usually received. ''This confirms the visions are not going to be simple.'' ''This damned Sphinx wants to y with me.'' In the end, Neo epted the quest. One hundred exp was enough for him to reach Grade 3 Awakened. The Sphinx was anything but a liar. If it said the visions were impossible to fail, then the Quest was a free reward for Neo. "I''ll see the visions." "Good choice." ¡­ Neo woke up with a groan. He was sleeping on a tattered mat spread on the ground. Sunlight peeked through the broken walls of the hut. "It''s morning already?" Neo stretched his limbs. He noticed he was extremely thin, probably due to malnutrition, and wore torn clothes. Therge piece of cloth draped over the entrance was lifted and a man in his 40s entered. "Ss, how long will you sleep. Get to work already." "Yawn, l know, uncle. I was just tired due to yesterday''s festival." Neo ¡ª Ss yawned. He left the hut with his fishing rod and returned in the evening. It was an average day. He caught a few dozen fishes in the sea, yed with his friends, and went around doing nothing. If Ss had to say what was memorable about the day, it would be the cube. Usually, the would capture some junk along with the fishes. But today he caught a cube. A small, fist-sized, silver cube with smooth sides. The cube, rock, or whatever it was, was special to a child like him. He bragged about it to his friends. His daily routine did not change much for years. Eat, sleep, go fishing, and y around. Ss liked his routine. He resisted the uing change to his routine. "What!? Why am I getting married!? I''m just neen!" Ss shouted at his uncle who came to meet him today. "Ss, listen to me¡ª" "No, dammit! I said no! I don''t care if you are the vige head or whatnot! "Throw me out of the vige or exile me. I''m not getting married to someone I''ve never met before!" Ss''s uncle massaged his brows. It was a political marriage between two viges to strengthen their ties. The marriage was important for their poor vige. Ss left the hut in anger. Just when he stepped outside, he saw some unfamiliar people. They were from outside the vige since Ss did not recognize them. He was about to ignore them and leave when suddenly his eyes wandered to girl at the back of the group. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Ss had never seen someone so pretty. He could not move. His eyes refused to look at something other than her. "Ss! Listen to me!" Ss'' uncle came out of the hut. He noticed the group of people who came for the negotiations for marriage. ''Shit, did they hear Ss shouting about the marriage?'' he thought. Before he could give an excuse, he noticed Ss staring at the girl in stupor. "Hey, what happened to you?" he whispered. "That girl. Who is she?" Ss asked. "She''s the one you are going to marry. I know you don''t want this, but please, think about the vige ¡ª" "Okay." "What?" "I''ll do the marriage." "Huh, why so suddenly?" "She''s beautiful ¡ª I mean, it''s for the vige. For the vige." Ss stepped forward to introduce himself to the group of people. Chapter 132: Orcus They had heard Ss''ins, but they ignored it. After all, it was rare for youngsters to ept political marriages so easily. Ss married Que after a few months. The start of rtionship was rocky. Ss and Que barely knew anything about each other. Although it was a marriage born of out their viges'' needs, they fell in love with each other as time passed. Slowly, Ss came to love Que for more than just her beauty. Their son was born five years after the marriage. Ss, the current vige head, named his son ''Ron'' after histe uncle. He was happy with his life. Just when he thought his life could not get any better, Que gave birth to twins, Iris and I. Watching his children grow, Ss realized his ambitions. He wanted to develop his vige to make sure his children had nock of resources. As time passed, so did Ss'' fame. The vige slowly became a town. Ss gathered talented people from around the ce to help him govern his growing town. Que continued to assist Ss in the administration and other areas. Over the years, she gave birth to two more children. Ss'' love for her only increased. He never took another wife and treated Que with same care as when they first met. Time continued to pass. Ss reached eighty, and he was on his deathbed. "Que... a-are you there?" "I''m here," she whispered softly. Que took his trembling hand in hers gently. Tears streamed down her face as she watched Ss weakly reach out, struggling to grasp her hand. Their children were gathered around. They were crying. "Que-Que, are you there¡­.? I can''t see you." "I''m here. I will a-always be here." Her voice broke. She took out a silver cube she always carried with her and ced it between her and Ss'' hand. "This is?" "Silly, this was your first anniversary gift to me." She smiled, recalling how Ss had forgotten their anniversary back then. He gave her the cube to make it look like he prepared the gift beforehand. She had carried it with her since then. She knew the cube was something Ss kept close to himself since his childhood. "H-how many years ago was this?" Ss asked. "It was¡­" Que continued to talk to make sure Ss did not feel lonely. Before long, Ss stopped breathing. Her tears did not stop. ¡­ Neo gasped. He was back in the hall with Sphinx. Disoriented, he looked around. Tears streamed down his cheeks. "How was the vision, Inheritor of Death? Did you learn something after eighty years?" "You!" Neo threw away the table with a snap of his wrist. He grabbed the Sphinx by its cor and raised it in the air. "Send me back to my family! Send me back to my world! My wife, my children are waiting for me¡ª" "That was a fake life. It was a mere fragment of the past." Neo froze. He understood the Sphinx''s words in his head. Countless emotions crushed his heart. Anger, Longing, Loss, Despair. Emotions that weren''t his own. Emotions that belonged to ''Ss''. Not to ''Neo''. "Is the weight of eighty years heavier than that truth you''ve lived for nearly two decades?" the Sphinx questioned. Neo could not stop crying. He wanted to go back. To Ss. To Ron, Iris, I, Brian, and Ezekiel. ''That''s not me. That''s Ss. I can''t lose myself to fake memories.'' He tried to tell himself. He kept his head down and he felt emptiness growing in his heart. "Inheritor of Death, it''s time I asked my question." Neo raised his head. The Sphinx, despite being faceless, seemed to be smiling. "If I were to send you to the past and let you meet Que, would she treat you as her husband or Ss?" Neo felt something snap. He had already drawn Obitus, removed the debuff and activated the blessing, before he could think. The Aura de passed harmlessly through the Sphinx. It chuckled. "What about Ss and Ques'' children? Would they call you father? "Or would they treat you as a stranger?" Neo lunged at Sphinx. The Aura shes left deep marks on the ground. They did not do anything to the Sphinx. "Why are you angry, Inheritor of Death? "I did not harm you or say anything offensive. It was a simple question with a simple answer. "Que or her children will not recognize you as their family." Neo stopped. The words cut deeper than any wound. He sat back on the chair. "What is your answer?" "¡­" "Silence, is it? That''s fine too. It''s an answer in and itself." The eighty years Neo spent as Ss overwhelmed him. "Start the next vision." "Already?" "Yes." The next vision would not be easier. But it would overwrite the memories of Ss. Neo wanted to erase them, even if it meant facing something far more agonizing in return. ¡­ Neo stitched the wound. He patted the crying patient''s shoulder. "It will be fine now." "I w-will live, right? Doctor, please save me." "You don''t need to worry. Your wounds have been treated and they will heal with time." The soldier started to cry while thanking him. Neo, now Orcus, moved to the next patient. He continued to treat them to the best of his ability. However, he could not save all of them. He left the medical tentte in the night. "Good work, doctor." "Yeah." Orcus nodded. "Good night, Lucy, and be on time tomorrow." He returned to his home quitete. An old woman was waiting for him. She took his briefcase and the overcoat. "You arete again." The old woman, Anna, looked at him with worry. "Why don''t you ask the Emperor to increase the number of doctors in your ward?" "There are doctors are in need everywhere, Anna. The Emperor can''t send them to us if there is no one to send." "Tsk, that stingy Emperor. He should take better care of the best surgeon in his kingdom." "It''s the war''s fault, Anna, not the Emperor''s. "And I''m nowhere near as good as the best surgeon. Even the old man Dazai is better than me." "Dazai will kick the bucket soon. You''ll be best in due time." Chapter 133: Quellas Descendants Orcus looked at his mother''s grin in exasperation. "Whatever floats your boat." Although Orcus acted cheerful, the war was taking a toll on him. He had to see dozens of people begging to him to save them every day. His heart was crushed when he lied to them, assuring them they could be saved. "It''s the war''s fault, eh?" Orcusy on the bed. He stared at the roof. His thoughts wandered. "Sigh, I hope the war ends soon." The next day was not easier. The war showed no sign of stopping. Orcus'' medical skill increased with plenty of surgeries he was doing each day. He did not know how to feel about it. It was not as if he was saddened by the deaths. By now, he was used to them. Orcus just could not forget the look in the eyes of his patients when they were about to die. "Dammit, it really makes me feel shitty. "Maybe I should''ve chosen a different career." The warsted a few years. Orcus was promoted to senior surgeon. In a few months, he would be the Royal Surgeon. "Congrats!" Anna hugged him. "My baby is about to be a Royal Surgeon! "Hahaha, I can see it. Long lines outside our ce for an appointment with the Orcus Hargraves! "Now, I just need to find a goodss for you and I can leave without worry," Anna said. "Hey! Watch what you are saying." Orcus smiled. "You are too lively to die." He showed the pamphlet to Anna. "And I need toplete these tasks if I want to be the Royal Surgeon. "Who knows maybe I''ll fail?" "Bah, there no way my child would fail." Orcus left for the task the next day. He, along with several other surgeons, had to go towards one of the remaining frontlines and treat the wounded soldiers there. Orcus encountered a problem during the job. "What did you say?" "Tavren eshka lo verindor, shal ti''nak v." "Oh, shit." Orcus stared at the woman, who looked like someone from his kingdom, thanks to her silver hair, with anxious gaze. "Please, tell you can understand my words. Please." "Oraleh den! Froska! M-mel disharu vo''relin, kashten val orendo!" Although her words were sharp, she was too weak and could barely speak in a whisper. Only Orcus heard her. He closed his eyes. "Dammit." The woman was a soldier of the enemy kingdom. "Those idiots rescued her due to her hair, didn''t they?" One of the nurses approached her. "Doctor Orcus, is there a problem?" "That¡­." The foreigner woman red at the nurse. Orcus used a cloth to shut her mouth before she could say anything. He spoke to the nurse, "This patient seems to have received a shock. Bring me¡­" He listed the name of the herbs. After the nurse left, Orcus removed the cloth from the woman''s mouth. Looking at her not being a bit thankful, he sighed. "Do you know I just saved your life?" "¡­" "Wait, you do? I thought you couldn''t understand mynguage?" "Kalon frisha d''vorith." Orcus did not understand a word. Still, he could guess what she meant. "You understand a bit of it?" The woman nodded. After treating her wounds, Orcus left the tent. He sighed. "I really fucked myself over by saving her. "Damn this doctors ethics." The war on the remaining frontlines ended in the few weeks. While he was there,Orcus did his best to make sure no one realized the woman was a foreigner. They returned to their kingdom''s capital along with the soldiers and the yet to be healed patients after the final battle ended. The administrator demanded a report from Orcus when he said he would take the foreigner woman with himself. "Are you saying you are taking¡­" "Vanessa." "Yes, Vanessa, with you because she has not been healed yet?" "I did say that." "What about her family?" "She is orphan." "Husband? Rtives? Nothing?" "No." The administrator turned to Vanessa ¡ª the fake name Orcus gave her since she refused to share her real name ¡ª and asked, "You have no problem going with Doctor Orcus?" "She is a mute." Orcus answered instead of Vanessa. "And I''ve asked for her permission already. She would''ve been refused by now if that was not true." The administrator took a good look at Vanessa. Her starry silver hair, small nose, red lips, and proportionate figure made the administrator drool. "Can I get the permission, Sir Administror?" Orcus stepped in front of Vanessa, shielding her with his body before she decided to punch the administrator. "tsk, I can see why you want to take her with yourself." The administrator stamped the documents. After they left the tent, Orcus noticed Vanessa staring at him. "Sigh, I''ll help you return to your country. Just follow me until then. Please. Because if you get caught, my head will go flying with you." He returned to his home. Anna was waiting for him. The whole neighbored was gathered with firecrackers and boards ready to celebrate his homing. "Congrattions, Orcus! Your promotion to Royal Surgeon has been¡­." Anna noticed Vanessa walking closely behind Orcus. She blinked before she shouted enthusiastically. "My baby has brought a girl home! He is not a boy anymore!" Vanessa flinched when she heard the loud noises of the firecrackers. She grabbed Orcus'' arm. Orcus massaged his brows. It took him a lot of time to convince his mother that he was not in a rtionship with Vanessa and she was his patient. Time continued to pass. Soon, the channels between the Hazriel Kingdom and Pangea Kingdom were reopened. Orcus approached Vanessa''s room to tell her the news. He noticed her praying to a small silver cube in her hand. A sharp pain tore through his head when he saw that cube. "The cube¡­ Que¡­ Vanessa¡­. descendent?" He groaned in pain. Neo''s ego surfaced for a short moment. It was quickly suppressed by an unknown power. Orcus snapped back to his senses. He noticed Vanessa staring at him with concern. He pointed at the cube. "What''s that? I''ve seen you joining your hands in front of that cube for thest year. "Is it your God or something like that?" Chapter 134: Until We Meet Again Vanessa nodded. She stared at him, as if asking why he came to her early in the morning. "That¡­" Orcus found it hard to say she could now return to her kingdom. They had been together for almost a year. Orcus would be lying if he said he did not have any feeling for Vanessa. He did not want her to leave. ''Sigh, what am I thinking? She hasn''t even told me her name. It''s pretty obvious how she feels about me.'' Orcus told her he could help her sneak back into Hazriel kingdom since they reopened the path. Vanessa was not as happy as he expected her to be. She barely smiled. A few weekster, Orcus met an illegal smuggler and ensured the safe passage for Vanessa''s return. He felt mncholic when she left without even revealing her name to him. "Why do you look so down?" Anna asked him. "Is it because that witch left?" "Huh? What do you mean by witch¡ª" "She was a foreigner. Did you really think I wouldn''t realize it after spending a year with her?" Orcus sighed. He finally understood why his mother suddenly stopped pushing him to start a rtionship with Vanessa. "Stop thinking about that witch. Today is your big day. You are being promoted to Emperor''s Personal Surgeon and¡­" Anna stretched her words as if to create a sense of anticipation. "I''m receiving an award too!" "Huh, you?" "It''s for being a patriotic citizen." Orcus'' eyes widened. A smile bloomed on his face. "Congrats." "Yes, let''s celebrate after we return from the ceremony." Orcus and Anna visited the royal pce. Today was the recrowning of the Emperor after they won the war. The young Emperor started with the ceremonial speech. Neo did not pay much attention until the Emperor presented a small silver cube to the audience. "We have triumphed atst in capturing the spawns of the devils! "Behold, this is the undeniable proof of their treachery! Before you stands the demonic tool they worship!" With a sweeping gesture, the Emperor pointed towards Orcus. "For helping us bring these devils to justice, I, Lysander Kingsley, the Emperor of Pangea Empire, will be awarding the patriotic citizen, Anna Hargraves." Orcus'' heart froze when he saw his mother walk towards the stage. The silver cube in Emperor''s hand belonged to Vanessa. His mind connected the dots even though he did not want to do so. He remained seated in a daze until the end of the ceremony. After its end, the Emperor came to meet him and thank him for his contribution in the war. Orcus'' mind failed to register the words. His feet moved after the Emperor left. "Orcus where are you going? Orcus!" Anna shouted. He ignored her. His feet brought him to the gallows of the royal pce. The soldiers did not stop him when they recognized him as the Emperor''s personal surgeon. Among the dozens of headless corpses of Hazriel Kingdom''s higher-ups, Orcus easily recognized the corpse of a familiar figure. He crouched next to it. "Vanessa''s..." Orcus'' voice was unnervingly calm. After receiving the confirmation, Orcus returned to his home. He did not know what he was doing. His body continued to do the daily chores like always. Anna could not watch Orcus like that for long. "Why are you acting like the world has ended?! "Do you even know the witch''s true identity!?" She grabbed him by his shoulders when he remained silent. "She was the princess of that kingdom! "You found her while she was escaping the rebels!" Vanessa''s kingdom was defeated due to betrayal of spies of Pangea hidden among them. She had to hide among the soldiers since her whole kingdom was searching for her, and the frontlines were thest ce they expected the princess to visit. Anna''s face contorted when she noticed the listless expression on Orcus'' face. "What kind of ck magic did that witch do on my child?" She broke into tears. Orcus returned to his room. Hey on his bed, staring at the roof. He didn''t cry or feel sad. Just empty. In the morning, he was folding his nket when suddenly he noticed a paper beneath his bed. "A letter?" He opened it. [To Orcus, Thank you for saving me and sorry for leaving without a word. Are you angry now that you realize I can speak yournguage? To be honest, when we first met, I was ready to embrace death, which is why I spoke only in my kingdom''s native tongue. But fate works in mysterious ways. I survived, thanks to you. As we spent time together, the distance between us shrank. Did you feel the same? You must wonder why I never expressed these feelings aloud. I was afraid. If I grew too close to you, I feared I would abandon everything to stay by your side. I had to return to avenge my family. But as I write this letter tonight, I find myself torn between choices. I don''t want to leave you. This may sound selfish, but please wait for me. I promise I will return to you, even if it takes years. ¡ª Yours, Proserpina] Orcus'' tears stained the letter. "If you could talk, you should''ve done that." ¡­ Neo opened his eyes. He was back in the hall with Sphinx. "How was it? "You did not spend more than five years in that vision. Was it easier than the first one?" "¡­" The Sphinx was having fun. "How are you feeling? Angry at Anna?" Neo stared at the Sphinx silently. He opened his mouth after a few minutes. "What is the question?" The Sphinx chuckled. Neo did not cry. He could not cry. Not anymore. "My question is will you forgive Anna?" "¡­" "What if I told you Anna did everything to save Orcus? "If Vanessa ¡ª or Proserpina if we use her true name ¡ª was caught Orcus would''ve been beheaded. "Even if Vanessa returned after a few years, she could''ve not been with Orcus because she was the enemy kingdom''s princess. "Anna knew Orcus would''ve been heartbroken no matter how their story yed. "She became the viin, serving as a convenient outlet to Orcus'' pain. "After all, isn''t it easier to cope with sadness when you have someone to me for it?" The Sphinx took a step and appeared before Neo. "Now tell me, are you angry at Anna? "Will you kill her and then kill yourself like the original Orcus?" Chapter 135: Dios "¡­" "Silence again, huh? Fine, I have no problem with the answer you''ve chosen." The Sphinx appeared back on the chair. "Remember how you are feeling right now. You aren''t thinking logically, right? "If you could, those fake lives wouldn''t have mattered to you. "Your emotions are clouding your judgment. "They are the reason why you can''t let go of your experiences of those visions¡ª" "Start the third vision." The Sphinx chuckled. "As you wish." ¡­ The belt hit Neo''s arm. He stifled his scream. "How many times have I told you, Dios Kingsley!? We do not act like those lower ss scums! "So tell me, why did you start a fight with your ssmates for no reason!?" The man, his father, continued to hit Dios. He was strong. Far stronger than a child like Dios. Still, Dios did not apologize. He believed he was correct for what he did. He fought the bullies because they hit his friend. Dios did not say anything to his father. He knew the man would not listen to him. "You are special, Dios. You mustn''t fall into the wrong path. "Fighting like thugs isn''t what you should do," the man caressed his head after the beating. Dios nodded. He returned to his room. Melino?, his little sister, was waiting for him. She cried when she saw him covered in blood and applied first aid to his wounds. Life was not easy on Dios. Although he was born in the influential family of Kingsley, his family never treated him as a ''human''. They treated him like some kind of a trophy ¡ª or a machine. A machine they had to make sure it turned out perfect. They would beat him, they would give him lectures, force him to learn things he would never need his life. Melino? took a look at his tomorrow''s schedule. "You have an appointment with a pianist and an archer? How many sports does it make this now?" "Seven." "Wow, my brother is going to win the next America''s Got Talent." Both of them chuckled. "Dios,e with me. I found a nice ce yesterday." He followed behind his sister. After moving through the mansion, they came across an old room. Melino? opened the door and entered. The room was covered in cobwebs and dust. She removed the photo hung on the wall and showed him the door behind it. "¡­How did you even find this?" "I saw mom entering it a few days ago." Melino? shed a smug grin. Dios patted her head and she giggled. Unlike the rest of the family, Melino? treated him like a person. She always tried her best to cheer him up. The two entered the hidden door. After following the downward stairs, they stepped into an ancient looking hall. Sculptures, jewels, weapons. The ce was filled with treasures. Dios and Melino? felt they''ve entered a dragon''sir. "I think I can swim in that much gold. Hurray!" Melino? picked up a few jewels and wore them. "How do I look?" "Beautiful, mydy." "Hohohoho, you have a way with words, my knight. I''m impressed. "As a reward, you can take anything from my personal vault." The siblingsughed at their own antics. While Dios was looking around, he came across a ss cab. A silver cube rested inside it. "What are you doing?" Melino? questioned. Dios gasped when he realized he was trying to open the cab. "N-nothing. Let''s go. We''ve been here for quite a while. They''ll start searching for us." He stared at the cube as he left the ce. Years passed and Dios became a university student. His life was still fucked up due to his family, but he learned to focus on the happy times. Everything was good. Until it wasn''t. "What the hell?" Dios stepped out of the crashed car. He was bleeding all over, but he ignored his wounds and tried to help the driver out of the car. Suddenly, the driver groaned. It spun its head in the opposite directions and tried to bit Dios. "What!?" Dios'' body reacted before his mind. He punched the driver''s head with his full strength. He was a momentte to realize he had failed to hold back. The driver''s head exploded. Before Dios could feel the guilt, the headless corpse moved. "W-what? Why is it moving?" He backed away. Strange noises entered his ears. Looking around, he noticed people with peeled or cracked skin, walking around, groaning, and biting others. "Zombies?" A sense of excitement surged through Dios'' heart until he recalled Melino?. "Shit!" He dashed towards his home. On the way, he noticed people bing infected if just a drop of zombie blood or saliva fell on them. However, it did not happen with everyone. Dios was one such example. He jumped over the gates of Kingsley mansion with his inhumane agility. The ce was filled with zombies. Dios crushed them without holding back. Making sure he did not kill them would only waste his time. To him, his sister was worth more than all of their livesbined. Dios did not find her even after searching the whole mansion. Suddenly he heard a shout. He bolted towards the room and noticed the photo that hid the door behind it had been removed. "The voice came from there. I''m sure of it." He entered the secret vault. Melino? was inside. A sense of relief washed over Dios'' heart. She was alive. He noticed Melino? holding the silver cube in her hands and crying. "Melino?!" "I''m sorry. I''m sorry. It''s my fault. It''s my fault. I''m sorry. I''m sorry." She continued to mutter the same words. Dios grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Melino?! Snap out of it!" She turned to him, her eyes swollen from crying. "I didn''t know this would''ve happened when I touched it. "It¡­ suddenly opened. "I''m sorry. I''m sorry." "Open what?" "Th-this." She showed him the silver cube. One of its sides had disappeared and he could see the hollow area inside. Dios did not understand what was happening. Before he could say anything, he sensed someone entering the secret vault. Chapter 136: GodKing Zeus It was his zombified father. Melino? flinched when she saw their father in his current state. "Close your eyes," Dios said. She followed his words. Dios picked the sword from the heaps of treasures. He did not want his sister to see him kill their father, not with a smile on his face. One sh and it was over. Although the zombies were stronger than an average person, Dios had always been an inhuman freak in terms of physical ability. He never met anyone better than him. "Let''s go. Keep your eyes closed until we leave the ce." Dios helped his sister out of the treasury. The world changed that day. Zombies, mythical beasts, monsters straight out ofics appeared. A small portion of people started to awaken supernatural powers. They were revered as gods. Dios and Melino? were a part of the majority. They remained unawakened. Dios was not sad. Even if the world was turned into hell in just one day, he became free. Melino?, however, continued to me herself for the apocalypse. ording to her, opening the silver cube was the cause of everything. No one really believed her. The two siblings roamed the shores of America. They met all sorts of people. "Dude, see this. They are really calling themselves ''Titans''," Aides spoke. "Hell, their leader is calling himself Kronos." Aidesughed as he drank inside the bar. Melino? sat next to him, hanging onto his words with rapt attention. Dios sat a bit far from them since Melino? did not like him intruding on their ''couple time''. "Dammit, she was always Dios this, Dios that, when she was a child, but that bastard stole her away from me." He downed another shot while crying his heart out. Although he did not show it, he was happy. Melino? was oveing her trauma thanks to Aides'' help. While Dios was downing one shot after another, he picked the newspaper. The newspapers stopped printing when the apocalypse began. The Titans brought it back. It was a sign of their power, authority, and a promise they would return the society to what it was. Dios noticed the photo of Kronos on the front page. He froze. A sharp pain tore through his head. "Francis¡­.?" Neo''s ego surfaced when he recognized Francis. Francis, Klein and Neo were childhood friends. There was no way Neo would mistake him for someone else. The unknown power tried to suppress Neo''s ego. But he held on. "Why is¡­ Francis¡­. called Kronos?" Neo felt like his head was being torn apart. He hurriedly flipped through the newspaper. "Fuck¡­." It was his world. The countries, the ces, the people. Even if they were altered after the apocalypse, Neo still recognized them. A waiter approached him. "Sir, are you okay?" "Y-yeah, a minor headache. Nothing serious." Dios massaged his temples. "What happened to me?" He stared at the open newspaper. "I feel like I just had a ck out." He ignored the problem when he did not find anything wrong with him. A few monthster, Melino? announced the news to him. "Aides proposed to me! We are officially going out now!" "What¡­?" Dios stuttered. "You know, shouldn''t you try to find a more capable partner? Like Aides isn''t even an awakened. He is¡ª" "Dios, just congratte me." "¡­.Congrats." Dios never thought his life would get worse. It did. He got the news of Aides marrying his sister. "Dammit, who marries after just three years of dating? That bastard is tricking my sister." Dios felt like he lost to Aides. The worst part was Aides was capable a fellow. He had no shorings. "Is she going to take Hargraves as her family name? "Ew, who uses that name? Kingsley is miles better." Dios cried his heart out while drinking under dawn. He saw the photo of Aides shaking his hand with Kronos on the front page of the newspaper. His sister''s husband was too sessful, dammit! It was soon the day of the marriage. By now, it became Dios'' habit to check the newspaper first thing in the morning. It always brought bad news and he wanted to get over it as soon as possible. "Mhm?" Dios led the headline. "The Titans, and their leader Kronos, have promised to y the one responsible for the apocalypse and bring justice to those who lost their loved ones in its cruel wake." An ominous premonition crept into his heart. "Hahaha, that can''t be possible. "I''m just imagining things." His heart wouldn''t calm down. "I guess I''ll meet them earlier than nned." Dios walked towards the house where Aides and Melino? lived. The omnimiuous premonition refused to disappear. It continued to increased. Dios was running before he realised. He continued to pray for their safety. His prayers were not answered. He found their housed crushed. As if it was hit by a typhoon. "Melino?! Aides!" Dios removed the wreckage as fast as he could. His fingernails broke and his skin was torn, but he paid no heed to it. He found Melino?. Dios tried to sense her pulse. "Ahhhhh¡­" A heartbreaking cry left his lips. He tried to do a CPR. Nothing worked. Melino? was dead. Tears slipped down his cheeks and his cries wouldn''t stop. "I''ll kill them." "I''ll kill them!" Golden lightning started to manifest around Dios. For the first time, he let lose. Giant bolts of lightning descended from the sky and leveled the city. Dios flicked his wrist. The wreckages were blown away, revealing barely alive Aides beneath them. "Did you reveal about the silver cube and Melino? to the Titans?" "W-would you believe me if I said I didn''t?" "¡­" "Hahaha, yours eyes are saying everything. You really do believe I betrayed her." Blood continued to pour out of Aides'' injury. He did not have long to live. "I guess I can''t convince you in this life." "¡­" "We will meet again Dios. I w-wonder if you listen to me the next time." Aides stopped breathing. Despite Dios'' conflicting feelings, he gave Aides and Melino? a burial together. Just as he was finished, a pulse passed through the air. "This is strange. A newly awakened ttened an entire city?" Kronos, having stopped Time, walked towards Dios. He was inspecting the area when suddenly golden lightning crackled around Dios. Under Kronos'' shocked gaze, Dios moved even though the Time was frozen. "H-how?" "I''ve made a promise to my sister." Dios floated into the sky. The sky darkened and condensed lightning crackled. "I''ll kill everyst one of you Titans." Chapter 137: Unending Despair Neo woke up in the hall with a gasp. The years he spent in the vision were but a moment in reality. He clutched his heart. "What¡­ what was that?" "The beginning of the Age of Gods. "It was the first battle between the Almighty Godking, Zeus, and the Father of Time, Kronos." Neo was shaken to the core. The third vision showed him things beyond his wildest imagination. He was not in a different world. This was his world, just far into the future after the Apocalypse arrived. "Now, the question. "Did Kronos do the right thing by killing Melino?? "Before you make a decision, let me tell you Kronos lost his family ¡ª his friends who were like brothers to him ¡ª in the Apocalypse brought by Melino?. "It might sound clich¨¦, but Kronos did not kill her out of a sense of justice. "He wanted revenge for his brothers." Neo bit his lips. Kronos ¡ª Francis ¡ª did it for Neo and Klein''s sake. He wanted to say Kronos was correct. However, Dios'' emotions would not let him. The Sphinx chuckled. "Seems like you are not shocked by the fact that the Gods were once mortal, but by the vision itself. "Was the pain of Great God Zeus too much for you?" It continued to speak. "Then, do you think Zeus made the right decision by protecting his sister even though she caused the death of billions? "Don''t forget Zeus killed an entire city in mad rage." Sphinx watched with curiosity as Neo was torn between the choices. Rationality or his emotions. Kronos or Zeus. Neo was shivering. Just when Sphinx thought Neo was about to crumble, he raised his head. "Hey, you fucking bitch." He stared at the Sphinx. "Start the fourth vision." "Are you sure about that?" The Sphinx saw through Neo''s fake bravado easily. "Even I don''t know what is in the fourth vision nor can I know. "The Akashic Records will show you your personal despair." The Sphinx continued, amused. "Barely anyonees out unscathed from the fourth vision. "Do you really want to enter it? "You might just end up losing yourself." the Sphinx exined. "Yes, I want to enter the fourth vision." "If that is what you wish." The Sphinx knew Neo would agree. They always agreed. Always. ¡­ Neo flipped the pages of the diary. [Day 1: I''m ¡­..thest ¡­. of Hades. More ¡­. people are ¡­. I ¡­. to talk ¡­.. ] [Day 2: ¡­. losing ¡­. the ns ¡­. no longer ¡­. ] A lot of content of the dairy was scribbled over in what seemed like made rage. Only a few words were intelligible. The pages were crumbled and a bit damp. [Day 48: ¡­. my fault ¡­. we defeated ¡­. I couldn''t ¡­. ] He continued to flip. The number of empty pages continued to increase as he went deeper. [Day 72: ¡­ strong ¡­ overwhelmingly ¡­..everyone ¡­. falling ¡­.. ] [Day 125: We lost.] [Day 498: Not ¡­.. alive ¡­..I alone ¡­.. along¡­. ] [Day 1013: I want to die.] [Day 1014: I want to die. I want to die.] [Day 1015: I want to die. I want to die. I want to die.] [Day 1016: I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die. I want to die.] The dairy entries suddenly stopped. There was nothing no matter how long the man flipped. Just when it seemed there were no more entries on the dairy''s pages, he reached written pages. [Day 3679: ¡­. tried everything ¡­.Immortal ¡­ can''t¡­. ] [Day 3680: Please, let me die.] [Day 4115: ¡­ child of lightning ¡­ decapitated ¡­. his .... still fights ¡­. I ¡­.st ¡­. alive.] The man stopped flipping through the diary. As if he knew it was thest entry. He opened thest page and wrote a new line. [Day 123,526: This is myst entry. I wish I could''ve done better.] The man rose from his seat. He closed the diary. His face in the mirror reflected his blood-red eyes, ck hair, and his head wrapped in bandages. He removed them. Ugly scars and burnt marks revealed themselves. The man''s original face was unrecognizable. He moved towards the door and opened it. Maggots everywhere. They had eaten everything. The entire world was their buffet. The man looked towards the east. The thunderclouds that used to cover the skies were no longer visible. "It seems the child of lightning''s corpse was eaten as well." The maggots crawled towards the man. He did not stop them nor did he try to escape. There was nowhere left to escape. The maggots ate him. His body regenerated. They ate him. His body regenerated. The cycle continued. The world was destroyed. The man floated in the void, amidst the sea of the maggots eating him alive. He continued to live on. He was Immortal. Time continued to pass. Years¡­ Decades... Centuries¡­ Millennia... Eons¡­ Epochs¡­ Ages¡­ Aeons¡­ Until the unending eternity. The man wouldn''t die. He couldn''t die. He continued to live, left alone with his regrets. If only he had not failed. If only he had done better. ¡­ "What is happening with him?" The Sphinx muttered as it watched Neo. "Why isn''t he waking up?" Usually, it took a few moments for a vision to end. However, Neo had spent one month within the fourth vision. He showed no signs ofpleting it anytime soon. The Sphinx held its chin. "What kind of vision needs him to spend so much time on it?" Unlike other visions, the Sphinx had no idea what would happen in the fourth vision. It had allowed Neo to enter the fourth vision because it wanted to see the Akashic Record''s decision. If Neo was dangerous, the Akashic Record would kill him in the fourth vision. If Neo was harmless, the Akashic Record would not do anything unfavorable to him. "Seems like Akashic Record decided to finish him off." The Sphinx left the hall and disappeared. It decided to give its final report to the principal. Chapter 138: Mother and Son Two monthster "It''s time," Charlotte muttered. While she sat in her office, her gaze was fixed at Neo who was with the Sphinx. Neo would die from terminal dehydration today. It would forcefully end the fourth vision. "If we were going to do this, wouldn''t it have been better to kill him earlier so he could leave the fourth vision?" the Sphinx asked. It sat within itsir, next to Neo. "No, we can''t kill him. "If the Akashic Record is showing him a trial he needs toplete in one ago, killing him earlier would hinder him." Of course, the opposite could be true. Neo might just be trapped in the fourth vision. After careful consideration, they decided to neither kill Neo nor heal him to make sure he lived longer. They would wait until he died his natural death. "I still think we shouldn''t let him revive. "The Akashic Record must have a reason to kill him." "Doesn''t matter." Charlotte sighed. "We can''t afford the consequences if he dies." "The Tyrant?" "Yes, her. "It''s already a headache seeing her wake up at midnight everyday as she contemtes whether she should attack you or not." The Sphinx let out a nervous smile. It shouldn''t have asked. Now it could picture Elizabething after it. ¡­! Neo moved. Charlotte and Sphinx swiftly directed their focus towards Neo. His pulse slowly stopped. He was dead. Sphinx closed its eyes and reopened them a few momentster. "The fourth vision ended. I''ve confirmed it." Charlotte let out a sigh. She had been worried the Akashic Record would keep Neo''s mind trapped even after he died. "Now we wait for him to revive." ¡­ Neo appeared in the Underworld. His eyes were nk. The eternity he spent in the fourth vision, trapped within the body of the man, unable to do anything, crushed his sense of self. He was nothing more than an empty husk now. His sense of self died eons ago. Neo''s soul started to crumble. Just as he was about to disappear, bing a part of Underworld for eternity, an unknown power caught him. Unlike the power that suppressed his ego in the visions, this one wasforting and gentle. It pulled Neo into an empty dark void. Neo¡­ Master¡­ Wake up¡­. Obitus tried to talk to Neo. It did not understand what was happening. He always returned from the vision, even if they hurt him, but not this time. The sword ¡ª its soul merged with Neo''s ¡ª tried to jolt Neo to awareness before he crumbled away into nothingness. It was worried. Neo would die immediately again, even if he was revived through Immortal, if his sense of selfpletely disappeared. Suddenly, the unfamiliar power surged again. Obitus noticed someone walking towards them. It let out a roar of Auras to warn the woman. She smiled. Her steps were light. Flowers bloomed wherever she stepped. It was as if she was the harbinger of life. Obitus'' Aura did nothing to the woman. She stood before Neo. "Thank goodness I could bring you here before you faced the void death." Neo reacted to the woman''s appearance. "Melino??" He wasn''t healed. His body was merely moving like a robot when it received external stimuli. "It''s mother for you." The woman cupped Neo''s face. She pulled him closer and nted a kiss on his forehead. A refreshing energy flowed into his body. It reached the deepest corner of his soul. Neo was jolted awake. He took a mouthful of air and blinked. Suddenly he was sitting next to a pond within a forest. The air was refreshing, the trees lush, and the water clear. "It''s the season of spring." Melino? voice flowed into his ears. She sat next to him. Neo''s gaze never left the woman. "Who are you? You can''t be Melino?¡ª Ouch!" She twisted Neo''s ear. "W-what are you doing?" "That''s no way to talk to your mother." "Fuck you mean by mother, Melino? died ages ago¡ª Ouch! "Wait! It hurts! Okay, okay, I''m sorry!" Neo rubbed his ear after she let him go. The woman was strong. There was no way he would cry from pain otherwise. ''She saved me from void death too.'' ''She can''t be a simple person.'' Neo was not very rmed. It was clear the woman had no harmful intentions. He was thankful to her for saving him. The level of Immortal was too low for it to resurrect him from a void death. Although his physical body would have been revived, his sense of self would''ve remained dead. "Who are you?" Neo asked. "Sigh, my son doesn''t recognize his own mother." Melino? cupped her face in an exaggerated motion and act as if she was sad. She waited for his reaction. "¡­" "¡­" "It''s not funny." Melino?''s face became beet red. "Y-you! "Fine, let''s see if you can keep acting as if you don''t recognize me." Melino?''s appearance changed. She transformed into Neo Hargraves'' mother. "You mean your mother." ¡­! ''She read my mind!'' Neo''s mind went on overdrive. HE was about to take the stance to fight when the unknown power pushed him down. He couldn''t pull out Obitus or even stand. "Anyway, how did you recognize Melino??" Neo could not stop the memories from surfacing. Whatever the woman did, she sealed his memories of eternity. He could still recall them. However, now, it felt like he was watching a movie of a man floating in the void for eternity, instead of experiencing it himself. The fourth vision had been unending. But now it was a moment for him. "I see. It was the visions." ''She read my thoughts again.'' ''This sneaky bitc¡ª'' "Neo, maybe you should tone down on the curses if you don''t want a beating?" She looked at him with a cold smile. Neo unconsciously lowered his gaze. His body was afraid of that smile. His body remembered the beatings he used to get as a child even though he didn''t. ''Did she refresh all of my memories?'' ''That''s the only way I can understand why my body is acting this way?'' "Let''s eat." She opened the box she was carrying. Chapter 139: The Correct Answers "Eat this." She opened the basket. It had fruits, sandwiches, jam. The usual pic setup. The woman¡ª "Mother." She corrected him. "Can you stop reading my mind? "And I thought Neo''s mother¡ª my mother was a human?" "The reincarnation that gave birth to you was a human." She continued. "Stop talking like you aren''t Neo Hargraves when you haven''t awakened yourplete memories." "If you can read my mind you should know I''m¡ª" "You don''t know everything Neo. "The knowledge you have gives you an edge over others, but it doesn''t make you omniscient." Neo had a hard time processing everything that was happening. ''Lets get the facts straight.'' ''I''m Neo Hargraves and my mother is some kind of powerful being?'' "Not ''some kind'' of powerful being. I''m someone you know. My maiden name is Persephone." Neo froze. "¡­Persephone, the Goddess of Spring and Vegetation?" "Yes." She let out a smug smile when she saw his stunned expression. "You can praise me more, you know. No need to feel embarrassed." A sigh escaped Neo''s lips. She really didn''t feel like a Goddess. "I''m sure ''my'' parents were both human. Even brother said the same." "We were humans. Those reincarnations were at least." Before he could ask what she meant by reincarnations, she added, "Let''s not talk about those sad topics. I''ve met my son after so long. I want to know about him." "¡­." Neo did not understand why Persephone was sure he was Neo Hargraves. She should be able to read his memories and know he was someone from a bygone era. He was a transmigrator. He stole her son''s body. "You want to know about me?" Neo pursed his life. "I have been training since the day I awakened my God Blood¡­." He told her everything from the moment he woke up in Neo Hargraves'' body. How many times he died. How many times he nearly went insane from Darkness. How he struggled to keep up with geniuses who had been training since childhood. Persephone smiled. She listened to him. Neo felt the burden over his heart lighten as he spoke for hours. "Good work. You''ve worked hard. I''m proud of you." "¡­" Those words made him choke up. Neo struggled to hold back his tears. He didn''t understand why he was acting like this. "It''s okay to cry." Neo did not cry. He chuckled. "I''m too old to cry like a baby." A smile blossomed on his face. "Besides, the training was not difficult. I liked it. "It''s the proof I''m bing stronger. "That''s how I''ll reach my dream and surpass everyone. Be it the Hero, the Godking, or Father." "Oh my, you want to surpass your father? Those are some big dreams." She teased him. They continued to talk. Persephone kept asking him questions about his life. "Is there a girl who is showing interest in my handsome son¡­." "Why are you so thin? Are they not feeding you¡­" Neo was an orphan in hisst life. He wondered if this was how parents talked to their children. It was nice. Before long, Persephone figure started to be transparent. She was fading away. "It''s time for you to return to your world." The unknown power wrapped around Neo. Knowing he was about to leave, he asked the question on his mind. "Will I meet you again? Not your reincarnation, but you." He did not understand why she was undergoing reincarnations. Those reincarnations lived and died like normal humans. They had no knowledge or memories of being a God. But the Persephone in front of his eyes was different. "Yes." Neo stiffened. She was lying. He understood it instinctively. Suddenly, Neo recalled the future he had read in the novel. The Gods would fall. Then, his father and mother ¡ª "Neo." Her words cut through the ominous thoughts threating to drown him. "Your father and I''ve lived a long life. "You don''t need to worry about us. "Live for yourself and be happy. That''s all we want." "Wait! At least tell me why you are undergoing reincarnations! I might be able to help¡ª" Neo woke up in the hall of Sphinx''sir. "Dammit." He did not revive himself. Persephone sent him away. "Why won''t you answer me?" It was obvious. A Demigod like him was too weak to help the Gods. Whatever was happening, Persephone did not want to involve him and put him in danger. "Neo Hargraves?" The Sphinx called out to him warily. "What happened to you in the fourth vision? You took a lot of time." "¡­" Neo exhaled. He needed to focus on the task in front of him. He stared at the Sphinx. The fourth vision.... Who was the man in the fourth vision? Neo was half-convinced it was himself. However, the Sphinx confirmed he did not exist in the Akashic Records. The Records could not know his future, since he did not exist in the pre-recorded timeline. "It was my future, I think. But is that even possible?" The Sphinx did not answer immediately. It pondered over his words. After Neo''s revival, the threat of Elizabeth disappeared, and it could think more calmly. "It might be a parallel world or a fake future created to target your fears. We can never know." Neo smiled bitterly. Whatever it was, the Akashic Record showed him a nasty vision. Neo stood up and sat on the seat. The Sphinx looked at him curiously. "What is it, Inheritor of Death? The visions have ended. "They should''ve taught you about the emotions. Since you have your answers, you can leave." Neo took a breath and spoke, "Que would choose me." "¡­.?" "I wouldn''t need to kill Anna, because I''ll make sure Vanessa never dies. "I''ll propose to her before she leave, and stay with her forever." "¡­." The Sphinx stared at Neo in surprise. He was answering the questions it had asked. "Both of them were wrong." Neo exhaled. "Those are the answers to your three questions. Ask the fourth question now." "Pfft¡ª" The Sphinx covered its mouth. Its shoulders shook. It tried to stop the chuckles from bursting out and failed miserably. "Ahahahahah! What''s up with those answers!?" The Sphinx held its stomach. Itughed. Itughed hard. "You answers make zero sense!" "Are they wrong?" "No, and that''s why I can''t stopughing!" There was no definite answer to the questions. In fact, every answer, whatever it maybe, was correct. Remaining silent was the only wrong answer. The test was easy. Still, the Sphinx never saw anyone give a ''correct'' answer. No one had evere out of vision and answered. They all remained silent. ... The visions were the answer to question of Darkness users like Neo. It taught them about emotions by showing them scenarios they never encountered, by showing them cruel choices that demanded one to choose between a rational choice and an emotionally driven choice. The question whether Dios was right or Kronos served the same purpose. Logically Melione had to be held ountable for the Apocalypse, but Dios driven by his emotions took her side. Every vision showed extreme scenarios for simr purpose. However, there was a side effect to them. People immersed too much in the visions. It wouldn''t have been weird for Neo to think he was Ss and not Neo after he spending eighty years as him. Immersion. It destroyed the sense of self of those who lived in the vision for decades. Sphinx asked provocative questions to check if the person''s sense of self was still alive. It questioned Neo if Que would choose him or Ss. Neo could not answer the question back then. Because, as Ss he did not want Que to choose Neo, and as Neo he did not want her to choose Ss. He had be immersed in the fake persona of ''Ss''. The same thing happened with anyone who took the test. This was why they never answered Sphinx''s question. However, Neo did the impossible. He gave answers. His sense of self overpowered the eighty years of Ss, five years of Orcus, and thirty years of Dios. He maintained his ego. That was the only reason he could answer. "Now, I''m curios. What did the fourth vision show you? "Before the fourth vision, you couldn''t answer a single question," said the Sphinx. "Is that the fourth question?" "Yes, it is. I might as well satisfy my curiosity since it''s clear you''ll answer the original fourth question easily." Chapter 140: Grade 3 Awakened Demigod "Unding Despair. That''s what the vision showed me." [Questpleted: Answer the questions of Sphinx (4/4)] [+0 Immortal Exp] [Immortal Exp: 56/50] Neo stood up. He answered the Sphinx and received the answer he wanted. Emotions. The visions taught him much about them. "I''ll be taking my leave." Neo turned a. A portal materialized behind him. He stepped into it and appeared in the principal''s office. Charlotte, sitting across the table, put down the documts, adjusted her sses, and stared at him. "You took your sweet time toplete the visions, Neo Hargraves. "Do you realize how much of a headache you''ve caused me?" "¡­?" "Check your device." Neo took out his phone. He saw 99+ notifications from Arthur, Mars, Amelia, Felix, Jack, and Nathan. Charlotte massaged her brows. "Your frids refused to believe you were with the Sphinx for thest three months. "Half of the academy thinks you are on a secret mission. The rumors are wild, to say the least." Neo visited the academy''s forum. Almost every topic was about him. "The Divine Ruler, Neo Hargraves. Click this post to find the secret behind is strgth!" "Is Neo Hargraves more talted than Percival Sris?" "What is Neo Hargraves'' Bloodline? Today we find out the answer to mystery!" "Is Neo Hargraves the strongest first year Ruler in the history of the Academy? Let''s see a detailedparison." His lips twitched. "What is hell? "Last time I remember I was being called a fraud and the Inconsequtial Zeroth. "Why are they calling me Divine Ruler?" "Your mission evaluation report." The four words answered his doubts. S-rank mission evaluation reports were released on the official website of the Academy. Neo''s performance in the mission, coupled with the fact he escaped a closed Window, skyrocketed his fame. "The Temples, the God ns, the countries, and the media. All of them want to meet you. "Day and night I keep getting calls for an appointmt with you." Charlotte''s expression contorted. "But our dear Ruler is still within his vision and I had to refuse the appointmts. "Do you know what everyone outside the Academy think? "They think we are trying to hide you and keep you for ourselves! "You ar''t ev Mythic Demigod! Why would we try to poach you already!? "I exined this to everyone. But no! They won''t believe a word I say!" She red at him. "Tomorrow, you are going to meet Sior Temrs. Th, the media, the delegates of God ns and the countries. "There are some Paragon Demigod and Exalted Demigod who wants to meet you too. "Your schedule for the next month will¡ª" "No, I''m not meeting anyone." Neo added. "I''ve lost three months of my sses. I can''t waste another month on these useless things." "You have to." Charlotte stared at him with a fierce gaze. "I''m sure the Academy forbids any outside party to poach a studt before they reach nd year." "The rules don''t matter in this situation. Your case is special. "It''s not every day you meet someone who can fight against the giuses of God n just after a month of awaking his God Blood." "I don''t want to meet anyone." "But I want it. What can you do?" "I canin to Prof. Elizabeth?" Neo''s innoct expression and his devious words exasperated Charlotte. "Will you stop using Eliz''s name every time you are losing an argumt against me?" "Of course not." Neo smiled. Charlotte massaged her brows. "Get out." A portal suddly appeared beath Neo''s feet and he fell. Neo appeared in the sky above Seraphim Hall. The fall wouldn''t kill him, but it would break a few bones. ''How can someone as old as her be this petty?'' He was speechless. As he neared the g, Neo used Ocean''s Embrace and covered his body in the Aura of Darkness. The ck mes were stronger than what he normally used. The voices spoke to him, but Neo remained calm. His experice in the visions helped him maintain his sanity. He flipped in the air andnded gracefully. The ck mes absorbed the impact of thending. Neo grinned. He could picture Charlotte looking at him in stupor, shocked to see him unharmed. "My mastery in Darkness has increased principal." Neo knew Charlotte could hear him ev though she was still in her office. "You should''ve thrown me from a higher ce." Neo tered the Seraphim Hall. He stepped into his room. After taking a shower, he prepared to make the breakthrough. He sat crossed legged in the training room. "Seal the room." The training room whirred to life. The AI shut down the doors and ced additional instion. "I''d rather not alert the whole dorm likest time. It''s best to breakthrough this way." He closed his eyes. The air a him grew thick with Divine Energy. His body trembled from the immse power welling up within him. The g beath him cracked, unable to contain his growing aura. Neo focused. The barrier to the next rank was like a wall of iron. As his aura continued to swell, the barrier weaked. Sweat dripped down his face. The barrier shattered with a thunderous crack. His body surged with newfound strgth. His aura became more refined and pott, and every fiber of his being resonating with power. Neo exhaled. Grade 3 Awaked. He had ascded. "Status." [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 3 Awaked] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 4 Mythic] [Stats] ¦éStrgth: 39 ¦éSpeed: 4 ¦éDexterity: 36 ¦éConstitution: 35 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essce Breath [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: Barbatos'' Training (Part )] He checked his stats. They were quite nice for a Grade 3 Awaked Demigod. "What about the skill?" [Immortal Lvl.3] [Exp: 0/00] [Effect: You gain an extra life every 4 hours (Max Stack: 5).] "¡­." "Just one extra stack? This fucking¡­." Neo had to stop himself from crashing out. He sighed. "Why am I ev trying anymore?" Neo epted it. He would gain one more stack of Immortal at Grade Awaked and another one at Grade Awaked. It was better to give up on Immortal and focus on other things. Chapter 141: Concept of Emotions "I just hope the new unique skill I get at Mythic rank is more useful." Immortal was useful. Its upgrades were not. Afterpleting his ascsion, he checked the time. "It''s midnight. "I guess I''ll go meet Paimon before tomorrow''s sses." Neo decided to another shower to cleanse the impurities stuck to his skin. The impurities were expunged from him during his breakthrough. They smelled bad. After taking the shower,Neoy on the bed. He activated the Death skill. There was a shift and Neo appeared in the Underworld. Neo oped his eyes and found himself sitting on the sofa. He was in the same room as the one he had be thest time. "Wee back, child." Paimon was waiting for him. "You took longer than I expected. "I take it as you have found your answer?" "Yes, I did." Paimon could see the maturity behind Neo''s gaze. He had grown. It was clear to her Neo gained the understanding of emotions. "What is the answer?" "Emotions¡­." Neo recalled the first vision. It was a perfect life. He had a happy family, good frids, loving wife, people who respected him, money. There was not a single problem. But wh he left the vision, he was angry at that life. He hated it. He never wanted to lose it. Instead of being happy that he got to experice such a life and moving on, he was filled with rage. He tried to go back to that fake life. Because he was led by his emotions. "Emotions are a burd. "They hinder the ability to think rationally." Paimon smiled at his answer. Neo continued. "Emotions¡­" In his second vision, he was a doctor. He thrived during the war. His business boomed due to it. Still, he hated the war. He hated seeing people dying or being injured. He was a patriotic person. Yet, he saved a soldier of the emy kingdom and fell in love with her. His emotions made him do everything what he was not supposed to do. "Emotions are chains. "Once they bind you, they won''t let you go. "They''ll pull you down and make you do their bidding. "And all we can do is follow them." "So emotions are a bad influce?" Paimon asked. "No." Neo never regretted falling in love. "They are a good influce." "Is that so? Your earlier words say otherwise." Paimon chuckled. "Yes, and I still stand by my words." Neo smiled. "Emotions are evil¡­." In the third vision, he became Dios Kingsley. He murdered his zombified family with a smile on his face. He killed anyone who harmed his sister, no matter if they were wrong or right. Dios was the evil created by the emotions. Still, Neo would not call him wrong. Neo would''ve done the same. "They are a necessary evil. That''s what emotions are." He gave his answer and waited for her judgemt. "It was a beautiful answer." Paimon ced the g post on the table betwe them. "Congrattions. "You''ve passed the third trial, child. "Not just passed, your answer was one of the most unique I''ve ever heard." She ced another g post on the table. "I''ll give you a bonus reward. "Originally, I was just meant to give you this. But I''ll give you a hint for your fourth trail." Neo picked the g posts. He inserted the g in the first g post. It was inserted and the g post glowed, signifying thepletion of the process. He tried to put the g in the other g post and realized something was wrong. The g won''t ter. "The fourth trial is to surpass yourself. "Unless you do that, you can''t use the fourth g post." Neo nodded. He stored the g and g posts. While he was drinking the tea Paimon prepared for him, he asked. "What was the purpose of the third trail? "I know understanding my emotions help me remain calm and resist the voices of Darkness. "But was that all?" Instead of answering him, Paimon posed another question. "What is your currt mastery of Darkness?" "Adept." "How close are you reaching you to Expert mastery." Neo became silt. He answered a few secondster. "I don''t know. Unlike before, where I could sse how to increase my mastery, I can''t feel anything simr." "That''s the point of your third trial. It will be the foundation of your mastery over Darkness." "¡­.?" "To go from Adept to Expert you need to conceptualize your Elemt. "The trials are meant to prepare you for the future." Neo''s face harded. Only a handful of demigods could apply concepts to their Elemts. Conceptualization was the dividing line betwe those who would use their talt to reach the apex and those who were talted but failed to achieve anything. He had to attain conceptualization if he wanted to be the strongest. "Your currt trial will help you gain the concept of emotions. "With it, you''ll be able to gain immse power wh you sacrifice your emotions." "Sacrifice¡­" It was not a word Neo liked. "It might seem like a bad trade to you. But it is not. "The concept of Emotions is the strongest among all concepts to use with Darkness." Suddly, Neo recalled something. The Sphinx had asked him if he truly believed the Darkness demanded sacrifices. Its words bugged Neo back th. It was as if the Sphinx wanted to say they were misunderstanding Darkness. "Paimon, is true the Darkness demands sacrifices? Do all concepts of it need us to give up on something?" "Yes, I''ve never se a concept of Darkness that does not demand sacrifices." ''Strange¡­'' ''Was the Sphinx just messing with me?'' ''No, that can''t be true. The Sphinx cannot lie.'' ''It means there is another concept no one has discovered.'' Neo became excited. He wanted to know what the unknown concept was. "I''ll be taking my leave." "Are you going to start searching for the forth trial?" "Not right now." The third trial took a lot out of him. He wanted a short break and focus on the other tasks he had be ignoring until now. Besides, what the fuck did surpassing himself mean? Chapter 142: A Delectable Treasure He reached Grade 3 Awaked a few hours ago and he still couldn''t use the g post, so it was not counted as surpassing himself. "Are you going to return to the world of living?" "No, I''ll grind some stats until the skill forcefully revives me." Neo left the mansion. He tered the forest. The ce was empty. He did not find any monsters. "It was the samest time. Is this ce supposed to be always empty?" Neo doubted it. Forest of All Beginnings was where the souls appeared after their death in the world of living. It should''ve be filled with monsters, Grim Reapers, and souls. Suddly, he ssed a monstrous presce. His heart froze with dread. The presce was like a giant demon covering the sky. "It''s neither a soul or a monster¡­ "What is it?" The presce was dangerous. However, it did not feel ''alive''. Neo moved towards the presce. Closing onto it, he climbed the trees and hid in them to scout the surings. "What the fuck?" Neo doubted the sce before his eyes. The forest was crushed as if a giant being stepped on it. A massive depression formed in the ctre of the destroyed region. Hundreds of monsters sured the ce. "The monsters were gathered here." They were trying to ter the destroyed forest. The thick aura of death radiating from it killed them as soon as they stepped close. "These monsters all are differt species. Why ar''t they fighting amongst themselves?" It was differt from the usual behavior of the monsters. "Is there something inside that ce?" Neo stretched his sses. Doing so made him visible to the monsters. They ignored him and kept trying to ter the destroyed forest. ¡­!? Neo stiffed. After reaching Adept-mastery in Death, he gained Death elemtal vision and his sses of Death increased. He could ''smell'' the intoxicating sct of death in the air. There was a treasure in the cter of the destroyed forest. The monsters wanted it. There was just one problem. "That''s my blood. There is no way I''ll mistake the sct of my own God Blood." Neo''s blood, which was at the cter of the tted forest, was the source of rich aroma of death. "Everything makes sse now. This was why the forest was empty." Neo recalled the first day he vtured into the forest. He washed his blood in a river and ded up attracting a giant monster on par with Exalted Demigods. "There is no way that monster would''ve left my blood here. "It probably ded up fighting something else that wanted my blood and lost some of it here." Goosebumps rose over his skin. The forest was tted as far as he could see. The presce of death lingering in the area was ough to kill an Awaked Demigod as soon as they wt close to it. If the coteral damage caused the tirendscape to change, Neo shuddered to think how the actual battle would''ve be. "I better think twice before bleeding wh I''m Underworld." Neo''s curiosity was satisfied. He understood why the forest was empty. The monsters were trying to devour his blood that was dropped by the giant monster. The Grim Reapers were busy handling the aftermath at other ces, probably. "This is a good news. "I can get back some of my God Blood." The God Blood he lost to the giant monster never returned to him. He never cared about it before since he did not lose much. But now, after the contract with Paimon, he wascking in God Blood. Neo needed as much of it as possible. He jumped down from the tree. A few monsters turned to look at him. They stared at Neo for a few seconds before returning their focus to the destroyed forest. Neo walked to the edge of the region. He could feel the thick presce of Death prickling his skin. The presce increased as he continued to go inwards. He tried to resist the Death. The number of monsters decreased the closer he walked to the ctre. His skin began to crack. His eyes turned bloodshot. The Death was overwhelming. Neo continued forward. His mastery of Death was not ough to resist the Death lingering in the surings. Blood trickled out of his wounds. Neo used Darkness to consume the blood he was losing before anyone ssed it. His bones creaked. He felt thousands of needles stabbing into his skin. Neo''s eyes remained firm. He could feel himself reaching the limit wh he reached half way towards the ctre. He used Ocean''s Embrace and Aura of Darkness to increase his defces. His Divine Energy pool was disappearing at a frighting pace. The strain made him feel his innards were being twisted. Neo was breathing heavily wh he reached the ctre. A tiny drop of gold blood was floating in the air. Four monsters sat a it, absorbing the aura of Death from the droplet of blood. ''That blood is too strong.'' ''Did my God Blood mix with the giant''s blood?'' ''It''s the only reason I can think of for the increase in the purity of the blood.'' Neo ced his hand over Obitus wh the monsters turned towards him. The first one looked like a spider. Its tire body is shrouded in a shifting, shadowy mist, making it difficult to see its true form. The second monster was quadrupedal beast with crystalline body. The third monster was a humanoid creature as think as his wrists. It had dark ebony skin, jagged horns and long ws. Their presce was powerful. They were as strong as Neo. ''It''s clear there are working together.'' ''I doubt they want to share the blood with a fourth person, so they''ll attack me together.'' The corner of Neo''s lips rose. He could finally fight after eons. His blood boiled with excitemt and his hands itched. The crystalline monster oped its mouth, "There is no need for you to fight us." "¡­?" "I don''t know which region you belong to, but you must be strong if you can resist the Death at this ce. Chapter 143: Absorbing the Blood Droplet "The three of us have no inttion to fight unnecessary battles. "Instead of risking our lives in a fight, we have decided to share this treasure. "You can do the same with us, or you can fight three of us alone." Neo was surprised the monster could speak. He had not expected to meet a monster with intelligce so soon. "Fine." Neo clicked his tongue. He retracted his aura and sat next to the monsters. Although Neo would''ve weed a battle, a peaceful negotiation was better. Neo closed his eyes. mes of Darkness materialized a him. They absorbed the essce of Death flowing out of the blood droplet. The power of Exalted Demigod monster was mixed in the blood. Neo felt as if he was being stared down by the Exalted Demigod monster wh he tried to absorb the blood. It was suffocating. The blood was his. It should''ve be easy for him to absorb it. Neo''s body started to break. He could not handle the residual concept of Death, belonging to the Exalted, lingering in blood droplet. Neo bit his lips. ''Don''t joke with me!'' ''That blood is mine!'' ''Who the hell do you think you are acting like its owner!'' The concept of Death imbued in the blood red. It flowed into his body, and destroyed it from within. ''Yeah, let''s see if you can kill me first, or if I''ll absorb you.'' ¡­ Lysander, the crystalline quadrupled beast, ssed the presce of Death surging in the vicinity. He oped his eyes and saw Neo trying to absorb a massive amount of blood at once. He snorted. ''Is he a fool?'' Lysander, Sele, and ric had be absorbing the blood for days. They did it at a slow pace. All three of them were giuses yet they did not take the risk. The power of blood could kill them easily if they tried to absorb it too quickly. ''Heh, as expected, it was a good choice to let him absorb the blood.'' ''He''ll just kill himself and we wouldn''t need to share the treasure after he dies.'' Unlike them, Neo had be struggling to resist the presce of the Death in the area. He was bound to die if he continued to stay here. ''Hehehe, fool. These humans always overestimate themselves and¡ª'' ¡­.!? Lysander flinched. Neo suddly unleashed all of his mes of Darkness and began to absorb the blood droplet greedily. "Wha-what are you doing!?" The absurd sight before Lysander''s eyes made him dumbstruck. Neo was dying from the overwhelming power. He was using his high-mastery of Death to stop it from iming him, but it was only a matter of time that he fell to its call. It made no sse to Lysander. He did not understand why the human before its eyes was rushing headfirst to his death. The vortex of mes sured Neo. S, the spider monster, and ric, the humanoid beast, were forced to op their eyes. Their faces harded. The three looked at each other. "Are you going to let him do this?" ric questioned. "We can''t. "Ev if we absorb the blood from his corpse, the purity would fall. We need to stop him," Lysander grunted. They were not worried about Neo listing to them, since Neo''s focus was on absorbing the blood droplet. They turned to S, only to find her increasing the pace of her absorption. "S, what are you¡ª" "I doubt he reached Adept-mastery by coincidce. "Since he is absorbing the blood droplet like this, he must have a n." Lysander and ric frowned. That was worse. They could not lose a precious treasure like the blood droplet to the boy. Just as they were about to make a move, a heavy aura descded. Unknown to them, Neo had unsealed his blessing to increase the absorption rate. It took him only a few seconds to absorb the blood droplet. He felt a surge of power and his Divine Energy pool''s capacity increased by arge margin. At the same time, his body began to crumble away. Neo was about to die in the Underworld. He used Immortal. The skill healed him at the cost of his Divine Energy. His blood burned, but unlike the contract with Paimon, he knew he would recover this ergy over time, so he used it without hesitation. Neo oped his eyes and exhaled. The presce of Death lingering in the surings started to disperse after the droplet of blood disappeared. Lysander, ric, and Sele were stunned. They could not believe their eyes. "H-how are you alive?" Lysander trembled. They flinched wh Neo looked at them. He oped his mouth. "You three, tell me. "This can''t be the only ce where the Exalted Demigod monster dropped the blood. "Where else can I find the other droplets?" Neo had three uses of Immortal ¡ª he was saving the fourth one to return to the world of living ¡ª and a few hours to spare in the Underworld. Ev if he did not find the droplets today, he could get themter. The blood droplets gave his Divine Energy pool too big of boost for him to ignore them. "Exalted Demigod¡­.?" ric muttered. "How did you know it was an Exalted Demigod?" "I saw it obviously." They stiffed, unable to believe Neo was alive after an counter with an Exalted Demigod. Neo had be lucky back th. His body was an instor that did not let anyone sse the blood of Monarch within him. It was same for every demigod. Otherwise, Neo would''ve be hunted for his blood already. Lysander and ric grew nervous. It was clear Neo was not normal. "W-we don''t know." Neo stared at them for a few seconds. He oped his mouth, "Fine." Just before he left, S called out to him. "Wait! I know where you can find another droplet!" "S, what are you trying to do? He is dangerous. We shouldn''t get involved¡ª" "Shut up," Neo warned Lysander. "Don''t interrupt again." Lysander frowned, but closed his mouth. Neo turned to S. "Go on. I''m listing." Chapter 144: City Of Reapers "I can tell you where the next droplet is, but I want something in return." "If you want me to share the blood, th I''m afraid, we can''t have a deal." "No, I don''t need the blood." The spider monster continued. "The others ces are more dangerous than here. "I wouldn''t have be able to ter those ces ev if you helped me. "Instead I want you to help me catch someone." Neo thought about it. It seemed like a good proposal. "Fine." Lysander and ric kept quiet. S approached Neo and oped her mouth. "What is your rank?" "Awaked Demigod." "No, not that one. What is your Reaper rank?" "¡­?" "Wait, are you ev registered, or are you a rogue monster?" Neo never heard those terms in his life. The spider monster continued. "Your Aura of Death is attuned to Underworld. That''s only possible if you are a monster like us. "Th how the hell do you not know about Reaper ranks?" "¡­?" Seeing Neo''s confused expression, Sele muttered. "Did you lose your memories after you were corrupted by the Darkness?" She exined to him in simple terms. "Dead soulse to the Underworld. "They are either tak by the Reapers to the paradise, or they remain in the Forest Of All Beginning. "Those who remain here are corrupted by Darkness and be monsters. Like you and me." Sele raised one of her leg and ced it on his shoulder. "There is a lot to exin, but first thing first. Let''s go to a Town. "We need to get you registered before you can help me with the Hunt." Neo nodded. He felt a string of ergy trying to flow into his body through Sele''s leg. He let it ter. Their bodies turned into ink and fell into the shadows. S carried Neo through the Shadow Movemt. They had to stop a few times on the way to let Sele recover her Divine Energy. Few hourster, they reached the trance of a town. Sele cancelled the Shadow Movemt Spell. Their bodies returned to their usual form. The ce was filled with monsters. An umbre with an eye, a giant tortoise that walked on two legs, humans with animal-like ears and tails. Other than the monsters, it seemed like a normal medieval human town. They had stores, buildings, and the ce was filled with the vibrancy of life. "Wow." "It''s nice isn''t it?" Sele smiled. "Wee to Tartale, the first City of Reapers. "Now, follow me." Neo looked a the ce with marvel. He never expected to see a city in the Underworld. The two tered the giant ancit building at the city border. Sele pointed at the wall on the left. "That is where you can see usual missions. "They can be anything. From collecting herbs for the nanny next doors to hunting the ancit dragon that rectly woke up. "By the way, the ancit dragon, Veldora, attacked Nemorax, the Wandering Giant, a few months ago. "The droplets of blood fell during their battle." "Nemorax?" Neo questioned. "Yes, it used to just roam a. That''s why it''s called the Wandering Giant. "Although it''s a corrupted monster, it never attacked anyone. "It suddly wt berserk a few months ago and Veldora also woke up at the same time. "We don''t know what the cause was. However, most of us think the incidts are rted." Neo nodded as if it was not his fault. ''I''m pretty sure both of them were after my blood.'' Sele pointed to the right wall. "There you can find Hunt targets." "Hunt targets?" "Yes, they are the souls thate to the Underworld. "The Reapers can''t gather the hundreds of thousands of soul that fall into the Underworld every day. "We do the task for them. We bring the souls ¡ª the Hunt Targets ¡ª to the Reapers and receive rewards in return." "Still, calling them Hunt Target is quite unique." "The name is perfect." Sele and Neo tered a line at the reception. While they waited for their turn, Sele continued to exin him about the ce. "No soul wants to go with the Reapers willingly. We have to hunt them down, quite literally." "What about the souls you can''t catch?" "They are the unlucky ones who''ll be corrupted by Darkness and be a monster." The two reached the receptionist. A flying skull without a body stood behind the counter. It held a p and paper with telekinesis. "I want to get this him registered." "Name, time of death, ce of death." "He doesn''t remember wh he died. He forgot everything wh he became a monster." Neo did not correct them. The truth was too bothersome to exin. Besides, the word of him being Hades'' bloodline could danger him. Neo could ask for help from Barbatos and Paimon, sure, but there was no guarantee they would help him. It was quite clear to him they were investing in him by helping him train. But they never tried to protect him during his trials. Ev if Barbatos and Paimon could help him, he did not want their help unless absolutely necessary. Neo wanted to progress with his own strgth. Unnecessary help would only impede his growth. The flying skull looked at Neo. "Boy, do you remember your name." "Neo Hargraves." "Fine. Now, put your hand over this." It picked a ck crystal ball and put on the reception table. "What''s this?" "It''s a contamination measuremt device." The flying skull exined. "0~% is for souls. They hav''t be affected much by the vironmt of the Underworld. "+ % contamination means you have be a monster. "50+ % is wh you lose your sanity and be a corrupted monster. "Wh you reach that level, a bounty will be put on your head." The skullughed wh it noticed Neo''s expression. "Boy, don''t worry, we give Pills as reward for the quests and Hunts. "They will help supress the spreading contamination. "Of course, it''s only a stopgap method. "If you want to stop the contamination forever, you must be a Reaper. "That''s why everyone here works hard. Harr, Harr, they have no choice but to work if they don''t want to be Corrupted!" Neo nodded. After receiving the exnation, he put his hand over the crystal ball. Chapter 145: Soul Hunter Badge Nothing happed. There was no change to the crystal ball. "What is¡­." Neo stopped speaking wh he noticed the flying skull and Sele dumbstruck. "Boy, what are you?" "¡­?" "The crystal is not reacting. It means you are 0% contaminated." "Maybe it''s malfunctioning?" Sele chimed in. "It''s clear he has maintained his sanity. "There is no way his contamination can be higher than 50%." "True¡­." The flying skull stared at Neo. "Boy, next time, you are in the town,e find me. I''ll have a new measuremt device prepared by th." He created a badge out of thin air and threw it towards Neo. Neo took a good look at the badge, [Neo Hargraves] [Contamination: ???] [Soul Hunter rank: Soul Initiate] [Soul Points: 00] "Soul Initiate?" "It is the newbie rank. "You go from Soul Initiate, Soul Keeper, Soul Ward, and finally Soul Reaper. "After that, you get a shot at bing a Grim Reaper and tering the paradise." the flying skull exined. "I take it as we receive soul points among the mission reward?" "Yes, and it''s the basic currcy here. "I''ve exined everything. Now, off you go." "Wait, Skalix, we ar''t done here." Sele continued. The spider''s voice was a strange mix of hissing and intelligible words. "He is going to ept a mission with me." "Lady, you mean ''that'' mission? You want to take a newbie with you?" "Skalix, you know¡ª" "Oh, I know you,dy. "Yourst team was one of the best team in Tartale and they were wiped out in the blink of the eye. "You don''t defeat the Mad Hound. "Stop trying to get this young boy killed for your revge." Sele hissed. Her aura red dangerously. "Skalix, just do your own job. Don''t meddle in my life." "Harr, Harr, I am doing my job." The flying skull looked at Neo. "What will you do, boy? "Mad Hound isn''t someone you can handle and he recruited a few Zeus n souls rectly. "He has never be stronger." "How much do I need to pay to know the location of the blood droplets that fell during Veldora and Neromax''s battle?" Neo asked. "¡­" Skalix understood the intt behind Neo''s question. The flying skull sighed. "Sele is going to reveal the location of one of the droplets, huh? "You''ll be a Soul Ward in one go if you sell that information." His words confirmed Neo''s inttion. Neo would help Sele and get the information in exchange. "Fine. Give me your Soul Hunter badges. I''ll issue the mission to you two." Sele took out her badge from the Shadow Space. She passed it to Skalix. Neo did the same. The flying skull added the mission details to the badges before returning it to them. "You can read the mission details on the badge, boy. "Now, go away. You two have blocked the line long ough." Neo and Sele stood to the side. "Neo¡­ I''m sorry about hiding about the Mad Hound." "I''ll return a few dayster to help you with the mission." "¡­Are you going to run away?" Sele let out a mncholic chuckle. "It''s fine. You don''t need to give excuses. "I''m at the fault to begin with. I shouldn''t have hidd the request from you¡ª" "Sele, shut up." Neo clicked his tongue. "I wouldn''t have epted the mission if I was going to run away. "Whatever you think, I''m not going to let a failed mission stay on my record." Neo had to leave. His time limit was nearly up. He had another task to do before returning to the world of living. "I''ll meet you here again in a few days. Bye." Neo wandered to the left wall. It was clear Sele did not believe his words. However, he was sure she would wait for him. Because she was desperate. The life side of the hall was filled with Hunt targets. Neo wt through thousands of names and photos ce on the wall. "Found them." He stared the names of Kdrick, Gw, ra, and Leonora. They were still in the Forest of All Beginnings. "Christian isn''t here. He must''ve be st to paradise already." Neo knew. He had be gone for three months. The corpses must''ve rotted already. There was a high chance Nathan could''ve buried them or cremated them, not knowing what Neo nned to do with the corpses. "The fourth visionpletely messed up my ns." Neo exhaled. "Fuck. "I have to awak my time elemt." He used Immortal and returned to the world of living. Oping his eyes, his focus first wt to the hard object in his hands. He lowered his gaze. "The Soul Hunter badge came with me?" Neo was a bit surprised. It seemed the badge was not as simple as he thought it to be. He pocketed the Soul Hunter badge and checked time. It was early dawn. "I''ll take a shower and attd the sses. "I also need to meet Nathan and ask him about the¡ª" Neo oped the door to the hall. The sce before his eyes made him shut up. Mars, shirtless, was doing push-ups while Felix, female form, sat on his back. Jack was ying Enma Shrine 3 on his console. Arthur was juggling daggers to pass time. Amelia and Nathan were cooking food in the kitch. "¡­" Neo rubbed his eyes. The sce before him did not change. "Strange, my mastery of Darkness should be ough for my currt level. "Why am I still seeing hallucinations? "Guess I''ll just cut them down. It will do for a morning warm-up." "Neo?" Arthur noticed Neo stretching his arms. "You are awake?" "Neo! Why didn''t you tell us you returned from your mission? "We wouldn''t ev have known if the principal did not tell us!" Jack shouted excitedly. He closed the game. Mars stopped doing push-ups, and Amelia and Nathan peeked from op kitch. They all looked happy until they noticed Neo''s surging Aura. "Neo¡­? W-what are you doing?" Arthur felt a chill crawl up his spine. Neo covered the distance betwe them in a single step. His punch, covered in red lightning, shot towards Arthur''s face. Chapter 146: Breakfast With Everyone Arthur dodged by a hair''s breadth. He looked towards Amelia while rolling away in panic. "Senior, you said it would''ve been fine if we entered his room! It doesn''t look fine to me! "He is seriously trying to kill me!" Before anyone could react, a heavy aura of Death and Darkness descended. They felt suffocated. Even Amelia froze. Condensed red arcs of lightning gathered around Neo. "He is going to destroy this ce." Arthur closed his eyes as if he had given up. Neo was about to unleash the storm of Death when suddenly Jack grabbed his hand. "Stop this, Neo. We aren''t hallucinations." Jack''s aura shed against Neo''s aura. Neo was slightly surprised when Jack managed to hold him back. ''Even if I''m not using my full strength how can he do this?'' ''He must''ve trained a lot while I was away.'' Neo retracted his aura. "My bad, I thought it was another hallucination created by the Darkness." "Haaaah¡­" Jack let go of his hand and flopped to the ground. "I felt like I was going to be killed. How the hell did your aura grow so strong in just three months? "Where the hell were you doing?" "I was receiving my answer from the vision." "Yeah, yeah, please keep using that discounted excuse. "Even Nathan can make up better lies." "Uhm, why am I being insulted when I didn''t say a word¡­" Nathan closed his mouth when everyone turned to him. "Never mind, please ignore me." Neo sat up on the sofa. "What are you guys doing here?" "We wanted to know about your mission. How was it? Did you really go outside the academy?" "I''ve said it already. I was with the Sphinx." "So you really won''t tell us." Jack clicked his tongue. He sat near Felix who was on top of Mars. "What can we do? We are too low ranked for him to think about us. "I bet he made more friends when he was outside, and he is just using us as his side-friends." Felix let out fake tears. Neo ignored the two drama-queens. He snorted. "You guys entered my room without my permission. Ever heard about the magical word ''privacy''?" "Of course we have." Felix spoke first. Jack followed after him. "That''s why he did not enter your bedroom. We only used your console, kitchen, hall, training room¡­." Jack stopped speaking. He looked away. "You can say sorry." "Sorry." Nathan brought breakfast from the kitchen. He flinched when Neo looked at him when in truth Neo was looking past him. "Amelia,e out. I already saw you in the kitchen." She dragged her feet out of the kitchen. Neo clicked his tongue. Although he wanted to say something, he didn''t n to embarrass her in front of everyone. "I know I gave you the keys, but at least warn me if you are going to bring a party with you." "Huh, you did not¡ª" "I did, Amelia. How else you would have keys to my room? "Hahaha, it''s not like the academy staff will them to you." Felix and Jack''s stares stung at his back. Neo continued his act shamelessly. "Anyway, tell if you guys are going toe. I would''ve prepared something for you all." ''Like changing the lock.'' The group sat around the table. They kept asking Neo about his mission even after he said he was with the Sphinx. Irritated, he almost flipped the table and shot a Death Snipe at them. The tasty food was the only reason he forgave everyone. "Nathan, you cooked the food, right?" "Y-yes, Senior Amelia helped too." "She has a key to my room already." Neo continued. "Your room wouldn''t have a kitchen. "You can use mine when you don''t want to eat the cafeteria''s food. I''ll give you a key to my room." "What about me?" "Me too!" Neo ignored Jack and Felix, and stared at Mars. "I''ll give you a key too. My training room should''ve better than yours. You can use it." "Thanks." "If you are thankful, don''t go around my ce naked, dripping sweat on mats." "Hahaha, sorry about that." Arthur was staring at Neo like a child waiting for his santa us. "What?" "Do I get a key too?" "Fuck off." "Why?! You gave one to Mars!" Neo looked at him with disgust. "Are you my teammate?" "No?" "Can you cook food for me?" "I can¡ª" "Can you cook ''tasty'' food like Nathan?" "¡­I can try." "Are you a beautiful girl?" "¡­" "Three questions, three times useless. You are rejected. I have no reason to invite you to my room." Arthur gave an awkward smile. "Hey, you weren''t this sharp tongued before." "Well, I''m not the one who entered someone''s room without their permission." Arthur looked as if he had been wronged. He was the only person to get attacked and he was the only one to be insulted. Neo sighed. "Fine, I''ll give you a key. Stop making that face. It''s disgusting." Before Jack and Felix could speak up, Neo added, "You I''ll give you two too." ''Of course, I''ll change the lock after I distribute the keys.'' ''I''ll give the real keys to only Mars and Nathan.'' After the rowdy breakfast, they prepared to go to the sses. "Nathan, I want to talk to you. Come to the side." Nathan nodded. He was about to step towards Neo when suddenly Jack ced a hand on his shoulder. Jack whispered something to Nathan. Nathan nodded and left with everyone. "What did you say to him?" "I told him you were probably asking for the corpses. Since I have them, he can go." "You took them?" "Yeah, I had to. Nathan became a nervous wreck while carrying those things. "So I decided to take them from him." Jack''s shadow stretched. The corpses of Christian, Leonora, ra, Kendrick and Gwen floated at its surface. Neo''s expression worsened. He could stomach the pungent smell and the gory scene before his eyes. However¡­ "They are rotting." Neo had expected this. He felt like shit when he witnessed his failures with his eyes. "Fuck." While Neo was thinking hard, Jack opened his mouth, "You want to resurrect them, don''t you?" Chapter 147: Elemental Overriding "¡­?" Despite being startled, Neo maintained a neutral expression. "Is that even possible?" "I think it could be possible with your bloodline." Neo did not say anything. "Sigh, Neo, death isn''t a punishment. "I''m sad too that my friends died, but trying to resurrect them isn''t the answer. "You need to ept Death. "How long will you continued this? Everyone you know will die someday, will you keep reviving them?" "¡­" "Neo, if you don''t learn to ept Death, your mastery will¡­" Jack sighed. "If I tell you about it, it will lose its meaning. You need to understand it yourself." He patted Neo''s back. "I''ll keep the corpses with myself until as long as you want. "Still, please think about what I told you." Jack stepped out of the room, leaving Neo behind. Neo thought about Jack''s words. He shook his head after a few moments "I''m gettingte for the sses." Neo left the Seraphim Hall. He met Arthur, Felix and Mars on the way. "The others?" "They went to their ss." Neo noticed quite a few people were staring at him. It reminded him of the day when he was going to give the speech as the Ruler. Back then, the gazes had been filled with mockery. Now, they were staring at him with awe and admiration. The four reached the ss. The teacher entered a few minutester. She picked the chalk and wrote ''Elemental sh aka Elemental Overriding'' on the board. "Good morning, students. "Since a few of you are seeing me for the first time, I''ll reintroduce myself. "I''m Evelyn Valtara. Your Elemental Theory ss professor." Her gaze was fixed on Neo. "Today, we are going to cover the topic ''Elemental sh''. "Anyone know what it is?" Arthur raised his hand. "Yes, please answer, Arthur." "Elemental sh refers to the sh between two elements." "Very good, Arthur. As expected of a Rank 2 student. It was the perfect answer." Professor Evelyn continued. "But how does Elemental shes work? "What will happen if Water and Fire strikes against each other? "Will water douse the fire, or will the fire evaporate the water." An orb of water materialized above Professor Evelyn''s right palm and a orb of mes above her left palm. "What factors will affect the result?" "The total amount of Divine Energy imbued in the attack." A student answered. "Yes, good answer. Anything else?" She looked around. "Think, students. This is something you all must''ve experienced during your past three months practical sses at the academy." "Elemental Superiority." "Correct. "You can''t expect a lightning element user to win against a time element user. "The time element user will snap his finger and that''s it. Time has been stopped. Lightning user can''t do anything." Evelyn continued. "You need to be careful about thepatibility between your opponent and you, and use a superior element. "Of course, that''s not always the case. Does anyone know what I''m talking about?" Arthur, again, raised his hand. "Yes, Arthur?" "Elemental Mastery. "We can overpower our opponent''s element as long as out mastery is high enough. This can cancel even elemental superiority." "Perfect!" Professor Evelyn smiled. "There are countless examples of what Arthur said in the history. "The battle of GodKing, Zeus, the War God, Ares, against the Father of Time, Kronos, is one such example. "They overpowered the Father of Time with their high elemental masteries. "The Godking Zeus used his lightning affinity to out speed Time and War God Ares burned Time itself." Professor Evelyn could see not everyone believed her. It was to be expected. The Age of Gods happened long in the past, and her words sounded too absurd to be true. The students believed the myths of the past were often exaggerated. content-source-MVLeMpYr "I''ll give you a live example." Professor Evelyn conjured a me in front of her. "This is Apprentice-mastery level fire." She raised her head and looked Neo in the eye. "Neo Hargraves, please attack this me with your Death affinity He nodded. "Die." He spoke to help make it easier for him to conjure the image of the attack and increase its uracy. A single condensed red bolt struck the me. The me suddenly died. "Marvellous. That was a perfect demonstration of Elemental Overriding." She looked around the ss. "Neo Hargraves'' mastery of Death has reached Adept-level. "He was able to impose the concept of Death over my mes and kill them. "This happened because Adept-mastery represents a higher form of understanding than Apprentice-mastery." She continued. "Now who is going to tell me the weakness of Elemental overriding?" Arthur raised his hand to no one''s surprise. "Yes, please answer, Arthur." "Mainly, the two weakness of elemental overriding are Divine Energy pool and Elemental Superiority. "Even a high mastery is useless if an Awakened Demigod is fighting a Mythic Demigod. "The Mythic Demigod can just overpower the opponent with his denser andrger Divine Energy pool." Arthur added, "Elemental Superiority is simr. "Just because they have a higher mastery does not mean an earth element user can defeat a lightning element user in a race. Elemental overriding is useless here." "Correct again¡­." The ss continued. Professor Evelyn let them go after an hour. "I feel like I''m dying," Felix groaned. Her head slumped onto the desk. "Someone kill me. I can''t study anymore." "Why are youining, Felix? It was an interesting ss." "It wasn''t, you nerd." Felix red at Arthur. "I''ve told you multiple times. If you are going to keep raising your hand, go sit somewhere else." "Why?" "You draw attention to yourself! One out of seven professors asks a question from me since I''m sitting next to you. "I''m not smart like you. I beg you, spare me, you lunatic!" She was on the verge of tears. Neo stood up. "Where are you going?" Arthur questioned. "I have something to do. I''ll return before our next ss starts." The next ss was after two hours. Neo had plenty of time to meet Professor Daniel. He moved through the academy grounds. The meditation hall was only half-hour distance away. It was as deserted as ever. Neo stood outside Professor Daniel''s office and knocked. "Professor Daniel, it is Neo Hargraves. "I came to meet you three months ago and asked for help in awakening my time element." Chapter 148: Student Council Test [1] There was no response. Neo knocked again. Silence. "Is he out?" He waited for another hour. There was no indication Professor Daniel was inside the office. "There is only half-an hour left. I need to return to my ss." Neo massaged his brows. He was on his way to the ss venue when a girl with bright orange hair blocked his path. "Do you want something from me?" "I do, actually! Can you give me an autograph?" Neo took the pen and signed the nk paper. "Thank you! I never thought I would get the Ruler to sign my diary!" "No the pleasure is mine. I''m the one who is surprised to be approached by the Treasurer." The girl froze. "You know me?" "Yes. Why wouldn''t I know you?" She scratched her cheek with an awkward smile. "I''m almost always busy with Student Council works. "Barely anyone recognizes me, since I never leave the student council office "So I was just surprised you knew me." "Amelia told me about you." Neo lied through his teeth. "I see. Still, I''ll introduce myself formally. "I''m Ophelia Nareth, the Treasurer of the Student Council and a 2nd year student." "Neo Hargraves, the Ruler and a first year." They shook hands. "Did youe to find me just for an autograph?" "Ah, right! I almost forgot. Percival wants to meet you." "Right now?" "Right now." "My sses¡­" "I know you have your sses, but we need you for an important task." "That is?" Ophelia looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. She whispered, "The Student Council has decided to open the application form for you." Neo''s face hardened. He couldn''t believe his ears. "The application form to join the Student Council? But that only starts from the second semester." "You are right, to be honest." Ophelia and Neo started to walk towards the Student Council. Neo could skip his sses from it. He would get countless benefits from joining the Student Council. The best benefit was receiving double credits from the mission rewards. Additionally, he could skip exams and still receive a passing grade. ''This is the best.'' ''The midterms areing and I haven''t studied anything since I was in the visions.'' ''If I can join the student council there is no need for me to attend the tests.'' While they were on the way, Ophelia continued to speak. "Your case is unique. "Your performance during the S-rank mission has set a historical record. "There is a rumor about the principal personally sending you on a mission outside the academy. "And your past is a mystery." She continued. "Little brother of Henry Hargraves, no known demigod parents in the recorded lineage, and one of the only two survivors of the Void Window #8477. "The fact you suddenly became a Ruler is even more surprising. "No one knows about your bloodline either." "Are you curios?" "Yes, I am. Everyone is." "It''s Monarch of Death, the bloodline of Great God of Death, Hades." "That''s impossible." Opheliaughed. "Nice joke. It''s fine if you don''t want to expose your bloodline. "The academy policies allow the students to keep their bloodlines a secret. "The only rule is that if you expose your bloodline, it should be the truth. "So don''t go making jokes like this. You''ll get in trouble." Neo shrugged. He told the truth. It was not his problem that she did not believe him. Ophelia continued. "Anyway, the outside forces are pressuring us, the Student Council, to verify your abilities. "They want to know if the principal is spreading exaggerated rumors, or if you really are as strong as they say." "In short, you are doing this because the orders of your families?" Neo asked. "I''m sure that''s abusing your rights as the student council members." "Not really abusing. "The application test will help us know your limits, and you''ll get to join the Student Council. "Both sides will benefit." "Fair enough." They reached a colosseum. The gates opened. As they entered the ce, Ophelia pointed him towards a different path. "I''ll go to the spectator seats. You should go down that corridor to enter the battle arena." "Are we starting the test straight away?" "Yes, time is money." Neo nodded. He followed her directions and walked into arge stadium. Looking around, he noticed some of the seats were filled. Almost all student council members were present along with a few professors. Percival stood at the head of the colosseum high above. He imbued his voice with Divine Energy. The volume of his voice increased. "Neo Hargraves, after careful consideration and a unanimous vote amongst the student council, we have decided to allow you to take a special application test. "The contents of the application test are same as previous year''s test. "However, since this is a special test, the difficulty would be increased. "Of course, we will give you an additional reward of 500 credits. "Do you want to partake in the test or do you want to give up?" The student council test took ce in the second semester. By that time, the students were properly trained by the academy. Still, only a few students could pass the test. Neo was taking the test three months earlier and it a harder version. He grew excited. ''Finally, I can fight.'' your-chapter-source-MvLeMpYr He opened his mouth. "I''m ready to take the test." "Good." Percival smiled. "The great me has the record for the earliest clear. "I hope you can achieve something close to it, since everyone has high expectations from you." Percival brought his hand down. "Begin!" The gates groaned and burst open. The ground shook as the first wave of golems came out. There were six of them. Each one was a hulking figure of stone and earth. Although slow, their sheer size and strength made them dangerous. Neo triggered the Essence Breath Spell. He could fell the weight of the debuff still pressing down on him. It slowed his movements, dulled his senses, but he knew he had to conserve his strength. There were four more waves waiting behind this one, and each would be worse. The first golem made its move. Chapter 149: Student Council Test [2] It took a slow step forward and swung its massive fist toward him. Neo''s eyes narrowed. He sidestepped quickly, avoiding the blow with minimal effort, but he could feel how sluggish his body was. And. The air was suddenly torn apart. The golem, while slow, was powerful. Its simple movements could create shockwaves. The next golem followed. It lunged at him with surprising coordination for such slow creatures. Neo''s hand moved to his sword hilt instinctively. With a quick push of his thumb, the de slid a fraction from its sheath ¡ª and the debuff lifted. Neo''s body surged with renewed energy. The fog that had clouded his reflexes dissipated, and his movements became crisp and fluid. Neo darted forward. He closed the distance between him and the golems in a blink. His sword shed, wrapped in red lightning. It cut cleanly through the first golem''s leg, causing it to copse into a pile of mud and stone. The other golems responded in unison, but Neo was faster. He moved like a shadow and weaved through their attacks. One golem mmed its fist into the ground where Neo had just stood, creating a crater in the arena floor. Neo leapt into the air. Hended on the golem''s back and drove his de through its core. The creature groaned before crumbling to pieces. The first wave was reduced to nothing more than piles of dirt scattered across the arena floor within a few seconds. But Neo had no time to rest. The second wave was already emerging from the gate. These golems wererger and more menacing than the first. They were reinforced with stone armor, their bodies were bulkier, and their movements were faster. ''Eight of them.'' Neo counted. ''Seems like these ones have better coordination.'' Neo''s hand tightened around the hilt of his sword. He could feel the challenge growing. The golems surrounded him quickly. They attacked him from all sides with powerful. Their attacks were synchronized, leaving no room for him to dodge. Neo''s body turned into a blur as he tried to evade the heavy blows while blocking the undodgeable ones with Ocean''s Embrace. He did not just dodge. He parried, skillfully weaving counterattacks in his blocks. But their defenses were stronger. His de, though sharp, struggled to pierce the stone armor that covered their bodies. Each attack thatnded was absorbed by the golems'' thick, hardened shells. Neo couldn''tnd a decisive blow. ''I can''t use an Aura de so early. My Divine Energy reserves are toocking for it.'' Sweat trickled down his brow as he calcted his next move. The golems'' attacks were bing more precise. They were adapting. Neo lunged toward the closest golem with a burst of speed. His de sliced through its arm, but the golem retaliated with surprising agility. It swung its other fist toward him. Neo twisted in mid-air, narrowly avoiding the blow. The golems didn''t relent. They pressed the attack with their impable coordination. Neo used his superior agility to continue moving and dodged their attacks. He cleaved through the head of one golem with a well-timed strike, then spun around to deliver a fatal blow to another. Within minutes, the second wave had fallen¡ªbut Neo could feel his muscles burning from the effort. The gates trembled again. NovelFire-exclusive The third wave emerged¡ªten golems this time. Their bodies were darker and more menacing. These golems weren''t just stronger; they were faster, and their coordination had reached a new level. They moved as one, surrounding Neo in a perfect formation, leaving him no room to move around. Neo''s chest heaved. He was desperate. His blood boiled with excitement. With a deep breath, Neo activated his blessing. A surge of power coursed through his veins. His muscles felt lighter and his reflexes became sharper. The air around him crackled with energy. The third wave attacked with terrifying speed. But Neo was faster. His body moved like a shadow and he countered their blows with devastating precision. His sword shed, cutting through stone and mud alike. He struck at their weak points, dismantling their formation piece by piece. One golem fell, then another, and another. The creatures couldn''t keep up with Neo''s newfound speed and power. In a flurry of strikes, the third wave crumbled before him. Before he could celebrate his victory, the fourth wave was already upon him. These golems were unlike any of the others. Their bodies were massive, their forms reinforced with dark obsidian that gleamed in the sunlight. There were twelve of them now, each one more dangerous than thest. Neo''s breath came in ragged gasps. He could feel the strain on his body. His Divine Energy wouldn''tst long. He had to finish quickly. The golems charged, and Neo met them head-on. Giant bolts of red lighting thundered around him. His de shed against their obsidian armor. A powerful shockwave spread out. The creatures attacked relentlessly. Neo parried and dodged, but even with the blessing, he was struggling to keep up. He was nearing his limit. The Essence Breath Spell couldn''t support him for long. One golem''s fist grazed his side, sending him skidding across the arena floor. Neo gritted his teeth. He ignored the pain and forced himself back to his feet. He couldn''t fall here. With a roar, Neo lunged forward. His sword turned into a blur of steel and darkness. He targeted the joints of the golems, where their armor was weakest. His de cut through their defenses, severing their limbs and shattering their cores. The fourth wave was strong, but Neo was stronger. As long as he could hold one, he would win. One by one, they fell, until only a single golem remained. Neo, panting heavily, met its gaze. It charged with its obsidian fists raised. Neo cleaved the golem in two with a single powerful strike. But as it fell, the gates trembled once more. The fifth and final wave emerged. Neo''s heart remained calm. His body might have been in tatters, but he had faced worse situations and survived. This wasn''t enough to defeat him. The golems were enormous, towering over him with bodies made of pure stone, reinforced with Divine Energy. There were fifteen of them. The ground shook with their every step. Neo''s body screamed in protest. It wanted to rest. ''Move.'' ''This isn''t the time to rest.'' Neo unleashed his Aura of Death and Darkness. An overwhelming presence descended. The golems faltered. Neo did not let go of the chance. He dived amidst them. Chapter 150: Student Council Test [3] Giant bolts of red lightning crashed into the golems. The monsters stood tall as the red lightning failed to pierce their defenses. The nearest golem punched towards Neo. He wrapped arm in Aura of Darkness and grabbed the punch. The ck mes absorbed the impact. Before the golem could retaliate, Neo stabbed the sword into its body and injected the Aura of Death inside it through the sword. Their defense was strong, but their insides were still weak. The golem exploded. Dust and gravel filled the air. Neo used it as an opportunity. He jumped towards the next golem''s head and sliced its neck off. The loss of visibility impaired the golems. Neo, like a Grim Reaper, reaped their lives before they could organize themselves. Not every golem went down easily. The creature used their massive fists to deliver ground-shattering blows. Blocking them made him feel like he was getting rammed by trucks. Neo, panting and exhausted, continued to swing his sword without a break. Suddenly, Percival''s voice echoed. "The test has been finished!" The shout snapped Neo out of his stupor. Neo realized the golems were all dead and he was standing in the arena filled with their broken body parts. He was panting heavily. There was no major injury on his body. Neo could feel the results of his training. If it was before, he would''ve been fatally injured, or perhaps been defeated, in a battle of this level. "Neo Hargraves, time taken toplete the test: 34 minutes: 24 seconds." Percival stared at Neo with mixed emotions. His record was not broken. He maintained the title of the fastest clear. "You record survived," Ophelia said. "By 3 seconds¡­" Percival feltplicated. His pride was hurt. Neo could''ve broken his record if he gave the test with normal difficulty or if he took the test in second semester. Ophelia chuckled when she saw his expression. "Don''t be too sad. There is always a bigger fish out there. "If it wasn''t him, it would''ve been Morrigan who would show you that you were never the most talented." "I am the most talented." Percival smirked. "I gave my test indoor where the sun couldn''t reach me. "I could not use my blessing due to it. My time would''ve been less if I could." Ophelia was exasperated. She clicked her tongue and returned to the seats where the other student council members sat. ¡­ Cassian was on the professors who came to watch the test. They acted as witness. "He is good." Cassian licked his lips. He took out his smartphone and dialed a number. The ringtone rang for a few minutes. "It''s me." He added. "I''ve confirmed Neo Hargraves'' performance with my eyes." "How was he?" "Well¡­." Cassian''s gaze lingered at the destruction Neo left behind in his wake. The air was still filled with Death elementals. "He is a veteran. "Even though he was fightingrge number of monsters, he skillfully maneuvered around them to keep them from trapping him in their formations, and took them out one-by-one at a rapid pace." Cassian pursed his lips. "Honestly, I believe the rumors are true. "He must''ve been undergoing training or a mission during three months he was gone. "That''s the only way to exin how a demigod, who awakened his God Blood just before attending the academy, can fight this well." "Continue observing him and keep reporting to us." "Huh? I thought I would be allowed to engage with him?" "No, do not engage with him under any circumstances. We can''t afford to offend Neo Hargraves again." "Again? What do you mean by that?" "¡­" "Rowel, give me an answer¡ª" "Do you know about the recent attack on our n''s headquarter?" "Of course I do. It was done by an adult phoenix." "Yes, we were attacked by a phoenix but that''s only the half-truth. "The real reason we were attacked was because¡­." ¡­. Neo was inside the infirmary. The nurse applied medicines to his wounds and gave him something to drink. While Neo was resting, the door opened. Percival, followed by Amelia, entered. The student council president turned to the nurse. "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Patrina. We''ll take it from here." "Got it." Percival''s smile disappeared after the nurse left. He stared at Neo. "Congrattions, you''ve passed the test. The credits have been already transferred to your ount." "Yes, I''ve checked." Percival did not say anything anymore. His actions earned a sigh from Amelia. "Stop being cranky because he performed better than you." "I''m not cranky." Percival clicked his tongue. thank-you-for-using-NovelFire "Neo Hargraves, your position in the student council has been decided. "You will be a Disciplinary Officer." Percival took out a ck ring and gave it to Neo. "This is the proof of your identity as the member of Student Council. "Since you are new, Amelia will be guiding you for the next few weeks. "Come to the student council office from tomorrow onwards." He left after giving the basic instructions. Amelia shook her head with a sigh. "Sorry about him. It''s just his confidence took a hit when you returned from the Window." "¡­?" "You know when you returned, you were dead and you still managed to rescue your friend, Jack? "Apparently, that scene terrified him. "He hasn''t been in his right state of mind since then." The two spoke. Amelia congratted him for joining the student council. She exined his duties to him and left. After an hour of rest, Neo stood up. He moved his body. Feeling he had healed sufficiently, he left the infirmary. He visited the Prof. Daniel''s office. There was, again, no reply. He waited until the evening and returned to cafeteria when he started feeling hungry. The line was not long. He took his food and sat in a corner seat at the far end of the cafeteria. While he eating, Felix and Arthur entered the cafeteria. The two, returning from their sses, came for snacks when they noticed Neo. "Hey, why didn''t youe to the ss?" Felix questioned. They sat on the same table as Neo. "I was busy." "Busy with what¡­." Felix stopped speaking when she noticed the ck ring on Neo''s finger. Arthur saw the ring at the same time. Chapter 151: Raiding the Zeus Clan "What!? How!?" Felix stared at Neo, stunned. "How did you join the Student Council!?" "They approached me and offered me to take the test¡ª" "Wait, wait, wait. Exin everything from the beginning." Neo almost wanted to sigh. He recounted the events of the day. "Sigh, Jack was right. Nothing normal happens when we are with you. "I can''t decide if I should be surprised that the student council came to you first, or if I should ask how you passed the test so easily." Neo rolled his eyes. The cafeteria was filled with murmurs and fingers pointing at Neo after Felix shouted how he joined the student council. He ignored the unwanted attention and filled his stomach. They day ended without more surprises. Neoy on his bed. It was already night. He closed his eyes and activated the Death skill. His sense of bnce shifted and he appeared inside the building in the Tartale town. ¡­ Three months ago After Neo and other went to visit the Sphinx. Charlottepleted the paperwork. She put down the pen and removed her sses. Rubbing her eyes, sheid back in the chair. The puppet maids entered the room while she was resting. "Master, you called?" "Yes, since the paperwork is done I thought I wouldplete the task I''ve been procrastinating until now." Charlotte stood up and wore her coat. She whistled. A beatter, the giant phoenix flew down from the sky and waited outside her window. The mythical beast suddenly started to be smaller. It became as small as a fist and sat on Charlotte''s shoulder after flying into the room. "Create a portal to the Zeus n''s headquarters." "Master¡­." The older puppet maid, who had purple earring, hesitated. "It will take us time to open a portal inside their headquarters. "There defensive formation might throw us into an unknown dimension if we are not careful." Charlotte snorted when she heard the answer. "There is no need to worry so much. We are not infiltrating the ce secretly. "Knock down their doors with brute force." The puppet maids nodded. If they did not have to worry about hiding their portals or their Divine Energy signature, the task became much easier. The two held their hands and chanted a spell. The Divine Energy in the air churned. Silver motes of energy shimmered. The bodies of Charlotte and the puppet maids flickered and suddenly they were floating in the sky above a grand city. The phoenix grew in size and caught them on its back before they fell. "Huff, Huff, master, this is the closest we can create a portal to the Zeus n''s headquarters." "It''s good enough." Charlotte focused on the city below her. Their sudden appearance and attempt to enter the headquarters unauthorized put the city on lockdown. The peoples were scattering around and stationed guards were preparing their weapons. "Burn them." The Phoenix responded to hermand. It released a shrill cry before spewing gigantic mes from its mouth. The mes were stopped by the invisible barrier covering the city. The barrier started to crack under the relentless attacks of the phoenix. High-ranking demigods flew out of the city. "Please wait! Why are you attacking us, principal of Demigod Academy!?" "Bring out your n Elders. You have 10 seconds." Charlotte waved her hand. The hundreds of giant fireballs materialized in the sky, ready to fall over the Zeus n. "This is the Zeus n! How dare you¡ª" "Ten." "Stop it right this instant! Even if you are the principal of Demigod Academy, this is crossing the line!" "Four." "Did y-you just skip the counts!?" "One and zero." The fireballs fell like a meteor shower. The defensive formation of the Zeus n was shattered. Dozens of buildings were destroyed and the city was badly damaged. The soldiers'' faces hardened. They never thought Charlotte would actually attack them. "No one has died, yet. However, I can''t promise the same for the next attack. "Bring out your n Elders, or suffer the consequences." Just as Charlotte was about to conjure another volley of giant fireballs, an old man flew out of the city. He had long white beard and his face was filled with wrinkles. "You are too feisty for your age, Charlotte. What will the youngsters think when they see you like this?" He floated before Charlotte. Charlotte stared at him with murderous intent. "Is that how you are going to apologize for what you did in my Academy?" "Hahaha, are you here for that? You could''ve just called me." The old man looked at his troops. "All of you can leave. I''ll take over the situation from here." "But Elder Putin¡ª" "Leave." The soldiers could feel the suppressed anger behind the elder''s smile. They retreated as they had been ordered. Alone in the sky, Voren Putin, one of the elders of Zeus n, opened his mouth. "How about we continue this talk in a better ce?" "Fine." Charlotte snapped her fingers. The puppet maids teleported Charlotte and Voren into an office. "Ho? Where are we right now?" "¡­" Charlotte red at Voren. "It''s strange, Voren. I don''t see you apologizing for trying to kill one of my children." "You mean Neo Hargraves?" Voren chuckled. "I didn''t think you would attack our headquarters for just a single student. He isn''t even that important¡ª" "Voren." Charlotte spoke slowly, her voice dripping with murderous intent. "Touch my children again and you''ll have a war with the Academy." For the first time, the smile disappeared from Voren''s face. He had been thought Charlotte was justshing out. However, the threat of a war made things different. "Just for a single kid? He isn''t even from a God n." Charlotte did not answer. However, her gaze spoke plenty. She was not giving empty threats. Charlotte had refused Neo to give him any support against Lucas'' betrayal. But that was a lie meant to trick Neo. Neo was blessed with friends and family who cared for him. He could easily take them for granted and start doing things, believing he would never face repercussions. It was why Charlotte treated Neo as if he was nothing special. Nevertheless, it did not mean, she would spare Zeus n after they tried to kill him. Chapter 152: Destroyed Town Neo looked around. He tried to find Selene. "Where is she? Don''t tell me she thought I wouldn''t return and left." It did not bode well. Neo needed the blood droplets. Thest droplet helped him recover 10% of his Divine Energy. Four more droplets and he could recover all the Divine Energy he lost in the contract with Paimon. "I need it no matter what. "If I had my original Divine Energy pool during the student council test, I would''ve been able to use the blessing more freely and broken Percival''s record." Neo left the building. He was looking around the town, searching for Selene and found her. The spider was eating noodles on an open stall. She froze when she noticed Neo. "N-neo? Why are you here?" "I told you I''lle toplete the mission." "W-wait, you are here for that?!" She slurped the noodles in one smooth motion and came out of the stall in a hurry. "Should we start the mission?" "That''s why I''m here." Selene was excited and grateful. The two left the Tartale town. "Thank you foring, Neo. I really mean it. It''s been difficult to find teammates. "If you didn''te, I didn''t know what I would''ve done." "It''s fine. I''m justpleting my side of the deal." "Yup, about that, you don''t need to worry. The blood droplet location I know is still a secret. "I''m the only one who knows about it." Neo nodded. They were moving away from the Tartale town at a swift pace thanks to Selene''s Shadow Movement Spell. "Can you tell me something about this Mad Hound? How strong is he?" ¡­ Soul Hunter Building, Tartale Town The flying skull, Skalix, tended to the mission reports as usual. The long lines of Soul Hunters before his desk never ended. It was a usual day for Skalix until he noticed amotion. "Get in line, you fucker!" "Stop breaking the line! We''ve been waiting for an hour for our turn! How dare you break the line?!" A sigh escaped Skalix''s lips. "Must be a newbie if they don''t know the rules¡­" Skalix stopped speaking when he noticed the golden badge on the ''newbie'' shoulder. "T-that''s the badge of a Soul Reaper! Hey, you idiots shut up!" The flying skull floated towards the center of themotion. "Don''t shout, idiots! Can''t you recognize your superiors?" He scolded the people before turning to the girl who broke the line. She had blue hair and twisted horns on her head. Skalix took a subservient attitude in front of her. "What does our humble town owe the honor of a visit from a Soul Reaper?" Silence fell over the hall. They couldn''t believe Skalix''s words. Soul Reaper was the highest rank. It was just one step away from the mythical Grim Reapers. The ones who had shouted at the girl quivered. "We-we''re sorry, Miss. We didn''t recognize you." She ignored them. Her gaze was fixed at Skalix and her next words made the flying skull flinch. "I''m here for the Mad Hound mission." "M-mad Hound? I know he is a disaster for us. But that''s for us. Someone as esteemed as you doesn''t need to bother with him." Skalix was not lying. A team of Soul Wardens would be enough for Mad Hound. Selene and herte team members were Soul Keeper rank. Although they were annihted, they had nearly defeated Mad Hound. Enjoy tales on m-vle-mp _yr. The blue haired Soul Reaper took out two photos. "Mad Hound has these two as his captives. My job is with them." "Aren''t these¡­. the Zeus n souls who came to the underworld a few months ago?" "That''s true. I came to the Underworld along with them. It''s why I want to save them before Mad Hound corrupts them." Skalix was surprised that the girl before him became a Soul Reaper in just six months. He suppressed his curiosity and advised the girl. "Mad Hound has the ability tomand those whom he corrupts. "He kidnaps souls before Soul Hunters find them and turn them into his minions. "If he has your friends, I''m afraid¡­" The unsaid words were clear to the Soul Reaper girl. She frowned. "I can''t leave before I confirm it with my own eyes. "Just tell me Mad Hound''sst known location." Skalix followed her words. Afterpleting the procedure, he watched the blue-haired girl leave. A sigh escaped his lips. "If her words are true and Mad Hound has gained Zeus n blood holders as his minions, Selene and the boy stands no chance. "I hope she arrives on time and save them." The flying skull regretted failing to stop Selene from choosing her revenge. If he had not given her the mission a few days ago, the Soul Reaper that came today would''ve dealt with the Mad Hound. Selene would''ve gotten a closure, even if she didn''t kill the Mad Hound with her own hands. But now there was no guarantee Selene and the boy would survive. ¡­. Neo and Selene reached a destroyed town. "Are we in the right ce?" Neo asked. "The mission details said Mad Hound wasst near the Daqliake. "Yes, but I doubt Mad Hound has not changed his location." "He will be here?" "ording to his habits, this is the most probable location. "This town is one of the Reaper towns that were destroyed in the aftermath of Veldora and Neromax''s battle. "There would''ve been gravely injured people around. "It''s the perfect ce for Mad Hound to restore the minions he lost." Selene and Neo entered the town while talking. "The minions he lost?" "Yes, myst team wiped out almost every minion he had. "Only a few weeks passed since then. He wouldn''t have been able to gather many minions. "We can defeat him with just two of us while he is weakened." "So, that''s why you were absorbing the blood droplet. "I take it as everyone refused to team with you after yourst team was defeated. Since you had no one, you decided to fight Mad Hound after you got a boost from the blood droplet?" "Yes, that''s exactly what happened." Selene let out a mncholic smile. "The people in the Tartale town think I lied when I told them myte team wiped out the minions of Mad Hound." They reached the center of the town. Neo and Selene sensed multiple presences surrounding them. "So, what''s the n?" Chapter 153: Responsibilities Of The Blessing "I''ll take care of the ad Hound. You only need to distract his minions." Selene took out a tiny ck ball from her Shadow Space and gave it to him. "It''s a ck Pearl fruit. The corrupted monsters love it. "The minions of Mad Hound are all corrupted monsters. They''ll follow you as long as you have that fruit." Neo took the fruit from Selene. She nodded tohim and activated her Shadow Movement Spell. Her body turned into a drop of ink and fell into the shadows on the ground. "She''ll search for the Mad Hound and defeat it while I distract his minions. It''s a simple n, but I don''t dislike it." He unsheathed Obitus. The minions, dozens in numbers, were small monsters of misshapen shapes. Some of them looked like humans with twisted limbs and crawled on all fours while their stomach faced the sky. Some had the head of a bear, the hands of a grasshoppers and the body of a beetle. Neo kept the ck fruit inside his pocket. The minions rushed at him from all sides, their ws drawn. He was about to react in kind when suddenly his blessing reacted. It activated on its own. Neo, surprised, was forced to dodge the monsters and retreat. He jumped back to put some distance between the minions and back. "Obitus, what are you doing?" I did not trigger the blessing, Master¡­ The blessing was activated from the other side¡­. "The other side?" The minions caught up to him and attacked. Neo ducked to dodge the overhead swing. He shed at the minion''s thigh and kicked it away. The one who gave you the blessing activated it¡­ Neo''s eyes widened. The blessing was given to him by the Underworld. "What does the Underworld want from me?" There was no time to think. The blessing was draining his Divine Energy at a frightening pace. He couldn''t deactivate it. "I''ll finish this before my Divine Energy empties out." Neo slide the sword back into the sheath. He took the stance and wrapped the de in Aura of Death and Darkness. Hepressed the auras and let them build up. The minions attacked him. Just as their attacks were about tond, Neo unsheathed the de and shed, too fast for the eye to see, in wide arc. The air around him ruptured and the ground shattered. The minions dropped at a frightening pace as the Death reaped their lives. Neo returned the de to the sheath with a soft click. He looked at the corpses around him. "It was quite easy. Looks like Selene was right. "Mad Hound didn''t have time to refill his stash of minions." Neo thought everything was over until he saw his blessing still activated. It refused to deactivate. Master, the blessing wants you to¡­. "I know. I noticed it." Neo could hear ¡ª feel ¡ª why the blessing was going out of control. "It wants me to give a closure to the minions." The minions, corrupted by the Darkness, would be a part of Darkness after their death in Underworld. They would suffer for eternity while experiencing the insanity of Darkness. The same madness Neo suffered while he used Darkness. Listening to the voices of Darkness for a few seconds was painful. Neo did not want to think how it would feel to hear the voices for the unending eternity. "The Underworld wants me to make the minions a part of myself instead of letting them suffer under the True Darkness." Neo nodded. He always nned to do that. There was no way he was letting go of free stats. The Darkness hidden inside his shadow bloomed. It devoured the minions. see ,em,pyr for more The voices returned. Neo could feel a faint presence of minions settling inside him just like everything he devoured. "Giving the closure to the dead, huh. "This must be the responsibility of the blessing Barbatos and Paimon were talking about." While Neo was focused on devouring the minions, his senses suddenly warned him of an iing attack. Neo blinked and an arrow wrapped in golden lightning was already in front of his face. There was no time to dodge. ¡­ "Come out, Mad Hound. I know you are here." Selene walked through the forest at a slow pace. She spread out her senses and kept her eyes out for any ambush. A sound came from the above. "Little spider, you are back." She raised her head and looked at the tree branches, but no one was there. "How many times has it been? Two, three, five?" The voice wasing from different directions every time it spoke. Selene couldn''t pinpoint its source. "You should know by now you can''t defeat me, little spider." "We won''t know until one of us dies." "Well, what can I say? I always try my best to kill you. You are just awfully good at escaping. "Your friends, though, are not." Mad Hound''s words made her recall the horrible past. Selene forced herself to remain calm. Mad Hound continued to speak, "I still remember the first time we met. "It was surprising to meet a soul who did not want to survive and was prepared to go along with the Reapers. "Bah, I tell you. There is no paradise. Those reapers are just lying to everybody. You should stay in the Forest of All Beginnings and enjoy your life." "Dying still better than watching yourself slowly be a monster," Selene retorted. "Well, well, well, little spider, you are talking as if it''s my fault you became a monster." "It is your fault!" Selene lost her cool. She couldn''t stay calm after the hearing the provocative words of Mad Hound. "I wouldn''t have stayed here if you didn''t Corrupt my friends and turn them into your minions!" "How''s that my fault? Keke, you wanted revenge and you refused to go with the Reapers until you killed me. "It''s your damn fault you became a monster since you are too weak to kill me¡ª" Mad Hound couldn''tplete his words. Selene suddenly entered her shadow. He, hidden among the branches, looked around. "Where did she go?" "Behind you." Before Mad Hound could react one of Selene''s leg pierced his back. The werewolf, Mad Hound, howled in pain. "You¡­! How!?" "I was talking to you find your location." Selene smirked. She wasn''t stupid enough to be agitated by Mad Hound''s words. "You damned spider, let me go! "Why don''t youugh now?" Selene stabbed another leg into his back. "Too weak to fight without your minions? I bet you never thought I could get another teammate." "Pfft, I know you brought a teammate with you. He''ll die to my minions, while I kill you finally for once and all." Mad Hound''s words were ominous. Before Selene could respond, Mad Hound melted like a wax. "This is a¡ª!?" "A double." Mad Hound''s voice came from behind her. The sword in his hand pierced her neck. "Can''t believe you fell for the oldest trick in the book. So much for defeating me." Mad Hound smirked. He grabbed one of her legs and snapped it before she could run away. Selene clenched her jaw. She tried to ignore the pain while searching for a way to escape. "Little spider, O my little spider, what do you want?" Mad Hound grabbed her head and muttered in a glee. "Will you escape again while your teammate dies at my minions'' hands? Or will you die along with him?" He whispered in her ears. "I would rmend dying. I''m sick of fighting you already. We don''t need to do it anymore." Mad Hound twisted the de inside her neck. Chapter 154: True Power Of the Blessing The arrow was in front of Neo''s face before he knew. He triggered the Ocean''s Ebrace at thest second and let the arrow bounce off his skin harmlessly. It was easy. Or so he thought when suddenly, a golden blurry figure appeared next to him. The figure, cloaked in lightning, attacked at a speed faster than Neo. He could not react even with the warnings of Death affinity. The new minion was a human with leopard legs and whiskers. Golden lightning crackled around him and his face... ¡­!? Neo stiffened. He recognized the minion. "Kendrick?" Kendrick di Valemont. The Zeus n members that died in the Window alongside Christian and others. Kendrick, now a minion, ignored Neo''s shock. He punched Neo in the abdomen, causing him to fly back into a broken building. Neo coughed blood. He had broken a few ribs in thest attack. Kendrick had grown stronger after he was corrupted by the Darkness. ''He must''ve devoured monsters. A lot of them.'' The monster Kedrick bolted towards Neo on all fours, leaving no room for Neo to breath. Neo did not move, nor did he try to dodge. His mind was nk. ''If Kendrick is corrupted by Darkness, he can''t be revived.'' The realization hit him like a giant hammer, leaving him paralyzed under the weight of it. The monster Kendrick paid no heed to Neo''s thoughts. He, powered by Invincible, rained down a flurry of punches. Neo did not fight back. His body was smashed into the ground. The pain, he could ignore. But the truth before his eyes made him feel like he was being choked. Not just Kendrick, Gwen di Langley too. ''Gwen shot the first arrow.'' The arrow, wrapped in golden lighting, was too fast to be fired by a normal monster. It must''ve been shot by Gwen, who died in the Window, and was now using Invincible. The golden lightning was the proof. ''This is my fault.'' Neo barely interacted with Kendrick or Gwen. They were neither his friends, nor his acquaintances. Still, they were his responsibility. He had vowed to save them. "P-please, kill me¡­" Suddenly, Kendrick stopped attacking. His face contorted and tears shimmered in his eyes. He hade to his senses for a moment. "Ne-Neo, you are Neo, right? Please, I do-don''t want to be a monster. Devour m-mee. End me..." "How did you regain¡ª" Before Neo couldplete his words, Kendrick lost control over himself again. He growled and grabbed Neo''s leg and threw him. Neo''s body bounced a few times beforeing to a stop. "Fuck¡­" He stood up and wiped the blood flowing out from the corner of his mouth. "Fuck, I hate this shitty feeling of helplessness." He gripped his sword. His eyes were focused on the monster Kendrick rushing towards him. "I''m sorry I couldn''t save you." Neo resolved his dilemma. "I''m sorry for giving you a fake promise." He unleashed his aura of Darkness. "It''s impossible to save you now." The monster reached him. He ignored the iing attack and shed at his neck. "I''ll put you out of your misery at the least." Just as Neo''s sword was about to behead Kendrick, an arrow warped in lightning struck his sword. The attack changed his trajectory changed and he missed. It became an opportunity for Kendrick. Hended a clean attack on Neo. But Neo stood firm. He absorbed the impact of Kendrick''s attack by using the Aura of Darkness. Neo grabbed Kendrick''s hand and wrestled him into a hold. Kendrick continued to try and get out of Neo''s grip. But he was no match for Neo while he was using his blessing. A familiar voice resounded just as he was about to snap his neck, "Wait!" Gwen rushed out of the woods. "Don''t kill Kendrick!" Thest thing Neo expected was Gwen to give up her advantage of being hidden ande out in the open. However, more surprising was¡­ "You can talk?" "Yes, I¡­ I haven''t corrupted by the Darkness." Gwen answered while slowly closing the distance. "I have Darkness affinity. I can resist the corruption." "¡­" Neo took a deep breath. He was a bit relieved. And suspicious at the same time. "Why are you working for Mad Hound if you aren''t his minion?" "Because he has the way to reverse the corruption of Darkness." "¡­?" "H-he promised to save Kendrick." Neo''s face hardened. She believed those words? As a Darkness wielder, she would''ve known there was no going back after one was corrupted by the Darkness. "I know what you are thinking, but h-here they have a way to stop the progress of corruption. "It''s possible they can reserve it too." She was¡­ desperate. Neo had seen those eyes. People like her were already dead inside. They knew there was no hope and they still kept searching for it, clinging to it. ''Fucking shitty coincidence to meet them here.'' Neo clicked his tongue. "I''ll kill him and¡ª" "No! Why are you thinking of killing him!? He hasn''t be a corrupted monster yet. You saw him regain control. "W-we can save him! Please¡­" Neo didn''t let her words affect his psyche. It was already toote for Kendrick. Killing him was far better than letting him suffer under Darkness. Gwen aimed her bow at Neo''s head when she realized he wouldn''t stop. "Stop! Or I''ll kill you!" "You are too weak to do that." Neo was about to finish Kendrick when suddenly his blessing reacted. It didn''t want him to devour Kendrick. "¡­?" A different voice, not belonging to Obitus, spoke in his mind. Not souls¡­. Judge them before delivering a punishment to them... The words made no sense to Neo. But he instinctively knew what he had to do. How the blessing was supposed to be used. An obsidian ck glow covered Neo''s hand. Gwen became dazed when she saw the ck light. She didn''t know what was happening, but the ck light was assuring. It somehow the convinced her Neo wasn''t harming Kendrick. Neo ced his free hand over Kendrick''s head. Foreign memories rushed into Neo''s mind. A boy born in Valemont family belonging to Zeus n. He was mischievous and cheeky like any other child. He lost his yful attitude as he grew up in the cut-throat environment of Valemont family where bloodbath and death was a daily urrence. Only the best survived in that harsh hell. The boy managed to remain kind even after living there. He was made fun of by his cousins, called na?ve by the adults. Surprisingly, the boy was talented. Contrary to everyone''s expectations, he was one of the best of his generation. The n, satisfied by his strength, allowed him to take the test for Demigod Academy and let him represent them. The boy hated the strength obsessed n. Who were they to not let him take the test if he was weak? Still, his life, his goals, his aspirations, everything was decided by the n. He was their puppet. He couldn''t deny them. Nevertheless, the fate worked in mysterious ways. The first time the boy denied his n was after he entered the Academy under the n''s order. ''Interfere with the test of Kingsley kid, don''t let himplete the requirements of S-rank mission,'' they said. The boy let the Kingsley kid pass the test. The boy was punished for his insubordanance. And he hadughed. For the first time in years, he felt like he was himself. Maybe it was time for him to change. Who cared if the n forced him to follow their words? Morrigan was thrown away and she was still alive, no? The boy wanted to do the same. He wanted to change. He felt like the world was bing bright again. Just when the boy was about to take a flight for his freedom, he died. ¡­! Neo gasped. The memories ended. ''That''s was Kendrick''s life.'' Neo was disoriented. Still he moved. He followed the blessing and did his duty as the heir of the Underworld. "You''ve lived a good life." The ck starry glow condensed around Neo''s palm. It seeped into Kendrick''s body. The corruption of Darkness started to break away from Kendrick''s body and his body began to disappear. "T-thank you¡­" Kendrick regained his sanity at thest moment. Under Neo''s gaze, Kendrick disappeared into nothingness. Gwen snapped back to her senses. "What did you do to him!? What did you do!?" Neo didn''t answer. He looked at his hands and the disappearing glow with a shocked gaze. "I sent him into the cycle of reincarnation¡­." "Huh? What do you mean?" "I''ve reincarnated him." The true power of the blessing. It allowed Neo to judge souls. Just like a Judge of the Underworld. He evaluated the life of Kendrick di Valemont and delivered the judgment. "You think I''ll believe those lies!?" Gwen let go of the arrow. It flew towards Neo with a swift speed. Neo grabbed arrow. He hadn''t used the blessing to boost his physical abilities. Still, he managed to catch the arrow fired by Gwen who was using Invincible. Neo looked at the source of his strength¡­. [You have delivered the Judgment.] [??? is satisfied with your Judgment.] [+5 Strength] [+6 Agility] Chapter 155: Mad Hound It was surprising. Neo never expected the blessing to be like this. The power to judge the souls. Such mythical power belonged to the realms of¡­. The Gods. Neo cleared those thoughts. He was just an Awakened Demigod. Bing a God was too far in the distance. "Stop ignoring me!" Gwen lunged at him. Before she could do anything, Neo suddenly moved. His figure blurred and he appeared behind her. Grabbing her neck, he smashed her head into the ground and knocked her out cold. He won. It wasughingly easy. Just a few months ago he could not hope of defeating a single Zeus n member, even if he went all out. And now he could defeat them without using his blessing. "All that training was worth it." He smiled. "I just need to awaken my Time Element and I''ll finally be the strongest first year student. "First thing first...." He looked at the unconscious Gwen. "I need to recover my Divine Energy." He turned his gaze towards the forest. Selene waste. ¡­ "He won''t survive, just like your previous teammates." Mad Hound licked his lips. "I''ve carefully selected my new pets." "H-he won''t die. Neo won''t." Selene gathered her strength. She believed what she had said. Neo wouldn''t be defeated. The reason she recruited Neo was because he survived absorbing the blood droplet. "Hahahaha, there is no way he is defeating two Zeus n prodigies." "¡­.What?" Selene''s blood turned cold. It made Mad Hound happy. "Why do you think I couldn''t gather more minions? I was busy working hard collecting those Zeus blood bags!" Discover more at NovelFirempy _r. Selene''s face lost all color. "Good! That''s the face I wanted to see before I kill you!" Mad Hound grinned. "It''s the perfect punishment for the trouble you''ve caused me." There was no need to keep Selene alive anymore. Mad Hound pulled the de out of her neck, causing her to flinch and stumble. He kicked her down the tree and jumped over her. Just as he was about to crush Selene, a red bolt of lightning crashed into him. He was flung away and his back hit the tree. "W-who is there?!" Mad Hound growled. He bared his fangs at the human walking out of the thicket at a leisure pace. "It seems your Aura of Death is just for show." The monsters like Selene and Mad Hound had been living Underworld. Their auras grew stronger after being corrupted. It was why Neo misjudged their strength. In truth they were¡­ "You are pathetically weak." Mad Hound''s eyes widened when he saw Neo. Countless questions surged inside his mind. He rushed towards Neo and drew his menacing ws. "Hahahaha! I don''t know why you are here, but this is better! I''ll kill you in front of Selene¡ª" "Die." Neo spoke a single word. Suddenly, Mad Hound''s legs stopped working. He fell face first into the ground. "Grrrr¡­." Mad Hound tried to stand, thinking he had tripped. However, he came across a horrible truth. His legs wouldn''t move. They were¡­. dead. "What d-did you do!?" "I''m just practicing my elemental control." Neo nodded to himself. "It seems it''s possible to kill individual parts of the body." Mad Hound shuddered. Both of them had Death element. Yet Neo could kill him with a word. It meant Neo was far stronger than him. "W-wait! Wait a second, don''t kill me. I''ll do anything you say." Mad Hound''s wolf-like ears ttened as he took on a submissive attitude. "I can¡ª" "Shut your mouth." Neo killed his arms and jaw. He grabbed Mad Hound by the neck and carried him to the dying Selene. "You look like shit." "That''s a terrible thing to say to your teammate who is about to die." Selene tried to smile but failed miserably. She had lost too much blood and her injury was fatal. It was a miracle she wasn''t dead yet. Neo threw the Mad Hound next to her. "Devour him. There is a chance you might be able to heal yourself " "I doubt I''ll be so lucky." "There is no harm in trying." Selene didn''t try to devour Mad Hound. She looked at the horror in Mad Hound''s eyes a smirk. "I won''t devour him. Let him suffer under the True Darkness after he dies as a monster." Her dying eyes were full of relief and gratitude towards Neo. "About the blood droplet¡­. cough, cough I''ll tell you the location." "Stop spouting nonsense." Neo created a tiny Aura de with right hand''s fingers. He used it slice off his left hand''s fifth finger. "What are you doing¡­.?" Neo ignored Selene. He focused on devouring the blood from the finger. Only an empty husk of flesh and bones was left behind. He threw it to Selene. "Devour this. It will heal you." Selene didn''t understand how or why Neo''s flesh could heal him. He had to be a Grim Reaper or even higher than them to have that kind of body. She shook her head. "You''ll never regenerate that finger if I devour it." "It''s just a pinky finger and I''m not giving it to you for free." Neo had no problem giving up a finger. He wouldn''t lose anything if Selene devoured it. Besides, unlike Selene thought, the finger would regenerate when he ranked up. The only problem was if the finger would heal Selene, since he took away all the blood. Selene was still reluctant, but it was clear Neo was not going to budge. Darkness beneath her stretched. It devoured the finger. Instantly, a surge of power rushed into Selene. Her injuries began to heal. Her affinity with Death and Darkness saw a tremendous boost. The corruption of Darkness, that was always threating to drown her, stopped progressing. It was miraculous, almost impossible. Everything that happened after she devoured Neo''s finger defied logic. She stared at Neo with a different gaze. As if she was looking at a higher being. At a God. "Who¡­ who are you?" "If you are healed, focus on the task at hand." Neo pointed at Mad Hound with his chin. Selene followed his gaze. She understood Neo did not want to answer her question andplied. Mad Hound was salivating. Chapter 156: Well Of Death Unlike Selene, he had smelled the scent of Neo''s blood even though Neo devoured it as soon as it came in contact with air. "Finish him," Neo said. Selene stood up. With a swift thrust, she pierced Mad Hound''s head. The werewolf continued to stare at Neo until the end with greed. Neo destroyed his body with Death element after he died. He made sure no one could devour Mad Hound''s corpse and let him escape from True Darkness. "Thank you." Selene lowered her head. "I could get my revenge only because of¡­." She choked up. She finally avenged her friends. Neo patted her back. She tried to hold back her tears, and spoke, "I¡­ I''m fine. I''ll take you to the ce." "There is something I need you to do before that." Neo brought her to the unconscious Gwen. "She is¡­?" "The Zeus n''s soul working under Mad Hound. I want you to take care of her after she wakes up." "Wouldn''t she try to fight me?" "She will. That''s why you need to deal with her without harming her. "Just say that you saved her from me. "If she doesn''t listen to you, tell her some random bullshit about you wanting revenge against me and you saved her because you saw yourself in her or something. "I''m sure she''ll follow you after that." Selene didn''t ask why Neo wanted to help the girl, or why the girl wanted to kill Neo. She owned him and was prepared to do whatever he demanded. "Makes sure she doesn''t die or fall to the corruption." After understanding the power of the blessing, Neo was torn between the choices. Was it really correct to revive Gwen and others? In the Underworld, their lives would be judged and they would receive appropriate verdict. Death wasn''t a cruel mistress. She was the inevitable end of the journey known as life. There was no need to avoid her. ''....'' Neo decided to have Selene babysit Gwen until he made a decision. After he exined everything to Selene, she carried Gwen over her back. The three traveled through the forest and reached a massive hole. "The blood droplet in down there." Neo peered into the hole. It stretched across hundreds of meters and its depth was obscured with darkness. Even with his ability to see in the dark, he couldn''t find the end of the hole. "Are you sure there is a blood drop down there?" "Yes, and it''s a big one." Neo frowned. "Why isn''t anyone trying to take it? This ce is as empty as theye." "Because this ce is called ''Well of Death''. Anyone who entered it never left." Selene continued. "Neo, I know you want the blood droplet, but please think about your safety too¡ª" "Take care of Gwen." Neo cut her off and jumped. His body fell into a hole at an rming speed. His clothes fluttered and Neo could sense the increasing presence of Death. ''Strange, this presence of Death doesn''t belong to my blood.'' ''Why can''t I sense the blood droplet?'' Neo stretched his senses to the limit. His actions alerted the monsters hiding in the wall of the hole. Giant worms came out. They dashed towards Neo, their maws filled with thousands of razor-sharp teeth ready to tear him apart. "Die." Condensed bolts of red lighting materialized around Neo. The death worms died as soon as they entered Neo''s vicinity. He continued to fall, ignoring the monsters'' attack. Suddenly, Neo felt as if his body passed through a ''boundary''. The monster stopped following him. The presence of Death lingering in the surroundings disappeared. And. Neo finally understood why no one came out of the hole. Life. Holy. The two elements were present in abundance down there. your m,vle mpyr source His skin began to tear apart as the elements, opposing to his own, seeped into his body. Technically, Neo was dead. The Holy element and Life element were poison to him in his current state. ''Why are these elements present in Underworld!?'' Neo was about to hit the ground. He plunged his sword into the wall to slow his descent. He stopped at an appropriate height. There was no danger even if he fell from his current position. He pulled out the sword andnded on the ground with a thud. "Its feels like shit here." Neo chewed out his words. He walked to the shimmeringke present in center. It was the source of life and holy element. Anyone who entered the hole must''ve been purified by the elements. His expression twisted when he noticed the giant blood droplet floating above theke. "It''s really a big blood droplet like she said." He ruffled his hair. "Fuck." He could still feel a stinging pain all over his body. The presence of Death from the blood droplet was shing against the Holy and Life presence radiating from theke. Those presences were suppressing his blood''s presence and being suppressed it return. It was why Neo could not sense his blood droplet from the top of the hole. "This is troublesome." If he absorbed the blood, the life and holy element would be unleashed fully. Right now they were being held back his blood droplet. When the blood droplet, Neo would be purified and vaporized by the unrestricted Holy and Life element. "Fuck, why the hell are these things here." Neo sat cross legged on the ground. There was no point in wasting time,ining. "I''ll use Immortal to return to the world of living as soon as I absorb the blood." He began to absorb the blood. The blood was being suppressed by the overwhelming about of Life and Holy elements in the surroundings. It made the process easier. Neo grunted. His Divine Energy pool began to increase at an frightening speed. It recovered to the half of his original reserves in a few minutes. He regained his previous Divine Energy pool as time went by. The blood droplet was still far from being absorbedpletely. Neo''s Divine Energy pool continued to increase. His veins swelled as the flow of blood rich in Divine Energy increased. One and a One-fourth¡­ One and a Half¡­ One and a Three-fourth¡­ Twice! Neo''s Divine Energy reserve became twice asrge his original reserve. The life element and holy element started to go out of control after the blood droplet grew smaller. Chapter 157: Increasing Divine Energy Beyond Limit His body was crumbling away, turning into dust. Neo unleashed his Aura of Death and Darkness to reduce the impact of Holy and Life elements over him. He absorbed the blood droplet hurriedly. Two and a half¡­ Thrice¡­. Three and a half¡­ Four times¡­. Four and a half¡­. Five times! The half of the blood droplet disappeared. Neo was shocked to see the amount of Divine Energy stored in the blood droplet. If the droplet was not inside the Well of Death, it would''ve cause war among the monsters for its ownership. Half of Neo''s arms had crumbled away. The Holy and Life Element healed his wounds before burning them away again. Neo bit his lips to stifle the screams. Five times and a fourth¡­. Five times and a half¡­. Neo encountered a new problem. His body was rejecting the Divine Energy. It was too overwhelming. He had be an overcharged battery. Anymore and he would burst. Neo gritted his teeth. "This¡­ is my blood¡­ Fuck you mean I can''t¡­ take it back¡­." He activated all of his Spells. His mental energy was being drained at a rapid pace. Blood trickled down his nose. The Spells reduced his Divine Energy and made space for more. Six times¡­. Seven times¡­. Eight times¡­ Eight times and a half¡­ Nine times¡­. Nine times and a half¡­ Ten times! Neo absorbed the blood droplet. He used Immortal swiftly and returned to world of living before the Holy and Life elements pulverized him. His body healed. He stumbled and fell to his knees, groaning. Too much Divine Energy. His current reserves wereparable to Grade 3, or even Grade 2 Mythic Demigod. Neo used Ocean''s Embrace, activated his blessing and materialized condensed bolts of red lighting. Using three Divine Energy heavy techniques reduced the burden, but it was barely enough. Neo felt bloated. He gagged. His skin turned purple as more and more of his blood vessels burst, unable to handle the Divine Energy. Neo clenched his fists. His nails dug into his skin. He tried to concentrate. "Darkness¡­. Devour." The Darkness bloomed like a flower. It crawled up Neo''s skin and seeped into his body. He devoured the Divine Energy. The overflowing power disappeared slowly and Neo could finally breathe. "Haah, fuck. I almost thought it wouldn''t work." Neo devoured the Divine Energy until only a fourth of his present reserves remained. He kept his Divine Energy suppressed and devoured it as soon as it recovered more than a fourth. "Better to ce a limit on myself than explode like a balloon." He could finally stop worrying about his Divine Energy pool. Now, whenever there was a battle, he could stop limiting his Divine Energy reserves and use Essence Breath Spell to recover it to its full capacity. With the amount he had, he wouldn''t run out of Divine Energy even if he used all of his techniques at the same time. "That''s one thing out of the way." Neo nodded to himself. "Out of the frying pan into the fire." He would wake up in the Well of Death when he returns to the Underworld. "Maybe I shouldn''t have been too hasty in entering the Well." He let out a bitter smile. Despite his words, Neo would''ve done the same if had a second chance. There was no guarantee no one else would enter the Well and steal the blood droplet. A soul with Holy or Life element could survive down there. "There are two ways I can resist the Holy and Life elements. "Either my mastery in Death or Darkness reaches a high level. "Or I awaken Holy or Life element myself." He massaged the bridge of his nose. "I would need to reach Expert mastery Death and Darkness to resist the overwhelming among of Holy and Life down there. "I don''t know how long it would take. "My safest bet ispleting Barbatos'' training and receiving the Holy element from the system quest." His expression worsened. He still had no idea how he had to surpass himself to clear the fourth trial. "Fuck my life." It was always bad to worse. Neo looked at the rising sun. He yawned. "I''ll take a short nap before the sses start." The day was tiring. He needed rest to regain his mental energy. After a power nap, Neo visited the meditation hall. He knocked on the office door. "Professor Daniel, are you there?" The door opened, much to Neo''s surprise. A young man, seemingly in his early twenties, opened the office door. He adjusted his sses and stared at Neo with a stern gaze. "You again? I told you I won''t help you awaken your time element." "Professor, I canpensate you¡ª" "Leave." Neo clicked his tongue. However, he did not leave. There was a reason Neo worked hard to be the first ranked student. It was to abuse the powers that came with the position. "You will teach me." "¡­What did you say?" "I am the Ruler. One of the privileges given to me is I can ask for any professor for a private lesson and they mustply unless there is a proper reason." Contrary to Neo''s expectations, Professor Daniel was not angry. He blinked, confused, when he heard of the privilege. "When was that rule added?" "A few hundred years ago." "Oh." Professor Daniel made a thoughtful expression. "I don''t remember it being there thest time I checked the academy rules." Read first on NovelFiremp-yr. He nodded. "I will teach you if a rule like that exists. "But not right now. I''m busy at the moment. Come backter." Neo struck his foot in the doorway to stop it from closing. Professor Daniel frowned. "How much long should I wait?" Neo asked. Instead of answering, Professor Daniel stared at Neo''s foot. "Is this how student act these days? Do they have no concept of respect for teachers?" "I apologize for it. But I have a tight schedule. I can''t wait here all day for your work to be done." "Hmm¡­" Professor Daniel''s eyes scanned Neo from head to toe. "Impatience isn''t a virtue for a time mage." He looked at Neo with a stern gaze. "This wouldn''t work. You won''t be able to awaken Time as you are right now. You are too impatient. He nodded. "I''ll teach you right now. But you need to pay first." "How many credits do I need to pay?" Chapter 158: Becoming Grade 1 Awakened Demigod "I don''t need credits. Pay me with your patience. It will double as your training." Neo''s face hardened. An ominous premonition crept into his heart. "How will I pay with my patience?" "Stay outside of my office until I leave my office." "If you can do that, I will help you in awakening your Time element." "¡­Are you doing this because I stopped you from closing the door?" "I wouldn''t do something as petty as that." Neo was exasperated. Did was everyone here petty? He couldn''t refuse the payment. It was genuine, even if it was just to fuck him over. "How can I know you won''t leave through a backdoor?" "There is no backdoor in my office." "¡­Can I check?" Professor Daniel didn''t like Neo''s attitude, but he stepped aside, and allowed him to enter. The office was small and cozy with plenty of sunlight entering through the window. Neo used the Darkness. Hemanded it to cover the room. The Darkness entered the gaps in the drawers and seeped into the cracks on the walls. Neo recalled the Darkness after a few minutes. "¡­.There is no backdoor or a hidden door." He frowned. ''The first time I came here he disappeared from the office. I''m sure of it.'' ''If there is no backdoor, did he teleport outside?'' "I don''t have Space element. I can''t teleport," Professor Daniel answered as if he had read his mind. "Don''t worry. I won''t use any petty tricks. I will leave my office through the front door only." Neo nodded. He agreed to Professor Daniel''s demand. He sat on the bench outside the office. Amelia and Felix came to find him in the evening. "Why didn''t youe to the Student Council office?" Amelia questioned. "I''m busy with the Professor¡­" Neo told them about his deal with Professor Daniel. "I see. Good luck," Amelia said. "I''ll exin everything to the Student Council members. "They are an understanding bunch. They won''t have any problem if you miss the student council work for a few days." "Thank you for the trouble." They left. During the night, Neo, bored, killed himself, then revived himself as soon as he arrived in the Underworld. He received the notification of Immortal''s exp rising. "I can continue my training at the least while I wait." It was ten in the night when the group came to him. "Why are all of you here?" "We thought we would bring you dinner. "Then we thought it would be weird if you ate while the other person stared at you. "One thing led to another, and all of us decided to eat together here," Jack grinned. "How long will you guys keep this up?" "Until your test ends." Neo almost sighed. He could sustain himself with the Divine Energy he was devouring. However, there was no need to reject the kind intention of others. "Thank you." The dinner was more rowdy than Neo would''ve liked. Still, he couldn''t deny he enjoyed it. His friends continued to bring him food for all the time he was there. Time passed. Soon, the midterms began. Neo skipped them. He could afford it thanks to being in the student council. While he waited for Professor Daniel to leave, he continued to train his Immortal skill and Death and Darkness elements. Second semester began. New teams were made. Jack recruited more members after Neo told him about whom he could invite. Their team was famous and there was no shortage of students who wanted to join. More time passed. Neo reached 150/150 exp in Immortal and became Grade 2 Awakened. He grew stronger and his masteries over Death and Darkness continued to improve along with his Spell masteries. Few monthster, Neo lost his position as the Ruler due to his falling grades. He had not participated in a single activity ever since he came to the academy. Even if the Student Council let him pass the exams, he still received minimum grades. Second year began. Neo missed Amelia''s graduation ceremony. He should''ve been kicked out of the academy by now due to the number of mandatory exams and events he skipped. It was thanks to him being the former Ruler and a member of student council that he was not expelled. Experience stories on m _v _lempy _r. Neo was sure Elizabeth had a hand too in stopping his expulsion. More time passed. Jack, Arthur, Felix, and others came to tell Neo to give up on the Professor Daniel''s test. They told him he was wasting his precious time in the Academy. Neo persisted. Time element was important. It was the power that could help him be the strongest. He was ready to sacrifice his academy life for it. The new first year students started to visit the meditation hall to see the crazy Ruler who gave up on everything for no apparent reason. Neo became aughing stock as time passed. From the Divine Ruler to a Fallen Genius. More time passed. His Immortal reached 200/200 exp and he became a Grade 1 Awakened. Jack visited Neo one day. He did note at the usual time. He was alone. His eyes were swollen, his gaze was nk, and he looked as if he had exhausted his tears. He sat beside Neo. "We should''ve listened to you and not epted the mission." As he spoke, he started to tear up and doubled over. "Mars¡­ Mars is dead." Neo did not say anything. He had expected it when he heard they were epting the Labyrinth S-rank mission. "We couldn''t do anything. We were helpless against the Minotaur. "That thing wouldn''t die. It was Immortal." Jack''s voice cracked. He continued to give the mission report to Neo. "Mars decided to stay back and buy time for us to escape." Jack was broken. He had surpassed Mars long ago. Still, he had been helpless when he was needed. He med himself. It wasn''t Jack''s fault. It was Neo''s. If only he had been there¡­. If only he had given up on his own selfish needs and went with them on the mission¡­. Jack wiped his tears. "W-we are holding a funeral for Mars tomorrow." Chapter 159: Experiencing Time "We couldn''t recover the body. We are doing the funeral without it." Stay tuned with m _v _lemp _yr. He did not tell Neo to attend the funeral, but his intentions were clear. Neo shook his head. "I''m sorry." "I¡­ I see¡­" Neo closed his eyes after Jack left. "Fuck." Mars was supposed to die in therge-scale attack that would happen on Academy. He would''ve sacrificed himself to protect others. But Neo stopped the attack long ago by sabotaging the mystical fauna owner. He thought it would''ve been enough. "This damned Fate¡­" Neo bit his lips. He knew it was Mars'' choice. The reason why Mars sacrificed himself was because Mars knew he was bound to die in a few months due to his constitution. The reason, however, did not make it easier for Neo to ept his friend''s death. Despite everything, Neo had no intention of reviving Mars. Knowing Mars personality, he wouldn''t want to be revived. The only thing Neo could do was continue his training. More time passed. It was the day of Neo''s graduation. He stayed in the meditation hall. Neo would have to leave academy tomorrow morning since the graduation waspleted. The sun reached the peak and hid behind the horizon in a few hours. He waited for Professor Daniel until the sun started to rise again. "So he never really nned to teach me." He stood up and was about to leave when he heard the voices from the office for the first time in two years. "You arete." "Shut up." The door opened. Professor Daniel stepped out and noticed Neo. "You are still here? How much time passed?" He took out his pocket watch. His face stiffened. "Two years¡­?" He opened his mouth and closed it, unable to form his next words. In the end, he took a few seconds to ask, "You have been here for two years?" "Yes." Professor Daniel''s face went through countless changes. Shock, disbelief, grief, eptance. He covered his face with both hands and sighed. "Come inside. You have paid enough." The two entered the office. Professor Daniel sat on the head seat while Neo sat across the table. He stared at Neo silently. "Do you hate me?" "¡­." He chuckled bitterly when Neo remained silent. Shaking his head, he changed the question. "Why do you want to awaken the Time Element? Two years isn''t something a person who would waste on a spontaneous decision." "Because it''s powerful." Neo''s answer surprised Professor Daniel. "Powerful, huh? Is that why you use Darkness even though it''s a forbidden element?" "Yes." Professor Daniel massaged his brows. He leaned back on his chair and stared at the roof. "The answer is clear as day, but I''ll still ask the question. "Are you sure you want to awaken Time element? "It is one of the 13 forbidden elements for a reason." "I want to awaken it." "Sigh¡­" Professor Daniel loosed his tie and stood up. "Okay, I''ll help you awaken." He circled the table and stood behind Neo. "There are three ways to awaken an element. "Natural Awakening, Trauma Awakening, and Immersion Awakening." He continued. "Natural Awakening means waiting for your element to awaken naturally. "With Trauma Awakening, we wouldn''t know which of your dormant elements will awaken, if they awaken. "The only choice left is Immersion Awakening. "Do you know how it works?" Professor Daniel asked. "Experiencing the element. That''s how Immersion awakening works."We experience the element and it increases the chances of awakening," Neo answered. "Yes, that''s correct. "Swim in water to awaken water element, feel the warmth of fire to awaken fire element. This is Immersion Awakening. "However, the chances of awakening from Immersion Awakening are pitifully low." He continued to exin. Neo knew a lot of information, but not all of it. He listened carefully. "The chances can be increased by going through a violent immersion. "Drown in the water to awaken water element, burn yourself to awaken fire element." "What are you trying to say?" Neo asked. "You have been experiencing time for your whole life. You are already going through Immersion Awakening. "Since it''s not working, you need to experience Time through Violent Immersion. "...But it can cost you your life." "It''s fine. I''m prepared for it." "Figures." Professor Daniel sighed. "Do you have Water affinity?" "Yes." "Good." He ced his palm on Neo''s back. "Buy a lottery ticket ¡ª I won''t repeat this every time ¡ª and keep a pocket watch with you. When today approaches,e here to meet me again." "What do you¡ª" "I''ll start with one week. It''s important to build your resistance before I send you further back." Professor Daniel pushed him. An unnatural amount of force hit Neo. It was as if he was standing in front of the floodgates of a dam. The force was strong enough to make him think his soul was being pushed out of his body. "It''s the River of Time! Don''t let go or you''ll be washed away! Brace yourself! Resist the flow!" Neo did as the Professor''s voice told him. He felt like a stone dropped in front of a high pressurized water stream. It was eroding him. Suddenly, everything stopped. Neo opened his eyes, huffing. He was outside Professor Daniel''s office. He took out his device. "Hahahahaha, this is crazy. It works¡­ It fucking works!" Neo was back one week in the past. He decided to call it D-7 day, since he would meet Professor Daniel on ''D'' day. Wiping the blood trickling down his nostrils, he sat on the bench to calm his trembling limbs. "These looks like the aftereffects of partial erosion." Erosion. It was one of the many types of Death that could happen while travelling through Time. Death from erosion was an existential death. The person would stop existing and no one would remember them. Their past, their present, their future. Everything would be erased. There were more types of deaths that came from handling Time element. Time slipping and Unremembrance were some Neo could recall. "I should buy the lottery ticket and pocket watch." It took Neo two hours to shake off the aftereffects. They did not disappearpletely. Neo still felt he was standing in front of a high-pressure water stream but, unlike before, it was manageable. "Fuck, looks like I''ll keep feeling like this forever." Neo left the mediation hall. He brought a pocket watch and a lottery ticket from a nearby convenience store. "I can understand the need for pocket watch but why the lottery ticket?" Despite being confused, he kept them in his pocket. The result of the lottery came out on D-5 day. "I lost." The number ''S1d5SFA'' won, while Neo had brought ''A43AFDS3423''. "It''s not even the same number of digits." Neo clicked his tongue. "I know which lottery number to buy next time at least." Neo had not awakened Time Element. He would have to probably regress a few more times. The meeting with Professor Daniel came on D-0 day. Neo knocked on the door. There was no response. He checked the time. "5:03 am. Should I just enter the office?" He opened the door. There was no problem since Professor Daniel was the one who called him. The ce was empty. Neo pursued his lips. "As I expected, he is¡ª" "I don''t remember telling you to enter without permission." Neo turned around. Professor Daniel stood there. He looked pale. "Never enter my office unless I open the door." He walked towards Neo. "How did you feel? Awakened the Time element?" "I don''t think so." "What about the lottery?" "I lost it." Professor Daniel nodded. "Next time, buy the winning number. It should be easy since you saw it this time. "What else did you do during this week?" "Nothing worthwhile except training." Neo answered, confused as to why Daniel questioned him about it. "Did you meet your friends or anyone else you knew?" "No." Professor Daniel frowned. "You need to experience Time. "Swimming against the flow of Rive of Time it one way to go about it, but doing different things in the same time period is another way to do it. "You have already done ''nothing'' in the past. This time, do ''something''." He added, "And inform me as soon as you hear the Voices." "Voices? The voices of Darkness?" "No, not those ones." He shook his head. "The voices lost in Time are different. "You''ll know it when you hear them. "Just inform me as soon as you can when you hear those voices." "Understood." After exining a few more things to Neo, Professor Daniel put his palm over Neo''s back. "I''ll send you one week into the past again." "Can''t you send me further back?" "No, you''ll be Eroded." He pushed. Neo felt the sensation of standing in front of a dam''s flood gates. He tried to resist. He started to lose against the overwhelming current. Just before he would''ve slipped, the overwhelming force hitting him disappeared. He opened his eyes and checked his device. "D-7 day." Neo purchased pocket watch and the winning lottery ticket. At D-5 day, he got the result of the lottery. "What? It''s different?" Chapter 160: Time Slipping [Author Note: There is a typo inst chapter. It was said Time Slipping and Unrememberance are two of the many types of Time Death. However, it should''ve been ''Remembrance'' instead of ''Unremembrance''.] ¡­. Neo frowned. In this round, until today, all of his actions were the same as he had done in thest regression. He had been wary of buttery effect and made sure he did nothing different. "This can''t be possible. "I''m sure I didn''t do anything different. There is no way this is the result of butterfly effect. "Then how?" Suddenly, a voice spoke to him. "It''s the mechanism of Fate. "Whenever you travel through Time, the Fate will interfere to stop you from changing the timeline." Neo swiftly turned his head. There was no one around him. "That was Professor Daniel''s voice." His face hardened. "The symptoms of Remembrance started already." The ability to hear voices of Time was called Remembrance. Neo had acted oblivious in front of Professor Daniel, but he knew about the Time Deaths. "I don''t have much time left since the symptoms began already. "I need to awaken my Time element quickly, or I''ll be lost in Time." He joined the graduation ceremony. His friends were surprised when they saw him. "Neo¡­? Is that really you?" Jack questioned. "Yeah. I''m back." "What about Professor Daniel?" "He agreed to teach¡ª" Before he couldplete his words, he was jumped by Arthur and Felix. They hugged whileughing and crying. Neo smiled. He had ghosted them for two years, yet they treated him the same as ever. The ceremony ended without many incidents. Neo did not receive any honorary mentions. He was, however, the center of attention of the ceremony. Just not in a good way. Arthur, Felix, Jack, Neo and Nathan had a party in the evening. They told Neo about their academy life. He listened with a smile on his face. While waiting for D-0 day, Neo checked his status. [Neo Hargraves] [Rank: Grade 1 Awakened] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade 3 Mythic] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 77 ¦éSpeed: 81 ¦éDexterity: 76 ¦éConstitution: 69 ¦éLuck: 0 [Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch,Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [Bloodline: Monarch of Death] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal [Quest: Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1)] ¦éTraining Completed: 3/5 Neo pursed his lips. The stats carried over his regressions. "Professor Daniel must be a high-level mastery in Time if he can let me retain my stats and ranks. "It''s weird how I never read about him." The next day Neo visited Professor Daniel''s office. "Come inside." The two sat across the table. "Did you win the lottery?" "I didn''t." Professor Daniel was slightly surprised. "You lost already? How low is your Luck? "Even those with 2 or 3 Luck can win a few lotteries until Fate interferes with them." "It''s quite low." Professor Daniel did not ask Neo about the exact value of his Luck stat after Neo dodged the question. He continued. "This was the reason I told you to buy lottery tickets. "Just because you can go back in Time doesn''t mean you are invincible. "Fate''s interference is one of the many roadblocks Time Travelers like us face¡­." Professor Daniel stopped speaking when he realized Neo was not surprised. He asked cautiously. "Did you know about Fate already?" "I have heard about it." "From who?" "¡­." Neo''s silence answered Professor Daniel''s question. Professor Daniel slowly sat up straight. His eyes grew fierce and he stared at Neo with a hawk-like gaze. "The voices of Time told you about Fate''s interference?" "Yes." "Dammit, why already?" Professor Daniel punched the table. He stood up. "The original n was to let you adjust to the Time slowly and send you further back into the past with each attempt. "But we don''t have that luxury. "I''ll chuck you as far as your body can handle. "It will put immense pressure on you and increase the chances of your awakening." Neo nodded. Professor Daniel ced a palm on Neo''s back. "I''ll say it again. "Resist the flow when the River of Time tries to wash you away. "Do anything you can to stop yourself from slipping. "If you don''t, the River will drown you." Professor Daniel pushed. Neo felt a gallon of water smash into him. He staggered. The powerful current began to erode him. He gritted his teeth and tried to hold on. Neo could not tell if he had been swimming against the flow for a moment or for a month. The strong flow of the River suddenly disappeared. Neo fell to his knee, gasping, clutching his heart. He checked his device. "D-250 day¡ª" "Blergh! Blood mixed his bile juice came out of his throat. Neo wiped his mouth with the sleeves. He was trembling, short of breath. Suddenly, another powerful force hit Neo. He tried to resist and¡ª He slipped. Neo felt himself being washed away. He was drowning. He tried to resist. His body and soul were strained to the limit. The powerful current disappeared and Neo reappeared in the corridor outside the Professor Daniel''s office. He used the wall as a support. "What¡­ date is it¡­ today?" His voice cracked. The thick dark circles beneath his eyes and his pale, thin face made him look malnourished. "D-150 day." Neo bit his lips. "I time slipped 90 days forward. From D-240 to D-150." He tried to suppress the aftereffects of Time Travelling when suddenly he heard a shout. "Neo!?" Jack rushed to him with dinner in his hands. It had been his turn to bring the dinner to Neo. He never expected to see Neo like this on a usual routine. "What is happening to you!?" He swiftly took out his device and contacted the medical ward. Neo cut the call before Jack could call someone. "N-no need to worry. I''m just training." "What do you mean training!? You look like you are about to die!" "I''mpletely fine¡ª" Neo heaved his stomach. Jack''s expression worsened when he noticed the blood mixed in puke. He helped Neo sit. "Take deep breathes. In and out. In and out." While Neo followed his advice, Jack opened the dinner he had brought and gave him water. He massaged Neo''s back. "How are you feeling now?" "It''s better now." Neo drank the water and nodded. "Thank you." Watching his condition, Jack opened his mouth and closed it, unable to decide whether he should say his mind or not. "What is it?" Neo questioned, still short of breath. "You should stop. I don''t know what is going on, but this¡­ this isn''t training. "You are just killing yourself." "Don''t worry. I''m Immortal." Neo tried to chuckle when Jack''s face contorted. "I told you I''m Hades'' kind. Death isn''t enough to kill me." "But¡ª" "Let''s go." Neo stood up, cutting off Jack''s words. Jack''s eyes widened. "You are leaving the hall?" "Yes, the Professor agreed to teach me. I don''t need to stay here anymore." A sense of relief washed over Jack. The two returned to the Seraphim Hall. Jack had to support Neo to help him walk. The two stood entered Neo''s dorm room. Neo frowned when he sensed multiple presences inside. "I''ll take a leak. See youter." Jack tried to slip away. But Neo grabbed his shoulder. "Did you tell them about my condition?" "No." "Look me in the eye before you answer." "¡­.Yes, I messaged them and told them I was bringing you." Neo massaged the bridge of his nose. He could feel the headacheing before he took a step inside. "Neo! You are back!" Nathan, Arthur, and Felix came out into the hall. They surrounded him and asked questions about his health and why he looked half-dead. Neo stared at them with a nk gaze. He wanted to rest, but they wouldn''t shut up. Shifting his gaze, he stared at Jack. ''I''m starting to wonder if it was correct choice to save this guy.'' After a loud meal, Neo finally thought he could rest until he was hit by another bombshell. "You guys are going to sleep here?" "Yes. Isn''t it okay?" Felix stared at Neo with puppy eyes "No, it''s not. Get out." "Bu¡ªbut we are worried about you. "You suddenly grew thin and started puking blood today. What if it happens again?" Neo stared at her with an unimpressed gaze. Felix stared at Jack with a side eye, asking for assistance, but Jack looked away when Neo turned to him. "Pretty pleaaaaase." Felix continued to persuade him. Neo''s clicked his tongue. "Whatever, but nobody will sleep with me in my room." The next morning, Neo woke up from the noises. He noticed everyone was in a hurry. "What''s up with you guys?" "We have out mid-terms from today! Dammit, I forgot about them because of everything that happened yesterday!" Jack was as pale as a sheet. Arthur was nowhere to be seen. He was probably on his morning jog, having prepared for the exam. Nathan was muttering gibberish, while revising everything for the seventh time. Felix, although prepared, was helping Jack, since Jack had not prepared anything. "Yawn, I''lle too," Neo said. "Huh? You? Have you studied anything?" Felix questioned. Chapter 161: Regressors Are Not Allowed Here "I''ve read previous years question papers." Felix did not think much of Neo''s answer. They reached the examination hall and met with Arthur who was waiting outside. The group entered the hall when suddenly a professor stopped Neo. He gave Neo a scrutinizing gaze. "The time elementals are in chaos around you¡­ "You came back in time, didn''t you?" The professor''s face contorted. "It''s always same with you Time affinity students. "One question wrong and you''ll regress to redo the paper. You are the fourth student today, dammit! "Go stand in the outside! "Regressors aren''t allowed here! You''ll receive a different question paper!" The professor huffed. Sensitive demigods, like the professor, could detect Time elementals if the elementals were present in high quantity. They did not need the affinity to sense the elementals. It was simr to how people could sense Neo''s death aura when he used arge amount of death elemental. While the Professor was scolding Neo, Elizabeth approached them. "Is there any problem?" "Yes, listen to this Professor Anna¡­." Elizabeth, disguised as Anna, had be famous as a strict and impartial professor during the past year. She did not hesitate to punish the God n students when the need arose, and treated the God n and non-God n students the same. Listening to the professor''s exnation, she nodded. "Let me help you, Professor Frank. I''ll go print the new question papers and give them to these regressors." "Thank you, Professor Anna." Five students, including Neo, were taken to a different room. All of them were regressors. Unlike Neo, they travelled back in time themselves and they could return only a few minutes into the past. Elizabeth bought them question papers. The students groaned when they saw the new sheets. "Noooo! This is a different paper!" "I used all the Time elementals I saved to go back by one hour! I can''t do it again! What''s the use of my sacrifice!?" Neo checked his own sheet and frowned. It was the original question paper that was given to non-regressor students. He was not given a different paper. Elizabeth was helping him. "Good luck," Elizabeth said to all of them and sat behind the desk. Neo smiled. He answered the questions easily, since he had read the question papers during his previous rounds. Finishing the test, he stood outside the examination hall to thank Elizabeth, only to notice she had left already. Arthur, Felix and others approached him after their test. "Why were you taken away by the professors?" "They wanted to give a different question paper to regressor students." "Oh, that''s¡­. Wait, what!?" Felix grabbed his shoulder. "Y-you! You awakened your Time element!?" "Not yet. It''s Professor Daniel who sent me back in time to help me with Immersion Awakening." The group was shocked. Felix and Jack looked at Neo enviously. "I wish I had Time affinity too." Neo shrugged. They visited the cafeteria for lunch and returned to their rooms. "I have five months until D-0. "I''ll grind some stats until then." The academy sses and events were useless for Neo. He had skipped arge portion of curriculum and was far behind his peers. The next day, Neo visited the mission hall. "What mission do you need?" the receptionist asked. "The Labyrinth." "¡­!?" The receptionist flinched. "It''s an SS-rank mission. We can''t give it to you¡­." She stopped speaking when Neo presented his ID card. [Neo Hargraves] [Team: Umbra] [Team''s Rank: 7th] [Position: Team Leader] "You are the leader of Team Umbra¡­ You are that deadbeat Ruler?" the reception spoke in a daze and suddenly realized what she had said. "I-I''m sorry. "Yes, you can take the SS-rank mission. Team Umbra qualifies for it." She changed the subject and gave him a golden key. The key could open the chamber where Minotaur was imprisoned inside the Labyrinth. This mission was different from the S-rank mission his friends took. The SS-rank Labyrinth Mission was to defeat Minotaur and close the Labyrinth, unlike the S-rank mission that was to rescue a person lost inside the Labyrinth. Neo took the key. He left the Academy and travelled to the Redwood City through the bullet train. The city was lively and filled with adventurers. Adventurers were demigods who went into the Labyrinth, hunted monsters and sold monsters'' body parts or other valuables found in the Labyrinth. Neo took a look around the city. He entered the Labyrinth. The entrance was filled with hundreds of demigod. Neo had to go further inside to find an empty ce. He took out the map he had found inside the Window #12862. It seemed like a useless object whenpared to the key Jack found alongside the map. After all, the key allowed Jack to open and close Shadow dimension Windows. However, only Neo knew, the map was just as valuable as the key if not more. He opened the map. The ordinary paper suddenly glowed. It started to suck the ambient Divine Energy present inside the Labyrinth. Lines, corridors, and doddles of monsters appeared on the map. "Thank god this thing works. I was worried I need Jack to activate it." The Living Map, created by Daedalus, had many purposes. Its main purpose was to defeat the Labyrinth of Greenwood, where Minotaur was imprisoned, by mapping the entire Labyrinth. Labyrinth of Greenwood, or Labyrinth for short, birthed monsters. It was ever expanding and its path continued to change every day. The Labyrinth had not been closed by high-level demigods. Because it generated a good amount of revenue and it served as a training ground for low and medium level demigods. Of course, there was no rule against closing the Labyrinth. It was why the academy had put an SS-rank mission to close the Labyrinth. Neo used the Living Map to locate Minotaur''s chamber. His current rank was too low for him to reach the Minotaur. He killed monsters and devoured them until D-0 day and returned to Professor Daniel. "Come inside." Professor Daniel opened the door of his office. His nose scrunched up when he noticed the blood and dirt covering Neo. "You are dirty." "Ah, sorry. I forgot about it." Neo used the Darkness to devour the filth. Cleaned, he took a seat. "I time slipped in the beginning of this round." "How many days did you slip through?" "Ny days." Professor Daniel nodded. He had expected it to happen after Neo heard the voices of Time. "This time, I''ll send you one year back. Can you handle it?" "I''ll try my best." Arriving in the past, Neo Time Slipped to D-150. "I returned to the same day." His face hardened. Last time, he regressed to D-150 after Time slipping and it happened again. Chapter 162: Immortality V/S Immortality "I''ll need to ask Professor Daniel about this." He took on the SS-rank mission and left for Labyrinth. While he was trying to reach the chamber of Minotaur, he attained 249/250 exp in Immortal. As long as he reached 250 exp, he would be a Mythic-rank demigod. "It''s a good new. But the Exp isn''t increasing anymore." The Exp wouldn''t go higher than 249 no matter how many times he used the skill. He instinctively knew what the problem. "There is no pressure. "I need to put heavy strain on the Immortal skill to increase the exp." Back when he awakened his God Blood, he had done the same with Death skill. Neo forced himself to use Death multiples times even thought it strained his soul. "How the hell am I supposed to put pressure on the Immortal? Die very hard and then revive?" The list of his problems only increased. He stopped finding monsters inside the Labyrinth. It was as if they were purposefully avoiding him. When he did find them, they wouldn''t give much stats. "What is this dammit? It''s just one problem after another." "The Fate is trying to stop you." The voices of Time answered. A few words were spoken in the voice of Professor Daniel, a few in Elizabeth''s voice, and Felix''s voice. It was sounded as if someone was editing recorded lines and rearranging them to form new sentences and answering Neo with them. "This damned Fate." He returned to Professor Daniel. "I''ll ask him if there is a way out of the Fate''s machination." Neo doubted Professor Daniel could give him an answer. However, there was no harm in trying. He waited outside Professor Daniel''s office at designated time. Professor Daniel did not open the door no matter how much Neo waited. "He always opens the door at 5:03 am. "But it''s 8 am right now." A dark foreboding settled in Neo''s heart. He waited until 11 am and entered the office when the door remained close. "Professor Daniel, I''m entering since you have beente¡­" Neo''s words were struck in his throat when he saw Professor Daniel lying on the floor, unconscious. He picked him up hurriedly. "Why is he so light? It''s almost as if he is hollow¡­" Neo shook his head andy Professor Daniel on the sofa. The professor woke up after a few hours. He massaged his brows. "Professor Daniel, are you okay¡ª" "Did you awaken Time element?" He cut off Neo midsentence and asked. Neo frowned. He realized Professor Daniel did not want him to ask why he had fainted. "Not yet." "Then give up." Professor Daniel coughed and continued. "You have no talent for Time element if you can''t awaken it even after so many tries." "¡­" "Give up. Your body can''t handle more regressions. You''ll die from Erosion." "I can endure¡ª" "Look at yourself. You have grown five years younger due to Erosion." Neo stopped speaking. He couldn''t say anything in return. "When was thest time you met your friends?" "¡­" "I knew it. You don''t want anyone you know to find you are dying a slow death of Erosion." Professor Daniel red at Neo. "Let go of your obsession, Neo. "ept it. You don''t have talent for Time." "I can''t give up." Professor Daniel hit the table when he heard Neo''s answer. "The Time is eroding you! More regressions and you''ll be snapped out of existence! "Gone, just like that! "No one will remember you!" Neo clenched his fists. He knew Professor Daniel was correct. But he had vowed¡­ "I would rather die than give up." Professor Daniel stiffened when he heard those words. "What did you say?" "I won''t give up." "You damned brat!" He raised his fist to hit Neo. However, when he saw Neo''s determined gaze, he lowered his hand. He covered his face. "Dammit." Professor Daniel had seen Neo regress for multiples years. Neo suffered under the after effects of Erosion and Time slipping, yet he neverined. Neo was not going to give up. Professor Daniel knew. "Three more regressions. If you still can''t awaken Time after that, I won''t help you anymore." "¡­" Professor Daniel stood up. "I don''t care if you don''t agree." He ced his palm on Neo''s back and pushed. ¡­ Neo''s arrived back in time. His average date of return varied from D-180 to D-120. He returned to the Labyrinth. The number of monsters he encountered in the Labyrinth decreased with each regression. "Seems like I''ll just waste time if I try to search for more monsters. "It''s time I fought the Minotaur." He reached Minotaur''s chamber in thest regression. He wanted to use more regression to strengthen himself to the limit before fighting the Minotaur. However, Professor Daniel''s words made it clear. With not much much time left, Neo decided to fight Minotaur. He stood in front of the gigantic doors and used the academy issued key to open them. The heavy doors screeched. Neo walked towards the Minotaur. The towering Minotaur wielded a colossal mace. It had muscr frame, curved horns, and fierce eyes that were hungry for blood. Minotaur, a monster from the Myths, looked more majestic than Neo''s had imagined it to be. It looked like a battle hungry berserker incarnate. In contrast, Neo was thin and pale. His lips were cracked and his eyes had heavy dark circles. He looked more malnourished than he did when he first arrived in this world. "You killed one of my friends." Neo drew his sword. "I won''t say this revenge." He slowly increased his pace and started to run towards the Minotaur. "But be damned ready to die!" Neo jumped and shed. The Minotaur brought down its axe. Red lightning of Neo and blood red aura of the Minotaur erupted. Their shes created massive shockwaves. The floor cracked and the pirs started to break. Suddenly, two more hands appeared on Minotaur''s back. It used them to deliver an uppercut. The attack threw Neo high in the air and smashed him into the rooftop. Before his body could fall under the effect of gravity, the Minotaur roared. A condensed red ball of energy gathered between its horn and shot towards Neo. Neo used Ocean''s Embrace and Darkness. ck mes materialized around him and he tried to absorb the attack with them. Another explosion erupted. A giant crater was formed in the rooftop when the Minotaur stopped. Neo fell from the sky. The Minotaur opened its maw and tried to eat the falling Neo when suddenly a shockwave exploded with Neo at its source. The monster staggered back. Caution and surprise appeared within its eyes. Neo, having unsealed his Divine Energy pool, activated his blessing to the limit. He triggered Essence Breath Spell, Ocean''s Embrace, and wrapped his de in thick Aura of Death and Darkness. Chapter 163: Immortality V/S Immortality [2] The Minotaur charged with a deafening roar. Neo dodged the monster''s swing and retailed with a quick strike to its ankle. The Minotaur used its mace to block. It grunted and raised its mace with a surprising agility, swinging its down in a wide arc. There was no time to dodge. The monster was too fast for its size. Neo raised his sword. He let the Minotaur''s mace slide off his de and he deflected it into the ground. The floor shattered. Neo''s parry caused the Minotaur to lose its bnce. The monster staggered. Taking the advantage of the situation, Neo leapt. Death and Darkness wrapped around his sword red. The sword grew in length and Neo shed, slicing off the Minotaur''s arm with a clean, wide swung. The forearm, which wasrger than Neo, fell with a dull thud. Instead of bellowing in pain, Minotaur acted as if it did not feel anything. It moved it calcted coldness and grabbed Neo with its other arm, making Neo realize the Minotaur had baited him by sacrificing its arm. The monster held him in a crushing grip. Neo''s bones cracked under the pressure. Blood began to seep from his eyes. He used Necrotic Touch and applied five stacks on the Minotaur''s fingers. Cracks appeared on its skin. Its hand shattered. Neo, freed, fell from its grasp. He was about tond when the Minotaur, with its twost remaining hands, smashed him into the ground. It roared and tried to pick its mace to finish Neo only to realize it couldn''t. The Minotaur looked down and noticed it was missing its hands. At thest second, Neo had attacked instead of defending and sliced them off. "You look better that way." Neo stood up with a cough. He wiped the blood clouding his vision and ran towards the Minotaur who had lost all four arms. The monster stomped its feet, like an elephant trying to crush an ant, but Neo used his agility to dodge the attacks and climbed its body. He leapt again to reach its head in one go. Neo used the Aura sh to behead the Minotaur. The Minotaur fell with a resounding thud. Neo stood over the fallen beast, breathless but victorious. He watched the monster dissipate into ck smokes. The Divine Energy of the Labyrinth churned. It rushed towards the center of the chamber and¡ª The deafening roar echoed. Minotaur, revived, beat its chest as if to assert dominance. "Of course, you''ll revive you damned fat cow." Just as Neo was about to raise his sword, the Minotaur moved so fast it disappeared from Neo''s sight. A giant shadow fell over him. "Fuck." The Minotaur fell over him, bringing down the mace with the power of gravity and momentum. Neo died aad he had to use Immortal. He clicked his tongue. "I hate using this skill in the battle, but I guess it''s fine since we are both cheating." Healed and refreshed due to the revival, Neo attacked with full power to return the favor. ¡­ Professor Daniel''s Office, Demigod Academy Professor Daniel appeared inside the empty office. He doubled over, coughing blood. He took out his pocket watch with his trembling arms. "I arrived a few weeks earlier." In Neo''s words, he had returned to D-79. He massaged his brows. "It''s getting harder and harder to control the dates." Inst round, he was unconscious when he arrived at D-0. This time, he tried to arrive earlier because he didn''t want to faint in front of Neo However, D-79 was too early. "It''s getting harder to control dates? Of what? Your Time slipping?" Professor Daniel snapped his head into the direction of the voice. He saw Charlotte, the principal, flipping through the documents while she sat on his chair. "No need to be surprised. It''s quite clear you are going through Time Slipping." Professor Daniel nodded and took a seat. Charlotte continued. "You are more talented than I thought you would be. "It''s the first time I''ve heard someone can control their Time Slipping." "It''s nothing special, principal. I can barely control it and my control weakens every time I Time Slip." "I see." Charlotte threw the documents towards Daniel. The pages slipped across the ss table. They stopped before him. His personal information was written over it. [Name: Daniel Caelum] [Age: Unknown] [Job: Professor] [Subject: Meditation] [Side Job: Healer] [Rank: ???] [Bloodline: ???] [Elemental Affinity: Time, ???, ???] "Why are you showing this to me, principal?" "Your profile is funny. It''s missing quite a lot of information." Professor Daniel frowned. He suppressed the aftereffects of Time Slipping and spoke, "The Academy allows us to keep our privacy. There should be no problem with my missing records." "We do allow privacy. But this isn''t Academy records. "It''s the record of all the previous principals. This is all information we have on you." She snapped her fingers. The pages of the documents flipped on their own. They showed the pictures of Professor Daniel from 10 years ago, from 20 years ago, from 50 years ago, from 100 years ago, from 200 hundred years ago¡­. He was in all pictures. Even in the picture taken during the foundation of Academy 3000 years ago. "Who are you? If you''ve been in the Academy for so long, we should''ve more information on you. "But we don''t. "Even the Sphinx refused to speak about you." Professor Daniel stared at Charlotte, his lips pressed into a thin line. He sighed after a few minutes and finally opened his mouth. "I thought there was an unspoken rule among the principals to not disturb Daniel Caelum or interfere with his life." "There is a rule like that." Charlotte nodded. "But, you see, I like to know about everything that happens in my backyard. It includes you. "You are too strong to be a simple demigod whose only strength is his long lifespan. "You could send Neo Hargraves into the past multiple times ¡ª" "Is this why you rmended Neo Hargraves to me? To test the limits of my powers?" Professor Daniel''s gaze grew stern. Watching him Charlotte chuckled, "It''s quite funny how you lose control over your emotions despite being thousands of years old. "And you don''t need to be angry. Neo Hargraves had no idea I was using him to test you. "He is genuinely working hard under you to awaken his element." Chapter 164: Immortality V/S Immortality [3] Professor Daniel let out a sigh mixed with relief and frustration. He had been teaching Neo because he had seen the unyielding will in Neo and¡­ Because he did not want Neo to suffer the same fate he suffered. Professor Daniel could see himself in Neo. A boy who thought Time was supreme and worked hard to awaken the power of Time. There was no one to teach him about Time. After awakening, the boy, drunk on his power of Time, abused it, and was cursed to suffer the consequences of his actions for all eternity. "Why do you want to know about me? If you have any intentions of using my power for¡ª" "No need to worry about it. I have no such intentions. "Besides, it''s clear you can barely control Time anymore." Charlotte continued. It terrified Professor Daniel how urate her guess was. "How many times can you repeat the Time? Once or twice? "After that, you probably won''t be able to control your Time Slipping and end up a few hundred years in the future. "Isn''t that how you ended up living for 3,000 years?" "You¡­. How do know all this?" "As I said, I can guess. You might''ve unparalleled mastery of Time, but the world has been steadily advancing. "We now know a lot more about elements, God Blood, and other mythical quantities than we did 3,000 years ago. "With so much knowledge, it''s easy to hypothesize the limits of your powers." Charlotte''s words felt like the p of cold reality to Daniel. He had been alive for 3,000 years, but he had lived for less than quarter of that. "So, who are you?" "I can''t answer it unless I know the purpose of your question." Professor Daniel stopped acting oblivious. "It''s curiosity." "Just that?" "Yes." Professor Daniel thought about her words. In the end, he decided to humor her. "I''m the founder of the Academy. "Though I doubt anyone remembers since I''ve reset the world too many times." "I see. Thank you for answering me." Charlotte stood up. A portal appeared next to her. She spoke to Professor Daniel as she stepped through it. "Since I''ve troubled you, I''ll give you good news in exchange. "Neo will soon manifest his Time element." ¡­ Chamber of Minotaur, Labyrinth Condensed red lightning bolts crackled around the chamber in a dance of destruction. Not a single stone of the chamber had been left upturned. The pirs were destroyed and the floor was smashed into pieces. Neo and the Minotaur''s sh of exchanges created thunderous echoes and shockwaves. They had been fighting for two days. Neither of the two had fallen. However, both had grown weaker over time. Neo''s skin was cracked and the Minotaur''s movements were slow. They were affected by the uncontrolled red lightning rampaging in the chamber. Finally, something clicked in Neo''s mind. It was the moment Neo had been waiting for. He leapt and sliced off two arms of the Minotaur. The monster, having faced the same situation countless times in the past two days, ignored the injury and dashed towards Neo. For the first time, Neo used the Darkness to trap the Minotaur in the Coffin of Darkness. The monster was confused when it saw Neo using a new attack. Before it could get over the confusion, Neo picked its sliced off arms and devoured them. The Minotaur froze. Its eyes turned red and it let out a rage-filled roar. However, Neo stabbed the sword into its heart before it could attack him. Again, the Divine Energy of the Labyrinth churned and the monster was revived. Nevertheless¡­ It was missing two arms. "Seems like your Immortality can''t keep up anymore." He let out a cold smirk. Truth be told, Neo''s own Immortality was at its limit. The amount of death present in the chamber had slowed his process of revival. The red lightning ¡ª Death ¡ª umted from the countless deaths of Minotaur and the Death elemental released by him were weakening Minotaur and him. If not for it, Neo would not have been able to devour the Minotaur''s arm. ''This is it.'' ''I can feel it.'' ''My Immortal skill is about to level up.'' Neo left behind red sparks as he ran towards the Minotaur. The Minotaur, enraged, roared and charged forward. Their weapons shed. But this time it wasn''t an equal exchange. The Minotaur was pushed back. Neo severed its legs before the Minotaur could regain its bnce. The monster fell and Neo kicked its torso hard enough to throw his giant body across the chamber. He devoured its detached legs. The Minotaur charged at him on all fours in.a mad fury. However, it was no longer a match for Neo. He finished the battle in a few minutes. Thest thing left of Minotaur was its heart. Neo devoured it. [Immortal +1] [Unique Skill Immortal has been mastered.] [Three skill evolutions have been unlocked.] [Please choose carefully.] [1. ....] Before Neo could read the notifications, his body stiffened and he fell face first into the ground. He could not move. ''Dammit, I can''t fall here. I don''t have any charge of Immortal left.'' His heartbeats continued to weaken with each passing second. Neo had used too much Death in the past two days. ''Skill Evolution¡­.'' His mind was muddy. ''I need to choose something.'' ''I''ll be healed if I rank up.'' Despite his thoughts, Neo knew it was the end for him. The Labyrinth was closing after the Minotaur''s death. If he stayed there and tried to rank up, he could be crushed within the Labyrinth before his breakthroughpleted. And without ranking up, he could not move, let alone escape. Neo was stuck between a hard ce and a rock. Sighing, he stared at the roof. "Well, at least I killed an Immortal being before dying. That''s one thing off my to-do list." The ground trembled and the walls started to fall. Just when he thought it was the end of road for him, he heard an unfamiliar voice. "It''s rare to see you give up." "...How are you here?" Chapter 165: Unique Skill Immortal Evolves Neo doubted his eyes. "I came to help you." Elizabeth stood in front of a silvery portal. Beyond the portal, he could see the puppet maids of the principal. "I thought high rank Demigods were prohibited from entering the Labyrinth?" "That is master''s problem. She will handle it." Elizabeth motioned him over with a flick of her finger. The Divine Energy in the air wrapped around Neo and picked him up. "Let''s go." She carried him into the portal. The two appeared in a mansion on a hillside. Elizabeth brought Neo inside the mansion. She entered the biggest room andid Neo on the bed. "Th¡­thank you¡­" Neo''s voice cracked. Knowing he was safe, a wave of relief washed over him. He felt umted exhaustion from the past days crash over him at once. His vision blurred. "Sleep." Elizabeth gently covered his eyes, urging him to close them. "You need to rest." ¡­ Neo woke up, refreshed. He tried to move when suddenly a sharp pain tore through his body. "Where am I?" He looked at himself. Tucked in a bed in an unfamiliar room, wrapped in bandages and antiseptics, wearing clothes that weren''t his. "Thest thing I remember is I was about to devour the Minotaur''s heart." He massaged his brows. The memories returned to him slowly. "Was that really Elizabeth¡­?" Neo smiled bitterly. He owed her for saving him. "Still, how did she know I was there? I don''t remember telling her I went to the Labyrinth." Neo decided to question her Elizabeth when he met her. He tried to stand and nearly fell when his broken body refused to move. Just then, Neo noticed the piece of paper tucked beneath his pillow. [Come down to the mansion''s training chamber at 9 pm. Until then, rest.] "I guess I don''t need to question who wrote this note. "The demanding tone is quite clear." He chuckled and sank back into the bed. The battle with Minotaur left him with serious wounds. For one, he could not use his Death affinity for a few days. His core had been strained beyond its limit during the battle. With nothing else to do, he called his status. [Unique Skill Immortal has been mastered.] [Three Unique Skill evolutions unlocked.] "Three? That''s nice." The unique skills gained at Mythic-rank were different. They were born out of synthesis of his experience and the power of his bloodline. Unlike the previous skills ¡ª Death and Immortal ¡ª that were unique to his bloodline, the new skills would be his and his alone. He would be the only person to possess them. "I hope the roulette is something good." [Please choose one.] [1. Eternal: Be ageless and gain resistance against status ailments. (+10% resistance)] [2. Undying Berserker: Continue fighting even after your death. (Duration: 24 hours)] [3. Transcendence: With each revival, your body and soul grows stronger. (+1% boost)] Neo re-read the skills description. "They are too good?" He could not believe his eyes. "Is this a dream? Since when did my damned bloodline give good skills?" Eternal made him ageless and gave him resistance against status ailments. There were many types of status ailments. Poison, mental corruption, debuffs, and curses. There was no need to exin the power of status ailments, since Elizabeth almost died to a curse. "Resistance alone is strong, but Ageless? This is like a dreame true. "I won''t need to worry about Time Erosion if I choose this skill." Erosion killed a person by reversing their time. The person would keep growing younger until they were snapped out of existence. An ageless being could resist Erosion. "Undying Berserker is also good. "Immortal recharges every 24 hours, and Undying Berserk lets me fight for 24 hours after I die. "I''ll be a true Immortal if I use them together." The third skill was not weaker than the first two. "With Transcendence, I only need to kill myself every day, and I can continue to grow stronger infinitely." Neo had a hard time choosing between the three skills. They were exceptionally powerful. He made his decision. [Unique skill chosen.] [Beginning breakthrough.] The Divine Energy around the mansion shifted. It rushed into Neo''s core and caused it to inte. His core continued to growrger until it reached its limit. Cracks appeared on his core. Neo grunted. He suppressed the pain-induced moans and directed more Divine Energy into his core. It exploded. A golden sun was born from within its center. The broken shards of the core revolved around the golden sun. ck puss seeped out of his skin. Neo''s blood gained a thick hue of gold. His bones snapped back into ce, his wounds healed and he grew stronger. [Rank: Awakened ¡ú Mythic] Neo opened his eyes. He exhaled a putrid breath and punched after standing up. The air exploded with a sharp noise. He smiled. "I''ve finally reached Mythic rank." His smile, however, quickly disappeared. "It smells." Neo sniffed himself and his nose scrunched up. He entered the bathroom connected to the room. After washing himself, he came out refreshed. "That felt good." He checked the time. It was 9 pm. Recalling the note left by Elizabeth, he moved downstairs. The mansion had three floors and a basement. Neo stood before the doors connected to the basement. The door opened. He stepped into the white room on the other side of the doors. Elizabeth stood there. She was fiddling with the holographic screen in the center of the training chamber. "You are here." Elizabeth was slightly surprised when she noticed he had healed. Her eyes glowed. "You''ve ranked up. Congrattions." "Thank you." Neo looked around the room. The ce waspletely white, giving it an illusion of being infinite. He frowned. There was something strange about the air. Neo could not ce his finger on what it was. "Something is strange here." "It''s something that will help you manifest your Time element." "¡­.?" "Before that, let''s spar. I want to see how much you''ve improved during your regressions." A small section opened on the ground. It rose up. Neo was surprised to see a storage space inside it. Elizabeth took out the training suit and her spear. The same storage unit opened beside Neo. He saw the body tight suit and decided against it. "You are not wearing them?" Chapter 166: Manifesting Time [1] "I feel morefortable in my normal clothes." "You''ll fight in a pajama and a t-shirt?" "I don''t see why I can''t." Elizabeth stared at him for a moment and shook her head. She changed into the full body ck training suit. It clung against her curves that were threatening to burst out. ''She has a big heart,'' Neo thought. "Do you stare like that at everyone?" "Not at everyone." While Elizabeth took the stance, Neo checked his status. [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 5 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 2 Mythic ] [ Stats ] ¦é Strength: 107 ¦é Speed: 101 ¦é Dexterity: 103 ¦é Constitution: 108 ¦é Luck: 0 [ Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time ] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [ Bloodline: Monarch of Death ] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal, Eternal [ Quest: Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1), Completed 3/5 ] The stats were good. But not good enough to fight an Exalted Demigod. "Why are we fighting again?" "Don''t worry. I will match my strength to your level." "I''m not worried." "Your eyes say otherwise." Neo pursed his lips. "Am I going to get beaten?" "Why would I hit you?" "Because I did some crazy things?" Regression until he was about to be erased due to Erosion was beyond crazy. Elizabeth decided to be the bigger person and didn''t point it out. Neo felt a chill crawl up his spine when the corner of her lips rose. "Wait, we should talk it out¡ª!?" Elizabeth disappeared. Neo instantly ducked and a spear shot through the space where his head had been moments ago. His senses warned him of another iing attack. He was about to trigger the Ocean''s Embrace when suddenly a fist hit him in the abdomen. The attack knocked the air out of him. All of the Divine Energy gathered within his core dispersed. "Don''t use Spells or elements. Just fight with your sword. I want to see your techniques." "You could''ve¡­ said it¡­ first¡­" Neo stabilized his breathing. Elizabeth stabbed the spearhead towards his heart. Instead of dodging, he moved towards her. He raised his left hand to block her attack. His sword was shorter than her spear, but he could attack her if he sacrificed his arm. Elizabeth, not wanting to harm Neo, changed the attack''s trajectory at thest second. Neo used the opportunity and shed towards her neck. The sword passed through her harmlessly. Elizabeth''s figure flickered. She burst like a water balloon and drenched Neo. ''Shit! It''s a doppelganger!'' Neo scanned the room. He couldn''t find Elizabeth. The water on the ground shook and transformed into five Elizabeths. Neo retreated and put some distance between himself the doppelgangers. ''The real one must be hiding among them.'' Neo''s mind raced. ''I doubt the doppelgangers can have bloodlust.'' ''I should be able to sense the real Elizabeth with my death affinity when she releases her bloodlust¡­'' Neo stiffened. The bloodlust wasing from all doppelgangers. They attacked him together. Neo cleaved the first Elizabeth into two halves. She burst into water and the water transformed into two Elizabeths. His actions only increased her numbers. ''Which one is the real one!?'' Confused, Neo held himself back from using a big attack. Elizabeth would not know how strong he currently was. Even if she could see his rank, she couldn''t see the extra stats he gained through Darkness. ''I can catch her off guard. I just need one moment.'' Neo kept his senses sharpened when suddenly a cold piece of metal touched the back of his head. "You''ve lost." Elizabeth held the spear against his head. ''When did she sneak up on me?'' Neo frowned while he turned back. ''So, that''s why I couldn''t sense her.'' He realized his mistake. ''She never held any bloodlust towards me.'' Neo thought back to a few moments ago. Not all doppelgangers radiated bloodlust. ''I should''ve kept my focus on those doppelgangers.'' He continued to think of the factors that led to his defeat and what he could''ve done better. It was a habit he gained from countless battles. Elizabeth lowered her spear. She flicked his forehead. "It''s was a good battle." "¡­You don''t need to console me." "I''m not consoling you. The first attack was enough to defeat Amelia. You dodged it with ease." Neo returned his sword to the sheath. "Was that good enough for a spar?" "Yes, it was. I''m satisfied with your progress." She smiled, and it was not the scary smile she showed him a few moments ago. "How do you feel now?" Neo closed his eyes and sensed his condition. His Divine Energy was knocked out of his body when Elizabeth punched him. Weirdly enough, he wasn''t exhausted even though he barely had any Divine Energy. ''This must be the result of one of her Spells.'' "I feel.... strange," Neo answered. "I''m recovering my Divine Energy using the breathing technique. "But the air in this room is weird. "Whatever is present here is entering my body." Elizabeth flicked her wrist. A small hole appeared on the ground and a spherical machine flew out of it. Neo could sense the weird particles in the air wereing from machine. "It''s an Elemental storage unit. Right now, it''s emitting Time elemental and filling the air with it. "The current quantity of Time elementals in the room is high enough that a Time wielder can sense them. "But it''s still at a level that someone with no affinity for Time cannot sense them." "What¡­?" Neo''s face hardened. "If your words are true, doesn''t that mean¡­" "You''ve awakened Time Element." "That''s impossible. I can''t control Time yet." Elizabeth shook her head. "You might''ve not realized it but the amount of Erosion covering you is enough to kill any Mythic rank Demigod. "The only reason you are still alive is because you''ve awakened your Time element." .... Trivia #3 Neo wasn''t not sad or afraid when he was about to die in the Labyrinth. It''s because he had won the battle against the Minotaur. The victory was more important to him than his life. And since he had already epted Death while mastering his Death element, the idea of dying in a battle seemed normal to him. Chapter 167: Manifesting Time [2] Neo stared at her, unable to believe her words. "The reason you can''t control Time is because you haven''t manifested it." "¡­?" A thin stream of water materialized around Elizabeth. It circled her in a loop. "Death manifests as Red lightning. What do you think Time manifests as?" "River." Neo answered while staring at the water stream. "Time flows, just like water." "That''s how most people imagine Time. It''s not what I want to know. "I''m asking what image ording to you suits Time." "¡­?" Neo did not understand what Elizabeth was trying to say. "Unlike most elements, Time has no fixed shape. "There are some Time Wielders who manifest Time as sand, and some as lightning. "It''s their image of Time." Neo understood her a little bit after the exnation. He recalled that, before his first regression, Professor Daniel asked him if he had water element. ''Did he ask that question because he wanted to know if I could associate Time with the image of water?'' Neo felt his guess was correct. "Professor Daniel didn''t teach you about this because he was probably unaware of the concept of ''Manifestation''. "It''s a rtively new theory of elemental awakening." Elizabeth exined. After elemental awakening came elemental manifestation. Most elements had fixed forms. Fire as mes. Water as water. Time was different. It had no fixed shape. People needed to give a shape to it. Most Time wielders followed the teachings of Kronos, and manifested Time as a River. After the exnation Elizabeth stared at Neo. "What do you think of Time as?" It was a etherical question. Elizabeth didn''t believe Neo could answer her question now. Associating Time with an image could take months or years. Neo was too inexperienced ¡ª ¡­!? Elizabeth frowned. The Time elementals present in the air churned. They gathered around Neo as if he was the eye of a storm and entered his body. ''He is manifesting already¡­?'' She couldn''t believe her eyes. ¡­ Neo sensed the Time elementals entering his core. Since his core was emptied by Elizabeth, he had easier time absorbing Time-infused Divine Energy. "What is Time for me?" Neo thought about Elizabeth''s words. He closed his eyes and recalled the years he spent while regressing. It was a long time. However, the meaning of Time didn''te from those years for him. They were long but,pared to the eons he spent in the fourth vision of the Sphinx, they were short. "Time is an unending eternity." In the fourth vision, he was forced to live for billions of years while he trapped in a body he couldn''t control. "Time is¡­" He had wanted to kill himself. He had raged, cried, begged to the Gods, to the Akashic Records, to save him, to let him die, but nothing gave him the salvation he wanted. He had lived, for eons, against his wish. He continued to float in that void where countless bugs tried to eat him. It was hell. It was¡­. "Despair." The storm of Time elementals rushing into Neo''s body shook the mansion. Neo was the center of the storm. The elementals caused the floor to age at an elerated pace. The training room was decaying. ''How is he fine after absorbing so much Time?'' Elizabeth never saw anything simr before. ''It''s like he¡­ he is devouring Time.'' The thick amount of Time elemetals entering Neo''s started to make him age. He grew older. And older. His body reached the physical age he was before he was Eroded by the regressions. Just when Elizabeth thought he would continue to grow older, his body stopped maturing. Time couldn''t elerate his age anymore. ''Agelessness? Is that one of his bloodline skill?'' She watched in amazement as everyst bit of Time elemental entered Neo''s body. He opened his eyes. His gaze carried a profound aura. "Have you manifested Time?" She asked caustiosly. Neo smiled. He opened his palm and showed her the caterpir in his hand. "What is that? A worm?" "It''s my manefistation of Time." Time was the synonym of Despair for Neo. It was a unreckonable force. When he thought of an image to associate time with, the maggots came into his mind. They were his onlypanion in the unending eternity. He despised them. He was thankful to them. "That''s a¡­ unique form." Elizabeth knew Neo would manifest a unique form of Time. But a caterpir? It was a first in history. "What can it do?" Elizabeth questioned. "¡­?" "Different manefistation of Time have different abilities and weakness. "The River manifestation makes it easier to regress. "But the Time wielder bes prone to Time Slipping. "The Sand manifestation can stop Time more easily than River manifestation. "However, it doesn''t work if their opponent has same or higher elemental mastery ¡ª in any element ¡ª as they have in Time element." Elizabeth pointed at the caterpir. "What can your Time do?" Neo tried to wake up the caterpir. The green thing opened one of its eye, stared at him, scoffed, and returned to sleep. ''Did it just insult me?'' Neo''s eyebrow twitched. "I can''t control it." ''For now.'' "Seems like it has its own ego," Elizabeth spoke. She became more confused when she saw Neo''s manifestation of Time act on its own. Neo tried to make it do something ¡ª anything ¡ª but thezy worm refused to move. "It''s quite whimsical." He smiled. "Congrattions, you''vepleted your awakening." "Thank you." Silence. The two stared at each other. Elizabeth spoke first, "What will you do now? "Will you regress again? Or will you keep living here?" Neo pursed his lips. He was fine without regressing. Although he neverined, he hated regressions. They erased the rtionships he had with people. It was why he stopped meeting his friends and entered Labyrinth as soon as he regressed. "I¡ª" He would return to the past despite his qualms about regression. He had left too many things unattended. Elizabeth spoke before he could answer her. "It''s the right decision. Don''t me yourself too much for it." "¡­." Neo bit his lips. He could nod and move forward. But he forced the words out of his mouth. "Why are you so calm? You''ll forget everything that happened. Even this moment. "Once I regress all the choices you''ve made in the past month will be meaningless¡ª" "Neo." Her voice cut through his rambling. "Why weren''t you sad when you were about to die in the Labyrinth?" Neo didn''t understand the intent behind her question. He answered nheless. "Because Death isn''t something to be afraid of. I''ve epted it when I decided to master the element of Death. "If I die, I die. That''s all," he said. "The same if true for Time. If you want to master it, you have to ept it." Elizabeth added. "You can''t keep dwelling on small matters, wondering if others will be negatively affected when you regress. "There is nothing wrong with using yours powers ¡ª the powers you''ve worked hard to gain¡ª for your choices." Neo clenched his fist. Elizabeth could tell Neo had a hard time epting her answer. She stepped closer to him and hugged him awkwardly. The tip of her ears turned red. Making sure Neo couldn''t see her face, she spoke, "You don''t need to worry about me. "As long as you are happy, that''s enough for me." She smiled. "You are just as important as Amelia to me. "I''d rather see you use your abilities for yourself than waste them because of me. "Now go. I''m sure you have things left to do in the past." Elizabeth let go of him and stepped back. Right on cue, a silvery portal appeared inside the mansion. The principal and her two puppet maids stood beyond the portal. "There was arge shift in Time elementals around the mansion. What happened?" Charlotte questioned. "Neo manifested Time." "Already?" Elizabeth nodded. Charlotte stared at him with a deep gaze. She beckoned him over. "If you''ve awakened, go meet Professor Daniel. He doesn''t have much time left. "He''ll soon Time Slip again and I doubt he can control it anymore." Neo nodded. One of the puppet dolls entered the training chamber and created another portal. "Goodbye," Neo said without looking back and stepped into the portal. He appeared in the corridor outside of Professor Daniel''s office. The portal closed behind him. A voice came from the other side of the door. "Come inside." Neo opened the door. He met Professor Daniel''s gaze. The man looked as young as ever. But, after manifesting Time, he could sense the unstable Time elementals around Professor Daniel. "You''ve awakened Time." Professor Daniel didn''t praise him. He just acknowledged his achievement. "Sit." Neo followed his words. The two stared at each other. Neo broke the silence. "So the reason you gave me a deadline was because you couldn''t keep up anymore?" "Yes." Neo pursed his lips. "Have you been purposely sending me back to only D-180 ~ D-120 days?" "Yes." "Why?" "If I send you further back, it would''ve put heavy strain on me. "Not doing that was why I could send you back so many times. "It was either sending you far back inito the past only a few times, or sending you to a near date multiple times." Before Neo could question him again, Professor Daniel spoke, "Don''t worry. I''ll send you back to your original time after this." "What about you?" "Doesn''t matter." Professor Daniel shook his head. "It does matter to me." "Emotional attachments? You should stop putting importance to them. "It''s shameful for a wielder of Darkness." Professor Daniel berated him. "That wasn''t the question I asked." Neo leaned over. "What will happen to you after you send me back to the past?" Professor Daniel sighed. He massaged his brows. "I''ll Time Slip. Probably wake up a few hundred yearster." Neo had no words. He couldn''t even imagine how Professor Daniel was calm after knowing what was going to happen to him. Chapter 168: A Goodbye Waking up one day, finding all of his friends were dead, and he was in a world where no one knew him. It must be a nightmare. "Why are you so¡­ calm about it?" "I''m used to it already." He stood up. "You don''t need to worry about me. "Even if I didn''t help you, I would''ve lost control over Time Slipping sooner orter. "It always happens." Neo''s expression didn''t change. Professor Daniel sighed and added, "I''ll regain control over my Time Slipping after a few hundred years. "Just stop worrying about me." He stood behind Neo. "Neo Hargraves, you are the fifth person I''ve taken in as my student. "I might''ve needed others'' help in awakening your element, but I''m still your master. "Do you ept it?" "I do." "Good." A smile reced his usual stern expression. "Even if no ones remember the struggles you''ve gone through during your regressions, I do. "I can assure you, your will to continue forward is unmatched. "You might not be the most talented student I had, but I''ve never seen someone with a more indomitable spirit. "I''m proud of you, Neo." He hovered his hand behind Neo''s nape. Divine Energy flowed through his fingers into Neo. It crawled over his back, burning his skin, and drew the pattern of a dragon biting its tail, forming a loop. Neo frowned. "What did you do?" "You''ll know when the timeses." Professor Daniel stopped infusing Neo with his Divine Energy. He wiped his sweat and ced his hand over Neo''s head. "This might be thest time we''ll meet. "As a parting gift, I''ll read your Future. Do you want me to do it?" "Why are you even asking about this?" "Because some people hate knowing their future. They think predicting it will set it in the stone." Professor Daniel closed his eyes. His iris glowed behind the eyelids. After a minutes, he snapped them open. Tired, he was breathing heavily. "What did you see, professor?" Professor Daniel flinched when he heard Neo''s voice. He opened his mouth and closed it, unable to form words. "Professor? Are you okay?" Neo turned around and stared at him with concerned gaze. Watching Neo like this calmed Professor Daniel. "I''m¡­ I''m fine." He wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What did you see?" "¡­" Instead of answering him, he ced his hand on Neo''s back. His gaze carried slight fear. "Professor¡ª!?" Professor Daniel pushed. "Goodbye, Neo." Neo felt a massive stream of Time elementals smash into him. He was thrown across Time. The force of Time elementals trying to pull him increased the further he went. Despite being ageless, his body started to grow younger. It was a slow process, almost minuscule, but he was aging. If it was someone else, they would''ve been Eroded a few times by now. Just when the force of Time was staring to be unbearable, Neo sensed something move within his clothes. The green caterpir came out of his cor as if it was dragging itself out. It yawned. The time elementals trying to drown Neo suddenly started to flow towards the caterpir. They entered its mouth. The pressure over Neo lightened. The caterpir closed its mouth and returned to sleep after a few seconds. Neo felt a shift and he appeared in a massive hall. "Sir, what rank do you want to opt for?" He looked at the woman and turned his gaze towards the students in the hall. ''This is the beginning of the ranking tournament¡ª'' ¡­!? Suddenly, a massive flow of Time elementals hit Neo. He tried to hold onto Time. The caterpir had reduced the pressure. However, it was still huge. He, struggling to stop the himself from Time Slipping, had to let go of the limits he constantly ced over himself. The Divine Energy pool, unsealed, started to suck Divine Energy from air greedily. And the Auras he always suppressed burst out. The students in the hall fell to their knees. Some of them fainted. Not even the proctors were left unscathed. Neo realized he had to suppress his Aura. The shift in focus caused him to let go of his hold over time¡ª Neo slipped. He appeared on a mountain top. "Your Divine Energy Purity is higher than mine," Morrigan said. "That''s why you are sturdy." Her frown worsened. ''I Time Slipped to the battle between me and Morrigan during the rankingpetition.'' Neo saw Morrigan ring at him. ''She really wasn''t taking me seriously back then.'' Although it looked she was angry, she had no intention to fight seriously. Her muscles were rxed, her stance was iplete, her breathing was stable. "There is no shield that won''t break¡ª" Morrigan''s eyes widened. She swiftly retreated and took a proper stance. Just like Neo could guess her strength at a nce, she could too. Her senses were going off like a rm. They warned her of the one in front of her. "Morrigan¡ª" "Invincible." Golden lightning crackled around her. She disappeared and reappeared before Neo in a split second. Her sword moved towards his shoulder. Neo felt like he was seeing her move in slow motion He stepped closer to her. ''How can he move faster than me?'' Morrigan''s eyes widened. Before she could react, Neo''s fist dug into her abdomen. The blow sent her rolling away. She coughed uncontrobly, having the air knocked out of her. Neo, intending to end the battle, moved towards her when suddenly the force of Time returned. It hit him. He could barely muster any protest before he slipped again¡ª Neo appeared on a stage. He looked around. ''This is the ceremony that happened after the rankingpetition.'' ''I cursed at all the students back then, didn''t I?'' Neo could feel Timeing for him. He would slip again. While waiting for Time, he noticed the gazes of students were different. Unlikest time, where they looked at him as if he was a fraud, they stared at him in awe, fear, and respect. ''The past changed.'' ''They respecting me now because they saw me overpower Morrigan with a single punch.'' After he time slipped and left the battle, Neo was sure the ''past him'' would be beaten by Morrigan. But the fact remained he pushed her back while she was using Invincible¡ª Time Slipping. Neo stood in a dark broken world. Arthur''s Shadow beheaded Christian and rushed towards Neo. Chapter 169: Bashing Lucas It was an opportunity. Neo could save others. ''I need to take the Shadow down before I Time Slip again.'' His body reacted in a split second. Arthur''s Shadow, powered by mimicked Invincible, stabbed the dagger towards his heart. Neo dodged the attack with ease. He grabbed the Shadow''s head and bashed it into the ground¡ª "I can see you did not defeat my Shadow through a stroke of coincidence." Lucas, covered in golden lightning, stared down at Neo. Neo stared at his surroundings. ''I Time Slipped again.'' He pursed his lips. ''Was that enough to defeat Arthur''s Shadow?'' ''It was only a single attack but I put my all into it.'' "You don''t look surprised by my betrayal," Lucas said. His words snapped Neo out of his thoughts. He teleported behind Neo with a small smile. Just when the sword was about to pierce Neo''s neck, Neo casually struck backward with the back of his hand. The backhand p made Lucas'' neck nearly snap. He flew back, breaking through dozens of walls, and crashed. Lucas was covered in blood. A single attack shattered his Invincible skill. Before he could escape, Neo appeared above him and stomped. His ribs broke and he coughed a mouthful of blood. Despite being heavily injured, Lucas'' smile remained. "Were you always hiding your strength?" "How many people died in the mission?" Lucas stared at Neo, confused. "Why are you asking that¡­. Ah!" He could sense the thick amount of unknown elementals around Neo. Coupled with the fact Neo suddenly became strong and his fighting style changed, it was clear why he was asking the question. "Regression?" Lucas smiled. "That''s a trick I haven''t seen in a long time¡ª" Lucas puked another mouthful of blood when Neo increased the strength behind his leg. The force made his ribs snap. "Answer the question." "Should I?" Lucas continued to smile. "Unfortunately for you, this pain is a like a ticklepared to the training we have in my n." His smile irritated Neo. Neo removed his leg from Lucas'' chest and crouched. "Listen here you little fucking shit, you really think you are some hot shit, don''t you?" "¡­" "Then again, I shouldn''t have expected anything from a dumbass who is nning on betraying Zeus n." Lucas'' smile stiffened. "Why are you surprised?" "¡­How did you know that?" "Oh, not going to deny it?" Neo scoffed. "I know everything about you. "You''ve been acting like a puppet to make the n trusts you. "All for you to betray them when you get the perfect opportunity." The smugness in Lucas'' eyes shifted to surprise, then gradually gave way to horror. "You had the political advantage and you still lost the position of Zeus n group''s head to Morrigan. "If it wasn''t for me, you would''ve been forever number 2. "You can''t even take over a group of academy students. Why does your dumbass think it can topple ''The Zeus n''?" His words hit Lucas in the heart. It made Lucas face the reality he had been trying to ignore. Not wanting to listen to Neo, Lucas tried to wriggle away. Neo stabbed his sword into Lucas'' shoulder to stop him from escaping. He twisted the sword. "Face it. Lucas. "You are a failure. "You can''t do anything. "You are a kid, throwing a tantrum, who is deluding himself into thinking he can defeat the Invincible n," Neo stared down at him with cold eyes. "You¡­!" "Why are you getting angry? Smile like you always do." Lucas red at him with intense hatred¡ª Neo Time Slipped. He arrived in an long corridor and clicked his tongue. "It was getting fun." Neo looked around and checked the device. "I''m outside Professor Daniel''s office. "It''s the day when he told me I need to pay him my patience for his teachings." Neo smiled nostalgically. He entered the office and waited. Professor Daniel never appeared inside the office. "Seems like he lost control over Time Slipping." Although Professor Daniel never said it, Neo was sure he had not made Neo wait for 2 years on purpose. He had Time Slipped probably. It must be why Professor Daniel was shocked when he saw Neo waiting outside his office after 2 years. "Fuck, I hate this feeling." Neo stared at the roof. His mind wandered. He wanted to know if his past action saved Leonora and others. However, he did not take out his device. "I damaged Arthur''s Shadow, but it wasn''t enough to kill it. "I doubt the Fate would let them live with such a half-assessed attempt on my part." He pursed his lips. "Fuck." He took out his device and searched on the Academy website about the S-rank Sphinx mission. The mission evaluation report opened. A lot of content was about the Window''s difficulty and Neo''s contribution in closing it. He scrolled down. [Causalities: Christian von Villiers, Gwen di Langley, Kendrick di Valemont, Leonora von Villiers] A hollowugh escaped his lips. "At least ra Brown is alive. I''m sure Sean is happy his twin sister lived." He clenched his fist. His actions barely had any impact. "Status," he muttered while he threw away his device. [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 5 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 2 Mythic ] [ Stats ] ¦é Strength: 107 ¦é Speed: 101 ¦é Dexterity: 103 ¦é Constitution: 108 ¦é Luck: 0 [ Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time ] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [ Bloodline: Monarch of Death ] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal, Eternal [ Quest: Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1), Completed 3/5 ] "I''m probably the strongest first year with these stats and I couldn''t defeat Arthur''s Shadow when I had the chance." Neo med himself. And¡­ He was disgusted with his thoughts. In the corner of his heart, he was relieved for not being able to save his friends. The more his mastery in Death increased, the more he started to see Death as the ce of Eternal Rest. Death wasn''t wrong or evil. There was no need to avoid. A small piece of him felt it was not right to disturb his friends rest and bring them back. Chapter 170: World Core Neo massaged the bridge of his nose. In the fourth vision of the Sphinx, he wanted to die but couldn''t. He couldn''t rest. It was why he started to see Death as a form of rest. "It''s my form of Death, I shouldn''t force it on others." Despite his words, the act of revival was a turn-off for him. If he was not ''Immortal'', he would''ve felt reviving himself was disgusting. "I guess I''ll ask them if they want to be revived. "If they do, I''ll revive them. If they don''t, I won''t. "I need to return to the Underworld for it, though." The Well of Death and the pond filled with Holy and Life elements came into his mind. He needed toplete Barbatos'' training and get a holy affinity to survive the Well of Death. "At least, now I have an idea of how toplete the fourth trial." He stood up and was about to leave Professor Daniel''s office when his caterpir moved. It stared at him and opened its mouth. A powerful suction force started to devour the chaotic Time elementals around Neo. The caterpir returned to sleep after having its fill. "It can do this?" Neo looked at himself. He had barely any chaotic Time elementals left around him. "If someone sees me now, they won''t be able to tell I''ve been regressing for years. "Only those with time affinity will be able to tell I regressed, and they''ll think I regressed a few minutes or hours at best." Neo stared at the caterpir. It was powerful. And he felt the current abilities it had shown were but a small part of its arsenal. "If only this pig wasn''t sozy. "It only wakes up, eats, and sleeps." The caterpir rolled around as if it didn''t want to hear the scolding. Shaking his head, Neo left the office. He went to his ss. He noticed Arthur and Felix as soon as he entered. A wave of reminiscence surged inside his mind. He suppressed the nostalgia and sat in his seat. "Where have you been since the morning?" Felix questioned. "I was busy with Professor Daniel." "Professor Daniel? The one in charge of the Meditation Hall?" "Yes, him." "Why?" Arthur asked. "He helped me awaken my Time element." "Ah, your Time element¡­" Felix stopped speaking. Her eyes slowly grew wide as she understood the implications behind Neo''s words. "You had a Time element?" "Yes." "You have Death, Darkness, Shadow, Time. That''s four elements already! Isn''t that too much!?" Neo shrugged. Arthur opened his mouth. "Isn''t four elements normal?" His words made Felix freeze. She turned to him. "Dear Sir Kingsley, pray tell how many elements do you have?" "I haven''t awakened all¡ª" "How many?" Arthur started to sweat. Maybe he should''ve kept his mouth shut. "Sir Arthur?" "¡­Twenty-five." Felix stared at Arthur, returned her gaze to Neo, and stared back at Arthur. "Do you two know there is something called a limit?" "Hahaha." Arthur gave a nervous chuckle. He might have many elements, but awakening them was hard. Mastering them was harder. Inwardly, Arthur respected Neo. Neo might have only four elements. However, all four of his elements were among the most difficult elements to master. It was to the point that if someone awakened Death, Darkness, Shadow, or Time, they would give up training them and focus on different elements. While the three talked, the professor came into the ss. She picked up the chalk and wrote ''Elemental Resistance'' on the board. "Today we will discuss elemental resistance." Professor Evelyn continued. "It is an important topic for anyone who is thinking of bing a Junior Temr. "Since Junior Temrs need to fight otherworldly monsters, demigods or mystical beasts, you should be aware of how elemental resistance works. "For example, let''s say¡­" She scanned the ss with her eyes. Her gaze stopped at Neo. "Neo Hargraves has Adept Mastery of the Death element, while I don''t possess the Death element. "Since I don''t possess the Death element, I can''t increase my resistance against it by training the element. "Does this mean Neo Hargraves can kill me with a single attack if he uses his Death element on me?" The students shook their heads and said no. "Exactly. Even if I don''t have the Death element, I possess resistance against the Death element." "So do all of you. "Every person has a degree of resistance against all elements. "Today''s ss is to teach you how and why it we have the resistance against elements we do not possess." She pushed up her sses and asked, "As many of you know, none of us have all elements, yet we can sense the elemental aura of our opponents no matter which element they use. "Do you know why?" Arthur raised his hand. Professor Evelyn ignored him and shifted her gaze to Felix. "Felix, can you answer the question?" Felix''s eyebrows twitched. She red at Arthur with a side-eye and stood up while grumbling. "Because the opponents use arge amount of elementals to create an aura. "It''s why we can sense those elements without even having the elements ourselves." Professor Evelyn nodded with a wrinkled nose. She looked around. "Anyone else knows the answer?" When no one raised their hand, Professor Evelyn turned to Arthur. "Arthur, please answer." "It''s because of our [Core], [World Core], and [Resonance]." A smile appeared on Professor Evelyn''s face. She signaled Arthur to continue. "The world is a living being like us, and simrly, it has a [Core]. "We call it the [World Core]. "The World has all elements, and since every person''s root belongs to the World, it triggers a phenomenon known as [Resonance] between our [Core] and the [World Core]. "Resonance allows us to gain partial elemental affinity of all elements." Arthur exined. The smile on Professor Evelyn''s face became brighter with each word he spoke. "Thanks to it, although we still can''t use the affinities other than the ones we are born with, we can sense all elementals." "Perfect!" Professor Evelyn pped. She was so excited it looked like she had watched a spectacr dance performance. Chapter 171: Old Demigod = Strong Demigod "That''s the perfect answer." "Today''s topic, [Elemental Resistance], is rted to [Resonance]." "Let''s say, Arthur here has Lightning affinity. "The higher his mastery is in lightning affinity, the more resistance he has to lightning. "This proves that for the element we possess, mastery is equal to resistance." The students continued to take notes during the lecture. The ones belonging to the non-God ns were frantically writing, while those from God ns were rxed. They had already been taught about this. "What about the other elemental affinities? "We have resistance against them thanks to Resonance, but does this mean we can''t increase those resistances? "No, that''s wrong. It is possible to increase the resistance for the partial elemental affinities." Professor Evelyn wrote three big letters on the ckboard with the chalk: [AGE] "The older you are, the higher your Resonance with the World Core. "As Resonance increases, so does the resistance for the partial elemental affinities we gain through the World Core." Professor Evelyn returned the chalk to thepartment below the ckboard. "This is why, if your opponent is old, just retreat. "There''s a high chance your Spells and Aura attacks won''t work against them." She added, "On a side note, make sure you know at least one [Weapon Technique] and have a few self-buff Spells. "If you can''t defeat your opponents through Spells or Aura attacks, you''ll need to resort to physical attacks. "If your opponent is old, they might have high elemental resistance, but they would be physically weak due to having grown, well, old." The lecture continued for a few more minutes. Professor Evelyn exined more about partial elemental affinities and resistance through more examples. She rmended a few self-buff Spells and some Weapon Techniques. The ss ended without any incident. Neo, Arthur, and Felix visited the cafeteria for lunch. "Arthur, don''t you get bored of these lessons? "It''s clear you know everything," Felix questioned while munching on her food. She had been pissed off after the ss. Arthur had to promise her he''d teach her a few Weapon Techniques to calm her mood. "No? The sses help me revise everything. "Besides, aftering down the mountain, I found out a lot of things were different than I imagined. "I can confirm the knowledge I was taught about the mystical quantities is correct through the sses," Arthur answered. "Who even taught you all that?" "¡­" Arthur suddenly became silent. Felix sensed the shift in his emotions. "It''s fine if you don''t want to answer. I shouldn''t have asked about a sensitive topic¡ª" "My grandfather. "He raised me and taught me everything I know. "I loved everything he taught me. "It was fun to understand how the world and the elementals worked. Fighting with him, learning Weapon Techniques, everything made me happy. "I never told him that though. "I used to act like I hated him for keeping me locked up on the mountain and forcing me to learn about the mystical quantities." Arthur''s eyes became distant as he reminisced. "I¡­ I really should''ve told him I loved him." Felix patted his back. The mood became heavy. Arthur wiped the tears that threatened to overflow andughed. "Well, I still hate him for those burnt chicken legs. "He sucked at cooking." "Huh? Chicken legs? He couldn''t make such an easy dish?" Felix took the cue, understanding Arthur wanted to shift topics. "Yes, I won''t lie. "Until I tasted the chicken legs prepared by Nathan, I used to think they were horrible and hated the dish." Felixughed. The two joked while Neo added a few words to their conversation every few minutes. After lunch, the three prepared to leave. "Do you two have any ss now? I have the Dagger Weapon elective," Arthur asked. "I have the firearm elective," Felix answered. They turned to Neo. "What about you?" "My elective isn''t today¡ª" "Don''t you have Etiquette ss?" Felix interjected. Neo pursed his lips. "I''m skipping it." "Oh, is it because Etiquette ss'' grades aren''t counted in the final evaluation?" Neo nodded. Quite a few people skipped that ss. Arthur and Felix left. Neo, alone, decided to give the Student Council Office a visit. Reaching the ce, he entered the mansion¡ª the gathering ce of student council members¡ª and knocked. Ophelia, the treasurer of the Student Council, opened the door. "You''re early." She smiled. "Come inside." The ce was lit with bright lights and had expensive paintings hung on the walls. Neo followed Ophelia and sat on the sofas in the living hall. ''"Where is Senior Amelia? I was told she would help me learn my tasks for the Student Council." "Something came up suddenly. She''s busy with it. I''ll brief you about your job in her ce." Neo nodded. ''How strange. Last time Amelia came to find me in the evening on this very day. '' ''Did the events change due to Fate''s interference, or was Amelia so worried about me that she left her task back then?'' He kept his thoughts to himself and listened to Ophelia''s exnation. "You''re a member of the Disciplinary Committee under the Student Council. "Your job is simple¡ª stop the fights between students when they break out in public ces. "Other than that, you will be called when we carry out surprise raids on dorms." "Raids?" "Yes, raids," Ophelia responded, wondering whether to be direct with Neo. She decided to be honest. "There have been cases of students getting high on magical drugs and performing rituals. "Last year, a student with Darkness affinity summoned a horde of monsters from the Underworld." She scratched her cheek. "The cases with magical drugs are no better. "In the worst cases, their bodies mutate, and they be chimeras¡ª half-monster, half-human." "So the raids are to ensure students don''t do anything stupid?" "Yes." Ophelia''s exnation took a while. She gave him a tour of the Student Council mansion while providing brief information about the othermittees under the council. "It''s alreadyte into the evening." She noticed the time and her expression shifted to one of apology. "Sorry, but there''s still more I need to tell you. "How about we continue this in the cafeteria over dinner? My treat, of course." Chapter 172: Dinner With Morrigan "Isn''t second-year not allowed to enter first-year''s buildings?" "Student Council members are allowed." "Oh." Neo nodded. "Then, let''s meet at 9 p.m." He left the ce and looked at the time. "It''s 6:30. There is still some time left before the library closes." Although Neo was on the fence about reviving his friends, he had decided to follow their choices. He had to prepare for the resurrection ritual in case they asked to be revived. "I''ll need to learn a time-reversal spell to restore the corpses." Neo visited the library. The ce was jam-packed with students. Most were trying to search for Weapon Techniques, Incantations or self-buff Spells. Neo moved towards the Time Element Spell section. "A spell to revert time for an object¡­." He looked at the catalogue ced at the entry point of the Time Element Spell section. There were many Spells that suited his requirements. Their price, however, made his eyelids twitch. "The cheapest one is [Rewind Enchantment]. "A Resonance-ranked Spell that costs 1,000 credits." He took out his device and checked the bnce. [Credit Bnce: 729] "500 credits came from Student Council while the other 100 came from an S-rank mission. "I would have only 229 credits without them." Neo clicked his tongue. "It''s too low. "I need to grind quests for a few weeks." Neo left the library. He visited the mission hall. After selecting a few missions, he went up to the mission distributor. "Sorry, sir, you can''t choose these missions." "¡­" "To choose a C-rank mission and above, your team needs to have 5 active members at the minimum. "Unfortunately, you have only 3 active members right now." Neo pursed his lips. He forgot such a basic detail since he always left the team-handling tasks to Jack and never bothered with them himself. He left the mission hall. "Two more members. "Should I just take some randoms?" Quite a few non-God n students had yet to join teams. They were waiting for the 2nd semester to begin. In 2nd semester the student ranks would be rearranged, and they would get a higher chance of joining a better team as long as they could improve their rank. He entered the cafeteria. As he stepped into the building, his eyes searched for Ophelia, only to find Morrigan. She was eating breads. Unsurprisingly, her te was filled with a lot of them. "I want her." Neo decided. He went towards her and sat in front of her. Morrigan''s face soured. She ignored him and focused on her te. "You know, you should eat high-calorie food to restore your energy instead of eating this cheap bread inrge quantities. "I bet half of the students call you glutton." "¡­!" Morrigan froze. She raised her eyes and red at him. "I''m just saying the truth." Neo shrugged. She clicked her tongue and started munching down on the bread. "Is it because you don''t have credits to buy proper food? "You can join my team¡ª" "Will you please stop talking? It''s annoying." While the two talked, Ophelia entered the cafeteria. She noticed Neo and approached him. Her eyes shined when she saw Morrigan next to him. "Miss Morrigan! I''m a big fan! Can you please give me your autograph?" She took out a small diary and a pen. Morrigan''s brows creased. She alternated her gaze between Neo and Ophelia, wondering if they were being annoying on purpose. Before she could refuse, Ophelia took a seat and called for the waiter. She ordered something for herself, then turned to Neo and Morrigan. "What will you two have?" After Neo said his order, Ophelia waited for Morrigan. "What about you, Morrigan?" "Me?" "Yes. I''ll treat you too since you are here with Neo." Morrigan realized Ophelia mistook her for Neo''s friend. "I''m not with Neo. He sat there without my permission." "It''s fine. No need to be shy about it." Ophelia chuckled. Clearly, she misunderstood Neo and Morrigan as friends. "Ma''am, the order?" the waiter hurried them. Ophelia stared at her, asking her for what she would eat. Morrigan gulped and gave up on clearing the misunderstanding. "I''ll take¡­." She named a few dishes. Neo had to hold himself back fromughing. Ophelia didn''t understand why he was acting like that. However, Morrigan red daggers at him. The food arrived. Before they ate, Morrigan opened her mouth. "¡­The autograph. Where do you need it?" "Oh, I thought I wouldn''t get one! Thank you!" Ophelia''s expression brightened. She looked like a baby chick who was being fed by its mother. Morrigan signed the autograph. The three ate while Ophelia acted as the icebreaker. She exined about Student Council tasks to Neo. "Is it okay for me to hear about them?" Morrigan questioned. "I was told Student Council doesn''t like students sticking their nose in their jobs." "It''s fine since you''ll join the Student Council next semester." Ophelia took it for granted that Morrigan would try to join the Student Council. Morrigan''s brow furrowed. She nodded but didn''t say anything. While the three talked, Ophelia asked the question she had been meaning to ask since the beginning, "Why were you two together, though? "I thought you would be either with all of your friends or alone. "But just the two of you¡­." "No." "I was asking her to join my team." Morrigan and Neo spoke together. They didn''t want any wrong rumors to spread. Realizing they had spoken at once, they looked at each other. Morrigan clicked her tongue and shifted her focus on her salivating pte. Ophelia chuckled at their reactions. She opened her mouth. "Did you refuse him, Morrigan?" "Yes, I feel I''m better alone than in a team." "Even though you have been staying afloat on breads?" Morrigan stiffened. "You knew?" "Everyone knows." Her words made Morrigan''s ears and cheeks turn beet red. "It''s fine. I''m not saying you should join a team. "But, you know, there are a lot of teams that would kill to have you among them. "How about using that?" "¡­?" Ophelia let out an exaggerated crafty smile. Neo was exasperated since he understood Ophelia''s hint. "She is telling you to make a bet with students." He exined. "Something like, if you win, they''ll treat you to whatever you want to eat, and if they win, you''ll join their team." Despite his words, Neo didn''t think Morrigan would agree. ''She is the future War Empress.'' Chapter 173: Naive Morrigan ''Even if she is a glutton, she wouldn''t sacrifice her dignity¡ª'' "It''s a good idea." "I''m sorry, what?" "It''s a duel with equal exchange. I get what I want, and they get what they want." Her face said she wasn''t ashamed. If anything, she looked proud. "You''ll make the bet with Neo?" Ophelia interjected. Morrigan nodded after thinking for a bit. "We can do that." Neo was shocked. His surprise only increased when Ophelia gave him a thumbs-up below the table, hidden from Morrigan''s eyes. ''Did she just trick Morrigan so that I could have her join my team?'' Neo stared at the rabbit-like innocent face of Ophelia. He decided to be on his toes around her. Shifting his focus, he turned to Morrigan. "What kind of duel will we have?" "Food duel. We''ll decide the winner by who can eat more. "If you win, I''ll join your team. If I win, you''ll pay for everything we ate." "Who will pay if you lose?" Ophelia spoke before Morrigan, "Since today is my treat, I''ll pay for the food. "You two can have a duel without worrying about the cost." "Thank you, senior." Morrigan stared at Ophelia with respect and admiration. Neo, on the side, was almost unable to watch how na?ve Morrigan was. He shook his head. ''I should be thankful to Ophelia.'' ''Morrigan is now talking to me at least.'' "What should we order?" "Dessert." Morrigan licked her lips. "Pancakes." They ordered five pancakes each. Both of them finished it in a few seconds. As a demigod, they had high metabolism. The normal dishes could not fulfill their nutritional needs. The pancakes were normal; hence, they could eat dozens without feeling anything. It took Neo three rounds of orders to start feeling stuffy. Morrigan looked at him with a smug gaze. She continued to eat pancakes like she was drinking water. ''No way I can win against that.'' Neo was beginning to feel bloated. ''But I''m not giving up.'' He used Darkness inside his mouth to devour the pancakes. Morrigan noticed it easily. Instead ofining, she used her physical strength to squeeze pancakes into mini-sized balls and ate them. Their ''duel'' attracted a lot of attention. It wasn''t long before the cafeteria was filled with cheering and shouts. Most of them were supporting Morrigan, since in their eyes Neo was cheating a bit too much by using Darkness. Neo noticed Felix, Arthur, Jack, Mars, and Nathan in the crowd. Jack, on the verge of tears, was rolling whileughing his heart out. Felix was recording his video. It was their future ckmail material. Neo ignored them. It didn''t take long for Neo to notice something was amiss. At the rate they were going, he felt Morrigan might oust him. ''How the hell is she doing that?'' Neo spread his senses and focused. He noticed Morrigan''s Lightning elemental energy spiking up every few seconds. He understood what was happening. ''This crazy glutton¡­.'' Morrigan was tasting the pancake, now mini-sized balls, and using the Lightning inside her mouth to disintegrate them before they reached her stomach. She was cheating just as much as him! The students cheered for them. "Morrigan!" "Morrigan!" "Neo!" "Morrigan!" The sun started to peek from the horizon, signifying a new day. Neo thought he would lose until Morrigan ran out of Divine Energy. She continued to eat even after that and fainted. "Finally¡­" Neo sunk back into the chair. He looked around. Most of the students were drunk or asleep. The festive atmosphere from thest night made the cafeteria messy. He massaged his brows. Ophelia brought a tea for him. "Thanks." "Don''t mind it." She smiled. "You have your fourth member now. "As for the fifth member, I''ll introduce someone to you. "Think of it as a gift from me for joining Student Council." Her smile only made Neo realize how devious she was. ''At least I don''t need to pay for what we ate.'' ''It would''ve torn a hole in my wallet.'' ... [Three monthster.] Neo, Arthur, Jack, Nathan, Felix, and Mars left the examination hall. "Finally, the exams finished! Hell yeah!" Jack threw the question paper into the air with a maniacalughter. He had deep circles below his eyes. "Hahahaha! Take this Professor Jerome, I''m definitely not failing!" Jack, having fried his brain from cramming, continued to shout gibberish. They walked towards the Seraphim Hall to pack their luggage. Since the semester ended, they were allowed to return home during the holidays. "How about we meet during the holidays?" Felix questioned. "Me! I''m in favor of the proposal!" Jack raised his hand with a bright smile. They chuckled seeing how excited he was. Arthur and Mars agreed. "Where will we meet?" Neo asked. Suddenly the group turned silent and stared at Neo. "What?" "My ce¡­." Felix smiled awkwardly. "My n isn''t the best ce to meet, since my reputation is quite¡­ well, you know about it. "Anyway, we can''t meet at my ce. Ares n is a straight no-go. "Jack''s ce is too far. "Arthur doesn''t have a ce, so he will be living in Academy. I''d rather not us meet here during our holidays if I can. "That leaves only you," she exined. "How about some restaurant?" "I was thinking of having a night over." "We can have a night over in a hotel too." Neo remained adamant on not taking them to his ce. If he invited them, he might need to invite Amelia too. If Amelia came, Elizabeth mighte too. And if Elizabeth and his brother met¡­. Neo shuddered to think of the consequences. Suddenly, Jack''s face turned sorrowful. "Neo, it was my idea to meet up at your ce. "You see, my folks are poor. "I''ve always wanted to feel how it would be to live like a rich person, and I thought I could do that if wee to your ce. "Besides, I won''t be able to pay for a restaurant." He sniffed his crocodile tears. Felix added with a mncholic tone. "It''s the same with me. "My family won''t give me much money for the night outs." Neo looked at them with a disgusted gaze. He turned to Arthur and Mars. "Go on. I want to hear what excuses you two have prepared too." Chapter 174: S-rank Mission "I wanted to join the Weapon Auction the Hargraves Corporation is holding. "But I''m too poor to get the tickets," Arthur said, trying to force a sorrowful tone. "I''m fine anywhere, actually." Felix elbowed Mars when he gave a normal answer. Mars smiled and shrugged. "Neo, pleaaaaase¡­" Felix stared at him with puppy eyes. "Fine." Neo clicked his tongue and looked away. "We''ll meet one weekter." "Yes!" "Got him!" Jack and Felix high-fived. The group dispersed toplete their packing. Neo left for the library and bought the [Rewind Enchantment] Spell. "The cost is 1,000 credits. Do you wish to buy the Spell?" the librarian asked. "Yes." "The credits have been deducted from your ount." Neo took the Spell book and left the library. He checked his bnce. "Only 215 credits left. The exams and other utilities took a lot of credits." Neo studied the Spell on his way to the mission hall. It wasplicated. "I''ll need a few weeks to learn this." He returned the Spell book to his bag and entered the mission hall. "It''s time I start the Fourth Trial. "I just hope my guess is correct and the trial to defeat my Shadow." The trial was to surpass oneself. One''s Shadow was a copy of oneself, and no one could defeat their Shadow. Neo had repeatedly thought about the two ideas in the past week. He concluded he had to defeat his Shadow in order to surpass himself. "It''s not easy though. "I can find my Shadow only in Shadow Windows or the World of Shadows." Neo massaged the bridge of his nose. "Fuck, does my Shadow even exist? "I can stay inside Shadow Windows without safety gear. "So I''m either the Shadow myself or I''ve consumed my Shadow to awaken my Shadow element. "Both of the options don''t make any sense." Comining wouldn''t change anything. He decided to visit as many Shadow Windows as possible and hope his Shadow spawns. "If it doesn''t work, I might need to go to the World of Shadows¡­" Life was always shit to shitter. As if the previous trials were not difficult, now he had to search for a Shadow that might not exist. "Let''s do everything step by step. "First, I need to go into Shadow Windows." He stared at the missions posted on the mission hall. None of them had anything to do with a Shadow Window. "Not a single Shadow Window mission in months. "Of course, it neveres when I need it to." Neo clicked his tongue. There were Shadow Windows all over the continent. However, the academy was not given the contract to close them. "I guess I need to join an adventurer party that is nning on entering a Shadow Window and go with them. "Or¡­.." He could be in the right ce at the right time. Making the choice, Neo took all the missions rted to the Labyrinth. There weren''t many since a lot of students took those missions and nned toplete them during the breaks. "Sir, you can''t take an SS-rank mission. Your team does not qualify for it." "It''s okay. Give me the rest of the missions." While the SS-rank Labyrinth mission had bountiful rewards, Neo could not wait long enough to get the qualifications for it. He took the S-rank mission that killed his friends in the pre-regression round and a few C~A rank Labyrinth missions. >S-rank Mission< Details: Rescue Charles Drunma (dead or alive) who has been missing in the Labyrinth of Greenwood. Reward: 50 credits, Hellfire Ore, Nightw Gauntlets Assigner: Besmeth Drunma >S-rank Mission< The mission had been posted three years ago. The wife, Besmeth Drunma, firmly believed her husband could survive thebyrinth for three years. Thus, the academy had been forced to keep the mission posted. However, the fact that no one could clear an S-rank mission for three years proved it was next to impossible to clear. Neo left the academy. He took a bullet train for Greenwood City and entered the Labyrinth. "It''s good I can clear a few missions while opening a Shadow Window." He walked down the Labyrinth while using Aura of Death to kill any monster that entered his vicinity. "The best part is this S-rank mission. "It would''ve taken backbreaking efforts to find traces of Charles. "But since I know everything, I can skip the steps and salvage his corpse from the Minotaur''s chamber." Neo stretched his fingers. He could sense dozens of monsters hiding behind the corner, ready to ambush him. "Let''s speedrun the Labyrinth first." ¡­. Echoes of metal shing against metal reverberated through the cave-like corridors of the Labyrinth. "Mira,e back! You are going in too deep!" George frowned when Mira didn''t listen to him. She, fueled by adrenaline, had entered the ground of monsters. "re Burst!" George shot an exploding fireball into the midst of the monsters. The attack threw them off their feet. He used the opportunity to pull back Mira. "Mira! Are you okay? Mira, answer me!" "Y-yeah." The woman, barely twenty-three, smiled. She wiped the blood from her face. "Thanks for covering me there," she said. "Did you get my fight on the camera?" "What¡­?" "The camera, you know. The Stream. This is our chance as Labyrinth Streamers to¡ª" "You dumb bitch! We are about to die! Who cares about streaming our battle!?" Despite his words, George grinned. He understood it was Mira''s way of cheering him up. The two had been diving into the Labyrinth for months as small-time Labyrinth Streamers. They streamed their Labyrinth exploration online. On good days, they would get 100~500 live views. Today, though, they had a whopping 5,000 views. Because they were about to get eaten alive. "I care!" Mira swung her spear in a wide arc and let the blood stter on the ground. "Make sure to keep the camera going." The two engaged the monsters rushing at them from all sides. Injuries piled over their bodies. Their situation, although despairing, was normal for average Labyrinth adventurers like them. The Labyrinth offered riches to anyone who dared to enter it. However, only a small percentage survived through the hellish ce to enjoy the rewards. ''The Graveyard of Demigods''. It was another name for the Labyrinth of Greenwood. Mira and George knew it was their time to join the graveyard. "I''m still a virgin, dammit!" Mira shouted and prepared to use her strongest Spell. "George, I''ll create an opening! Use it to escape while I be the bait¡ª" "Mira, get ready! Something big ising!" George sensed a powerful presence moving towards them. Chapter 175: How An Average Person Sees The World Of Strong His face became pale. The monsters were dangerous. But his senses were screaming that something far worse wasing towards them. The new presence was ominous. It was like¡­ Death. The monsters suddenly started to fall like dolls with their strings cut. They were dying. Unlike Mira, George could sense the presence of Death killing the monsters. All monsters fell within a few seconds. The source of the ominous presence approached Mira and George. The two noticed red lightning flickering over the walls of thebyrinth. A gust of wind blew behind them¡ª "I''ll be taking this key as a price of saving you two." Suddenly, an unfamiliar voice rang behind Mira and George. Their bodies froze instinctively. Sweat poured down their backs as they felt true fear for the first time in their life. The presence of Death was suffocating. It was horrifying. They didn''t turn back to look at source of the voice. Their bodies refused to budge. Suddenly, the presence of Death disappeared along with the red lightning flickering in the vicinity. The pressure holding them in their ce was gone. George and Mira fell to their knees. "Huff! Huff! W-what was that?" Mira shivered. "Who rescued us?" "It was the person who rescued us," George answered."A powerful demigod." Despite being thankful, no words of thanks left his lips. Even recalling the presence made him shake in his boots. Mira tried to calm her trembling limbs and checked the bag. It had fallen behind them while they were fighting the monsters. "The person who rescued us took the [KEY]." "So that''s why he rescued us." George covered his face with a sigh. Keys to Minotaur''s chamber could be found throughout the Labyrinth. It was not difficult to find the key, just time-consuming. The real challenge was locating Minotaur''s Chamber. Barely anyone found it once every few decades. After all, the Labyrinth continued to change every second. Even if they found Minotaur''s chamber, they would be wiped out by the mythical monster. Minotaur was undefeatable. It wasmon knowledge. Mira and George heard a familiar notification sound. George took out his device that was connected to his streaming camera. [CuriousLady has sponsored 10,000 Coins to Mi&Ge.] [Donor Message: I''ll give you 50 times more money if you follow that person and capture their face on the stream.] "H-huh?" Mira and George felt their eyes would pop out. 10,000 Coins was equivalent to $25,000. It was a huge amount of money! "Our channel had a big fish like this?" George muttered in a daze. "But why does she want to¡­" [CuriousLady has sponsored 10,000 Coins to Mi&Ge.] [Donor Message: If you dawdle, you won''t be able to track him anymore. Ask the question on the move.] Instead of following the words of CuriousLady, they looked at each other. ''Do we follow her words? I''d rather not do it if it gets the person who rescued us in danger.'' ''To be honest, she looks like a scout of an adventurer team or a Temple. Maybe that''s why she wants to see the identity of the person.'' George and Mira talked to each other with signals only known to them. They felt their guess was correct. ''We need to find him.'' The person who rescued them took the key. He wanted to challenge the Minotaur, probably. They had to find the person and advise them against it. After all, it was impossible to defeat Minotaur for demigods at their rank. "We should help him. He saved us," Mira said with a determined gaze. George nodded. He cast a tracker Spell and tried to sense the presence of Death in the vicinity. It was faint, as if the person had experience in erasing his tracks. However, he had been in a hurry to remove all traces, or maybe he had not bothered with it. George, with his years of experience in find tracks, could follow the tracks if he put in some efforts. The duo moved through the Labyrinth at a swift pace. Wherever they went, they saw corpses of monsters. Some of them had half of their bodies eaten. As if someone chewed them and spat them out. They heard an ear-shattering roar while they were searching for the tracks. Their stream chat became lively. The live member count reached 50,000. Hundreds of messages were arrived every second. [CuriousLady has sponsored 100,000 Coins to Mi&Ge.] [Donor Message: That''s the roar of Minotaur! Hurry!] George and Mira bolted towards the source of the sound. They had trouble breathing as they approached the location. The thick amount of elemental Divine energy in the area was suffocating them. They saw the doors of Minotaur''s Chamber. It was the first time in 28 years that someone found the ce. However, their joy was short-lived when they noticed the open doors. They rushed ahead. Inside, they saw the back of a ck-haired boy facing the towering Minotaur. "He looks like a high schooler." The boy, resting his right hand on the hilt of his sword, stood against the Minotaur. The monster looked like something straight out of a nightmare. Mira and George felt their hearts freeze at a single nce. The monster rushed towards the boy, swinging down its massive mace. Mira and George tried to move, to rescue the kid. However, their bodies were frozen due to the overwhelming presence of Minotaur pressing down on them. Shockwaves erupted when the mace hit the ground. The floor shattered, and Mira and George were thrown off their feet. They flew back and hit the wall, breaking a few bones in the process. "Th-the boy¡­." The pain snapped Mira out of her stupor. If they, far from the epicenter of the attack were injured, the boy must''ve been crushed to death. "He must''ve frozen from fear." Mira realized the kid had been unable to dodge the attack due to his body freezing up. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into the palm. "We couldn''t save him¡­." Mira trailed off when the dust cleared. She had a hard time believing the scene before her eyes. The boy was alive. He had stopped the gigantic mace with a single hand. The Minotaur roared. It tried to pull back its mace and failed. "I''m short on time." The monster trembled. It wasn''t angry. It was afraid. "So, I''ll finish it quickly." The boy moved his arm. It was fast enough that his arm turned into a blur beforeing back to rest. He had punched the air. The shockwaves moved forward and hit the Minotaur. A beatter, the Minotaur was smashed into the wall, with a giant hole torn open in the middle of its chest. Chapter 176: Powerful Death The monster crumpled into wisps of darkness. The divine energy churned, and another Minotaur appeared. Before it could attack, the boy wrapped his de in Death and Darkness. The sword''s size increased. He shed and sliced off the Minotaur''s ankles. The monster fell. The boy jumped high in the air, wrapped in a condensed bolt of red lightning, his sword raised high, and stabbed it into the Minotaur''s head. The giant monster roared, but before it could react, the boy pushed red lightning inside its head through the sword. The Minotaur''s body started to crack. Red lightning glowed beneath its skin. Just when it seemed the Minotaur would die and revive, the boy''s shadow moved. The darkness hiding within it bloomed. It spread out like a flower and bit off half of the Minotaur''s body in one go. The monster roared, not in anger but in pain and fear. --- **Ten minutes earlier** The holographic screen continued to flicker in a dark room. The room was littered with drinks, half-eaten packed food, and dust. The woman with deep dark circles and unkempt hair sat before the hologram. Her eyes were glued to the screen. "There is nothing to watch today." She moved the mouse and joined another stream. After finding nothing, she scrolled the page and filtered it by rising. There was nothing interesting. She continued to scroll until her eyes stopped at a Labyrinth streaming channel. **[MI&Gi]** **[View Count: 1112 (Skyrocketing)]** "Skyrocketing?" The tag signified that the channel had gained several times its peak live views within thest hour. Intrigued, the woman opened the channel. "I''m still a virgin, dammit!" the blonde woman in the stream shouted. It didn''t take long for Luna to understand what was happening in the stream. "They are going to die in the Labyrinth." She clicked her tongue and pursed her lips. "So that''s why the channel had the skyrocketing tag." Luna was about to leave the channel when suddenly the monsters in the video started to die. Mira and George, the two streamers, froze. They heard a voice behind them. "I''ll be taking the key in exchange for saving you two." The streamers, frozen from fear, couldn''t move until the person who killed the monster left. They copsed to the ground, relieved; however, Luna''s gaze was fixed on the flickering red lightning in the corner. "Death element¡­?" She gulped. Although stunned, she continued to analyze the stream. "He could kill the monsters of the Labyrinth with the element alone. "That''s Adept mastery. "No, maybe even higher." Her eyes gained life. She frantically messaged the streamers to follow the boy and gave them a tip. "I have to find him¡ª" Luna froze when she realized the boy had taken the key from the streamers. "He is trying to fight the Minotaur¡­" "Damn it, I finally found someone with high mastery in Death!" Luna swiftly stood up. She left her room and banged on the door opposite her own. "Shelly! Shelly!" "What¡­?" The door opened, and a woman with messy hair, wearing pajamas, came out. "What do you want at midnight?" Shelly yawned. "T-this!" Luna showed her the stream. "I''ve found someone with the Death element and a high mastery!" Shelly''s sleepiness disappeared, only to be reced by a frown. "You''re still on that? It''s been five years, Luna. Give up¡ª" "Warp me to the Labyrinth!" Luna cut off Shelly, her eyes fixed on the stream. "Hurry! The kid is trying to fight the Minotaur! I need to save him!" Shelly sighed. She knew her advice wouldn''t change Luna''s mind. "Don''te to me for something like this again." She clicked her tongue. "Go get changed." "We don''t have time for that!" Shelly''s expression worsened, seeing the desperation and hope in Luna''s eyes. She ced her hand on Luna''s shoulder and raised her other hand before closing her palm. The two appeared high in the sky. They hovered in the air. "Where is the Labyrinth?" "There." Shelly followed Luna''s directions and stared into the east. Of course, she couldn''t see the Labyrinth since it was several cities away, but a general direction was enough for her. She pointed her open palm towards the Labyrinth and closed it. The world warped. The space between the Labyrinth and Shelly''s location waspressed into three centimeters. "Thank you!" Luna jumped to the other side. A sigh escaped Shelly''s lips as she let go of her hold over the space. "I''m gonna get scolded again for using my abilities in a public area." --- Luna arrived before the Labyrinth. No one had noticed her arrival. Only Shelly and those Shelly touched could see her warp abilities. Luna was about to enter the ce when the guards at the entrance stopped her. "We need to see your ID, Miss¡­" The guard''s gaze scrutinized her appearance. Looking like a hooligan was one thing, but Luna was ''defective.'' "We can''t allow entrance to you unless you have special permission," the guard spoke while looking at her mechanical legs. ''Judging by howfortable she is with those legs, it''s clear she lost her original legs a long time ago,'' the guard thought. ''There is no way she can fight with those things.'' Luna''s face contorted. "Do you even realize who you are talking to? I''m an¡ª" Before she couldplete her sentence, the kid in the stream encountered the Minotaur and was crushed in a single attack. Luna''s eyes widened, her gaze filled with horror until the dust suddenly cleared. The boy was alive. Not only alive¡ªhe took 10 seconds to subdue the Minotaur. Just 10 seconds to kill the mythical monster twice. "What¡­?" The Minotaur didn''t revive. The implications made Luna shudder. Greed and desire appeared within her gaze. "He has built a portion of his Concept of Death. That''s the only way he can kill an Immortal with two attacks." The guard, realizing something was amiss with her, was about to tell her off when suddenly the Labyrinth shook. The ground started to break. "W-what? What is happening!?" the guard shouted. The adventurers entering the Labyrinth started to leave the Labyrinth in droves, and the whole ce was chaos. Nobody understood what was happening. Instead of exining what was happening to them, Luna focused on the stream. When the boy killed the Minotaur, the Labyrinth started to close. The walls broke, and the door cracked. The whole ce was filled with dust. Coupled with the bad camera quality, she couldn''t see the boy''s face. He was picking something from the chamber and storing it in a bag. While he was doing his work, the boy spoke to the streamers, "You two should hurry and leave. The Labyrinth will close soon." "But what about you¡ª" "I killed the Minotaur. Can you two do that?" "¡­ " The streamers closed their mouths. "Leave quickly if you don''t want to be buried alive," the boy added. "All paths of the Labyrinth open at the exit when it''s about to close. "If you two run now, you should be able to escape." "No, no, no, no¡­" Luna muttered. "Get his name at least! This shitty camera quality, dammit!" She gave another tip to the streamers. However, instead of following her request, they left the Labyrinth. Luna was fuming with anger. She wanted to rush into the Labyrinth, but she knew going inside now was counterproductive. It was better to wait for the kid outside. The Labyrinth started to sink. Thousands of adventurers rushed out of the Labyrinth before it sank into the ground, leaving a kilometer-wide chasm. The chasm was so deep they couldn''t see its bottom. "The Labyrinth closed¡­?" "Someone defeated the Minotaur!" "Did an Empyrean Demigod or something enter!? How could a Mythic Demigod defeat that monster?" "Someone call the authorities! Too many people are injured here!" "I need help¡­" Luna ignored the crowd. She scanned the ce for the kid. Suddenly, the ground shook as if an earthquake had arrived. Darkness and shadow elementals rushed out of the chasm. They flowed into the sky and hit an invisible roof. "Hey, what is that¡­?" The powerful force of the elementals continued to strike against the roof. The sky cracked. Slowly, the crack erged, and a portion of the sky shattered, revealing swirling darkness beyond. A heavy pressure flowed out of the crack and hit the city below. Dozens of adventurers fainted, unable to handle the pressure, while some barely resisted and managed to stay awake. The adventurers had no time to rest. Shadow monsters, with sharp ws and wings, started to descend from the crack. "Look above!" "Iing!" "An unidentified Window has appeared! Retreat! I said, retreat!" All hell broke loose. While the disappearance of the Labyrinth was shocking, the Window was far more dangerous. Seeing the sky covered, they felt as if the world wasing to an end. Luna remained calm. "That looks a bit dangerous." Although she had no intentions of closing the Window, she wondered if she should take care of the shadow monsters emerging from it. She was about to move when suddenly she sensed a powerful force of Death gathering in the distance. Chapter 177: Weird Dreams The presence of Death was overwhelming. Red lightning sparked in the surroundings. Soon, giant, building-sized, red flickers of lightning were gathering at a spot. A ck-haired kid stood at its the center. "It''s him." Luna was about to move, but she realized the boy wanted to deal with the Shadow monsters flying down from the window. She decided to wait. "Let''s see what you are capable of..." Her words got stuck in her throat when the boy attacked. "How...? How can he do that?" ... Latte Caf¨¦, Ferora City, 2 cities away from Greenwood City "That''s a True Mythic Demigod!" Brian''s eyes glowed with excitement. He continued to talk to Felix and Arthur, who were sitting on the counter. "I''m telling you as a history major. Today''s Mythic Demigods are too weakpared to the past." "How so?" Arthur questioned, intrigued. Brian ignored Arthur and continued to talk to Felix, clearly trying to hit on her. "During the Age of Gods, when the terms Demigod and God had yet to be coined, those who awakened mystical qualities were called ''Awakeners.'' "That was the only rank. "Only one." Brian grinned, proudly unting his knowledge. "Do you know all of us originate from the race called ''Homo Sapiens''? "Homo sapiens had defective genes that limited their potential. "It was why only one rank existed because no one could go beyond that limit." "..." Felix openly sighed, showing her disinterest in Brian. She red at Arthur from the corner of her eyes. "Then how did we cross that limit?" Arthur asked. "We have more ranks now." "Because of the ''Myths''." Brian continued. "Back then, the monsters, the windows, and Divine Energy-powered natural disasters were destroying the world. "You could say, the entire race of our ancestors, Homo Sapiens, was on the verge of extinction. "Unlike our ancestors, our opponents were not limited by their potential. "Cities were destroyed, millions died every day, wars becamemon. "But!" Brian paused, adding an exaggerated effect to his words. "They rose up. "The Myths... "The Awakeners who broke through the limit of their race. "When survival became a luxury, the heroes, those who would be Gods in the future, started to show abilities beyond what was thought possible. "Back then, only a few could cross the ceiling of the Awakener rank. "They were the Myths, the legends, themselves," Brian exined. "So the mythic rank is named after them?" Arthur spoke. "Indeed, that is true. But!" Brian''s eyes gained a fierce glow. "Don''tpare the past Mythic Demigods to today''s! "Back then, a Mythic Demigod could protect an entire city alone! An entire city! "They were as strong as natural disasters! "And this was when they, the Homo Sapiens, had yet to gain the God Blood." Arthur smiled bitterly at Brian''s contempt. He knew the past Mythic Demigods were far stronger. However, it was natural. War created heroes. The desperation to survive and protect those they held dear forced them to be strong. In today''s peaceful times, there was no need for them to push themselves to the limit. Demigods still tried to grow stronger. But it was for personal gain, and none of them had the drive. While Brian continued to try talking to Felix, the door of the caf¨¦ opened, and Nathan, Sean, and ra entered. The twins noticed Arthur and Felix and approached them. Felix''s eyes gained a bit of life. She realized it was her chance to get Brian off her back. "They are?" Brian asked as the new trio sat next to them. "Our friends," Felix introduced them. "She is ra, a Wind Mage, and he is her brother, Sean, and Nathan, a Darkness wielder." Brian''s face stiffened when he heard her. "Darkness user?" "Yes, he is quite good¡ª" "Fuck, I can''t believe I wasted my time talking to friends of a filthy fucker." He stood up and left. Felix faked a stunned expression. However, as soon as Brian left the shop, she exploded into a fit ofughter. "Good riddance." She turned to Nathan. "Sorry about calling you a Darkness wielder." "No problem." Nathan smiled bitterly. "He was actually quite nice. Normally, people throw a lot more curses." Darkness being one of the Forbidden elements was the reason why its wielders were shunned. The fact that most users of Darkness went insane and became psychopaths and mass murderers didn''t help. Simply put, Darkness was ''evil,'' and so were its users in the eyes of themon public. Many countries, institutions, and organizations shunned users of Darkness. The Demigod Academy not restricting its students, even if they used Darkness, was one of the reasons why Demigods saw it as a haven for teaching. The five members talked amongst themselves,ughing and chatting. After a few dozen minutes, Arthur and Felix gave a secret nod to each other. They decided to put the n¡ªthe reason why they gathered everyone from their team¡ªinto motion. Felix gave an excuse and took ra and Nathan with her. Arthur and Sean were left behind. "Is there anything wrong with my face?" Sean questioned, realizing Arthur was staring at him with a serious expression. "What is happening to you?" "What do you mean by that?" Sean smiled, confused. "You have been acting weird since a month ago," Arthur added. "Did you really think no one realized you''ve been on your toes around Neo?" "...!" Sean flinched. He opened his mouth to give an excuse but closed it. A sigh escaped his lips a few secondster. "I was nning to tell you about this, but I didn''t have the time." "What is it?" Arthur leaned closer and interlocked his fingers. "I awakened my Time element a few weeks ago." "Oh? Congrats¡ª" "Listen to me first." Sean massaged his brows. His eyes went toward the giant ss wall, and he stared at ra, his sister, who was outside with Nathan and Felix. A frown appeared on his face when he noticed Brian approaching Felix. He continued. "Since the day I awakened my Time element, I started to see... I don''t know what to call them, weird dreams? "It''s always the same dream. "The S-rank Sphinx mission." Sean added, "I see things that didn''t happen." Chapter 178: As Strong As Old Era Myths Arthur''s face stiffened. He couldn''t help but recall how many of them had died during the Sphinx mission. He listened to Sean. "In those dreams, Neo didn''t injure your Shadow in the first encounter. "Instead, he was almost killed, and ra died during the mission. "That''s not all. I¡­ "I did something horrible. Something so horrible that it almost cost us our lives¡­" Sean stared at the table, unable to lift his gaze and look into Arthur''s eyes. Because Sean knew. They weren''t just simple dreams. Sean was no longer someone whocked basic knowledge. A single semester at the academy opened his eyes and showed him the limits of mystical quantities. "They are not dreams, they are...." Arthur didn''tplete his sentence. "Yeah, I know. "The timing says it all." Sean picked the ss of water and gulped it down. "Since I started seeing the dreams when I awakened my Time element, they aren''t dreams. "They are our past. The past that was erased because someone regressed and saved my sister." "So that''s why you were staring at Neo so much." Arthur leaned back into the chair. Sean''s words made it clear¡ªNeo was the only person who acted differently in the Soran mission. "Neo saved my sister. "I wanted to thank him, but I couldn''t decide if the Neo who is with us is the same Neo who saved my sister." "That''s what was happening. Everything makes sense now." Arthur smiled bitterly. "He is the same Neo." "Are you sure about that?" "I am." Arthur exined. "You wouldn''t know since you are in a different ss. Neo is stupidly strong. "He doesn''t unt his strength, but he doesn''t try to hide it either. "I was confused why he suddenly grew so powerful. "Talking to you cleared my doubts." Arthur added, "He regressed." A smile appeared on his face. He had been worried about Sean, since Sean had been acting weirdly. But clearly everything was alright. "Damn, now I want to awaken the Time element too¡ª" "Arthur! Open the news!" Felix, Brian, ra, and Nathan rushed into the caf¨¦. "Hurry!" Arthur realized something was up when he saw their concerned expressions. He took out his device, opened the news, and switched it to a holographic screen. The news channel showed ady with a screen behind her projecting a cracked sky. "Today, at 11:30 pm, the Greenwood Labyrinth has been closed. "The asion calls for a celebration; however, the city has been instead enveloped in unrest. "As soon as the Labyrinth closed, it was reced by a Window connecting to the World of Shadows. "ording to experts, the Labyrinth''s true purpose has been to seal the Window. "Now that the Labyrinth disappeared, the seal broke, and the window opened." The screen zoomed in on hundreds of Shadow monsters descending from the sky. "We need to go," Brian suddenly spoke up. "The Window is apparently an unpredicted Window. "Its rank hasn''t been evaluated. The authorities will take time to deploy troops. "Thousands will die in the meantime." His body was trembling. "Please, I''m sorry for what I said earlier, but my family is there. "You all are Academy students. You would be able to help the situation with your strength." No one spoke. Brian grabbed Arthur''s hand. "I¡­ I''ll teleport you guys to the city. Please¡­" "Stop it," Sean spoke. "We aren''t strong enough to do anything in that ce. "Besides, you won''t be able to teleport us to Greenwood City in time¡ª" "What do you mean you aren''t strong enough!?" Brian exploded. "The demigods of the past era could do it! Why are you guys so weak!? Wh¡­Why¡­?" Tears started to fall from his eyes. "Why am I so weak?" Brian wiped his tears. His expression grew resolute. "I apologize for trying to get you involved in something unrted to you." The Divine Energy around him churned. Just as he was about to teleport, Arthur opened his mouth. "Wait, look at this." His words made others stare at the news. They had ignored it after hearing the headline. Arthur pointed at the falling Shadow Monsters. "They are already dead. All of them." The news anchor shouted. "What was that!? The Shadow monsters suddenly¡ª "Cameraman Kelvin, please show us the previous footage! We need to see what happened!" The screen showed footage from minutes ago. It had a slight red hue, as if a new filter had been added. The filter was used to let the people see the Auras. Hundreds of Shadow monsters were flying down. Suddenly, bolts of red lightning crashed into them. The attack killed any monster it touched. A ck-haired boy appeared in the sky. He had jumped so high that he was hovering next to the flying monsters. The monsters, recognizing him as the source of the red lightning, attacked. The boy killed them with a single sh. He used them as footholds and jumped toward the other Shadow monsters. He continued to move from one monster to another, killing them swiftly before they reached the ground. However, the monsters were too many. They were slowly overwhelming him. Just then, a monster''s attack hit the boy. He fell from the sky and hit the ground. The monsters, realizing it was their chance, dove towards the boy. They circled him, slowly flying down, covering him like a cyclone. And¡­ A chilling roar reverberated through the city. Giant hands came out of the crack in the sky. The hands grabbed the edge of the Window and pulled the Window apart, slowly widening the tear. Before the monster could erge the crack, another powerful pressure erupted from the ground below. The Shadow monsters circling the boy started to fall down, dead. An unfathomable pressure surrounded the boy. He had suddenly grown stronger. Condensed red lightning circled his limbs like snakes. The monster who was trying to widen the Window''s crack roared. It realized something strong was on the other side of the Window and tried to hurry. The boy raised his hand. The red lightning condensed around his arm. It formed an arrow. The sheer force of the Aura Arrow distorted the air. He released it. The arrow shot through the air, releasing giant bolts of condensed red lightning, killing every Shadow Monster in the sky and flying into the Window. The attack hit the giant monster on the other side. The giant monster roared. It withdrew its hand. Its roar grew frenzied. The monster had been angered. Instead of waiting for it to attack, the boy jumped. He used the falling monsters as foothold and entered the Window. Before anyone could react, the Window closed behind the boy. Chapter 179: Centuries Old Monster Sealed Within The Window Silence. Nobody spoke. Arthur, Felix, Sean, ra, and Nathan stared at the news with stunned eyes. The ck-haired boy... They recognized him. The content of the news was too unbelievable. They knew the boy was strong, but to fight entities capable of destroying a city? Felix''s phone rang. She picked it up. "Mars?" "Hey, that''s Neo, right?" Mars'' voice flowed from her device. "What the hell is he doing there!? And why did he enter the Window!?" "I don''t know..." Felix pursed her lips. Her gaze was fixed on the headlines of the news that showed the footage of Neo fighting against hundreds of Shadow monsters alone. "I have no idea what is happening right now." ... Greenwood City The boy entered the Window. Luna was about to follow him when suddenly the Window closed. She froze. "What?" The implications of the closed window made her face contort. She hit her mechanical legs. "Dammit!" Letting the boy, strong as he was, into a Window alone was like putting his head on a guillotine. She should''ve stopped him. However, her weakened body was too slow to react. Luna ruffled her hair. She looked around and noticed the adventurers staring at the sky. Some of them had taken out their devices. They were looking at the news. Luna frowned. She switched on her device and opened the Akashic Record app. As soon as she clicked on the search bar, the trending options appeared: #1. ck-haired swordsman, Greenwood City #2. Greenwood Labyrinth closed #3. Shadow Window, Greenwood City #4. Neo Hargraves, Divine Ruler Her brows creased when she saw the #4 trending search. "Neo? Why is his name a trending topic? Did he do something in the Academy again?" Under her confused gaze, it became #3, then #2, and finally #1. "Henry is going to throw the office upside down again." Luna, although curious, ignored it and clicked on the Greenwood City news. She wanted to know if there was a clue about the identity of the Death-affinity boy who closed the Labyrinth and defeated the Shadow monsters who left the Window. The news channel showed the reporter interviewing a teenager. "Are you saying you recognize the ck-haired swordsman?" "Y-yes." The teenager nodded, nervous. "I-I''m Yuriel Kalsova, Rank 999, first-year Demigod Academy student. The ck-haired swordsman is a student from the Academy." Luna''s eyes glowed when she saw the interview. A smile appeared on her face. "These reporters are finally doing something good for once." She watched the interview carefully, making sure not to miss a single detail. The reporter opened his mouth. "Oh? An academy student? Is he one of the Top 10 second-year students? But this is strange. There isn''t anyone among the current top roster of the second-year students who can handle Death elemental that well. Is he one of the dark horses?" The reporter continued to question. Knowing the candidates who could be a Temr was always one of the hot topics of the year. The ck-haired boy showed he had the ability to be a Temr. On top of that, he was unknown. It was a major scoop. "N-No. He isn''t a second-year student." Yuriel looked at the camera. "He is Neo Hargraves, the current Ruler of first-year students." "I''m sorry, what?" The news reporter''s expression changed from one that of an excitement to confusion. Neo Hargraves had repeatedly made headlines. His feats were beyond remarkable. But it was impossible for a first-year student to be that strong. ... Shadow Window Neo appeared inside the Window. He looked around, noticing the Shadow mist decreasing his visibility, and turned back. The entrance of the Window had closed. "It''s happening as I remembered it to be. Seems like my memory isn''t all bad." He had read the novel eons ago. Even if he had a good memory, thanks to being a demigod, he was starting to forget the novel''s content. "I guess the only good thing is that I still remember the major arcs clearly." He muttered. The Window he was currently in was supposed to pull hundreds of civilians into itself before it disappeared. It would''ve reopened monthster after giving birth to one of the major viins of the novel. "Her name was Mira, I think. She was a streamer before she was abducted by the Window. What was her channel name¡­ Mi&Ge? After surviving the Window and losing her lover, George, she would''ve awakened her Darkness element and gained an inheritance that was stored here to be powerful in a short time." Neo continued to jog up his memory. "If I''m not wrong, something here was rted to Jack''s family, wasn''t it? His ancestors were the ones who sealed this Window and created the Labyrinth, hoping one day a strong sessor would be born and... something something." Neo tried hard, but that was all he could recall. The Shadow Mist started to thin. He could feel the tremors on the ground increasing in intensity. "That makes it clear. I''ll try to see if my Shadow spawns and¡ª" The air was torn apart before he couldplete his words, and a massive fist descended toward him. "Did you not learn a lesson fromst time?" Neo stared at the iing attack. He used Ocean''s Embrace and took the attack head-on. "You are too weak." The giant''s fingers cracked when they hit Neo. Before the giant could cry in pain, Neo jumped high in the air. He used its arm to run towards its head and beheaded it with an Aura sh. The giant monster''s head fell. Then, the headless body crashed. The ground shook from the impact. The shockwaves cleared the Shadow Mist, allowing Neo to take a proper look at the surroundings. It was a desert made of ck sand. The night sky was devoid of stars. Neo stayed near the giant monster''s corpse. He decided to devour it before venturing deeper into the Window. The process was slow. Neo braced himself for the Voices of Darkness. Neo, Neo, Neo, let''s y N eo LE T''SSSSSPLa y The voices were no longer incoherent. "This¡­ "As expected, I can understand them." Although he had predicted it, he was still surprised. "This is the result of my Eternal Skill. "It grants resistance against all status ailments such as mental corruption, curses, and poisons. "Seems like the voices of Darkness are counted as mental corruption." While he could hear what the Darkness was trying to say, it didn''t help him understand the Darkness'' intention. It continued to repeat the same words to him. Neo took more time than he expected to devour the giant Shadow monster. He clicked his tongue when he noticed the stats he gained. "Only 2 secondary stats?" The gap between him and the giant Shadow monster had been immense. He didn''t gain much from it and had to waste a lot of time devouring it. "This was unexpected. "I wonder if all the monsters here are the same. "The novel said they were monstrously strong, but it''s clear they aren''t a match for my current strength. "The first one wasn''t at least." ... Depth Level 2, Shadow Window Thousands of bones were strewn across the desert. They radiated a dark aura, filled with grudges and despair. At the center, a skeleton, wearing a dark red robe, sat on the throne. The monster had red glowing eyes and it continuously absorbed the dark aura being radiated by the bones, using it as fuel to increase its power. It held a glowing ss sphere in its hand. The sphere showed it the battle between Neo and the giant Shadow monster. "Finally¡­." The skeletonughed. Its jaw rattled. However, how could it not be happy? It had spent hundreds of years sealed in this ce by the ursed Hanma Family. The monster, powerful as it was, had limited resources to grow stronger inside the sealed Window. When the Window first opened, it had nned to abduct citizens and close the Window immediately. After all, there was no knowing how strong the Awakeners had be after it spent centuries in the Window. The monster, however, was not helpless. It had been prepared for this day since the beginning. It would''ve used the abducted citizens as a sacrifice to gain power beyond imagination. "I was worried that the quality of sacrifice might be low. "But this is good! With such a strong Awakener, I can finally make a breakthrough! "I, one of the Myths, will be the first Awakener to reach the third rank!" *** Author''s Note: Hi guys, first of all thanks for supporting Extra''s Death until now. Extra''s Death is about to reach 200,000 word count! That''s almost three whole books worth of word count! We are Top 30 in monthly GT ranks and Top 30 in Best Seller ranks. I can''t express how happy I''m feeling. I never expected Extra''s Death to perform half as good as it is doing and I''m still surprised that so many people like my work. The support you''ve shown is one of the only reasons I could continue writing everyday. I''m very thankful to all of you. Now, the reason I''ve abducted the chapter for my personal Author Note is to tell you guys about the current release rate of Extra''s Death. Some of you must''ve realized I''m only updating 1ch/day most of the times instead of the usual 2ch/day. It''s partially becauseI''ve recently been swamped with college exams and it doesn''t help that this is myst year, so I''m pretty busy. But the main reason is that I''ve been burnt out. 200k words. Remember that? I wrote all of it in just three months. It was, and is, quite exhausting. Of course, I can force myself to write 2ch/day even in my current state. But I don''t want to write subpar chapters. I forced myself to write during the exams when the burn out started, and I ended up with the current City of Soul Reapers arc. I didn''t like the arc to be honest. So I tried my best for the next arc, the Time element Awakening arc, and I was satisfied with what I wrote. Happy as I was, the burn out hit in full force after that arc ended. It''s quite clear I need a rest unless I want to mess up the story. I''ll be reducing my release rate to 1 ch/day for a few days to recover. Hope you guys forgive me for it. Again, love you guys for all the support you''ve shown until now. I''ll try to do a small mass release after I recover and return to the 2ch/day schedule. Chapter 180: Ancient Necromancer Neo walked through the ck desert. He saw the door to Depth Level 2. It was a swirling mass of shadows, about a day''s walk away. Tremors appeared on the ground. Bones of various colors¡ªwhite, yellow, ck¡ªjutted out from the earth. Revived corpses of monsters and mythical beasts began to unearth themselves. "Seems like there''s a Necromancer here." "Is he rted to why Mira became so strong in the novel?" Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of corpses emerged. Instead of taking a stance, Neo continued to walk. Red lightning crackled around him. It traveled from his core to his legs, entering the ground. The red lightning pulsed through the earth, killing the revived corpses before they could fully emerge. "They''re really weak." The journey was uneventful. Ghouls, ghosts, Duhans, Wraiths. They continued to attempt bing roadblocks for him. Neo reached Depth Level 3 after several hours. The Divine Energy in the air grew murky. Instead of Shadow elementals, the air was filled with Death elementals. ck bones jutted out of the ground. Neo frowned when heid his eyes on them. "What is this...?" He could feel the grudges of souls embedded in the bones. A tear slipped down his cheek. Confused, Neo realized it was his blessing crying. "Save them," it was telling him. Before Neo could do anything, he heard maniacalughter. Dark clouds gathered in the sky. "You''vee, sacrifice. "I must say, I was surprised to see you defeat my underlings! "But it ends now! You''ve stepped into my Domain! You are as good as dead!" The Necromancer, a skeleton in a majestic red robe,ughed from his throne far ahead. A giant orb of Darkness floated behind the throne. "Imend your bravery, sacrifice, foring to face me alone! As a¡ª" The Necromancer stopped speaking when Neo disappeared from sight. He felt a gust of wind pass him and heard a voice behind him. "A Spirit Seed. So this is where Mira got her Spirit and became so powerful. "I take it you used the grudges of the dead and their souls to empower the Seed?" Neo asked, standing behind the throne. The Necromancer froze. ''How did he get behind me?'' ''I didn''t see him move.'' ''Teleportation? Space Warping? Perception maniption?'' He grew nervous. ''I felt the gust of wind. Was that pure physical athleticism?'' ''Did he move at a speed I couldn''t perceive?'' That was not good. It was bad bad news. The Necromancer raised his hand. The rings on his fingers glowed. But before he could attack, his vision tilted as his head fell from his body. The bones of the skeleton''s neck had been cleanly sliced. Neo looked back. He had beheaded the Necromancer when he passed him earlier. "It could still talk, even though I beheaded it. "Seems like a ''Lich'' is quite hard to kill..." Neo''s words trailed off as he sensed something. He looked toward one of the bones jutting from the ground. The bone grew, like a sapling bing a tree, and transformed back into the Necromancer. "What did you do?! How did you attack so fast?" Gone was the majestic aura and pride the Necromancer held. Five seconds were enough for it to realize the disparity between itself and Neo. "Hmmm..." Neo unsheathed his sword, ignoring the frantic Necromancer. He infused his Aura of Death into the sword. Engravings of red lightning arcs appeared on the de. "The Aura de doesn''t look defective. "So, how are you still alive? That attack could''ve killed the Minotaur in one go." He retracted his Aura, and the engravings disappeared. Seeing his frown, the Necromancer realized he might not be as helpless as he thought. A smile appeared on his face. "This is the power of my Domain! "As long as I''m here, I''m Immortal! "You might be strong, sacrifice, but you can never kill me! "Sooner orter, you''ll exhaust yourself, and I''ll end you when that happens!" The Necromancer''s confidence returned. Neo looked at the bones jutting out from the ground. ''It seems like he revives himself through the bones.'' ''There are hundreds of thousands of them.'' Neo returned the sword to its sheath. While he could brute-force his way through and destroy every bone, it was time-consuming and exhausting. Trying to use Death to overpower the Necromancer''s Immortality directly was even more futile. The Necromancer had lived for centuries; his Death resistance was leagues above what Neo could muster. ''This is troublesome. I''m stronger, but I can''t win.'' While Neo was lost in thought, the Necromancer attacked. His ring finger glowed as two giant bone hands erupted from the ground, crushing Neo between them. The Necromancer knew this was far from enough to kill Neo. ''The brat can use some sort of otherworldly sorcery to increase his defenses.'' ''I better keep attacking until I''m sure he''s dead.'' Being ancient, the Necromancercked knowledge of Spells. It was not surprising he couldn''t understand how Neo strengthened his defenses with Aura Maniption of the Water element. The water element wasn''t supposed to increase defenses; that was the Earth element''s domain. "Take this, sacrifice! Let''s see how much you can withstand!" Neo''s eyes narrowed as he gauged the situation. The Necromancer was indeed relentless, but his attacks felt less threatening and more¡­ desperate. "''Sacrifice?'' I''d say I don''t fit that role," Neo murmured, brushing dust from his sleeve. The bone hands squeezed tighter, grinding against his aura-infused defenses, but Neo''s presence only grew stronger. The Necromancer''s voice echoed across the wastnd as he raised both arms. It chanted in an ancient tongue. ''That''s not a spell.'' ''That''s...'' ''Incantations.'' Neo realized what it was trying to do. Incantations were advanced form of Divine Energy maniption techniques. They were different from Spells. Dark energy spiraled from the necromancer''s throne, feeding into the giant orb of darkness hovering above him. The air became even denser with death elementals. The ground shook as bones, ws, and skulls writhed up in droves. The army of revived corpses attacked Neo from all sides. The necromancer smirked, assured in his domain''s might. "So, this is your n? To keep resurrecting the dead over and over, relying on numbers to exhaust me?" Neo watched the oing wave, unfazed. "You''ll see, sacrifice! This is the wrath of centuries of cursed souls. No one, not even you, can withstand it forever!" the necromancer boomed, his confidence returning. "I wouldn''t be so sure about that." The red lightning arced across the field, searing the earth and shattering the bones before they could fully rise. Waves of death elementals incinerated everything in a split second. The necromancer''s grin faded as he watched his reinforcements crumble under Neo''s relentless energy. "Impossible!" the necromancer screeched, stumbling back. "Why do you have so much mana!?" Neo paused. He pursed his lips. The academy had felt like a cage to him. His friends and acquaintances in the first year were too weak for him to go all out. The three months of boredom nearly made him quit the academy. It was why he entered the window alone. To finally have a battle where he could go all out, a battle where he had to put his all on the line to win. But¡­ "You are too weak." He closed the distance in an instant. His speed caused his figure to blur, and he swung his sword in a wide arc. A surge of red lightning coursed through the air, creating a massive gash that cleaved the necromancer''s throne in two. The necromancer let out a strangled cry. His form shimmered and distorted, his head detaching from his body once again. For a moment, silence reigned. Neo stood, ready to strike, watching as the necromancer''s body dissipated¡ªonly to reform yet again from another bone a few meters away. "This is the power of my domain, sacrifice," the necromancer taunted, trying to reassert his dominance. "You might kill me a hundred times, a thousand times, but I will always return! You are merely a temporary annoyance!" Neo sighed. He really wasn''t in the mood to fight anymore. Each passing second only increased his boredom. "Mars or Arthur would''ve been better sparring partners." "Weak as they are, they can still use tricks and surprises to injure me." A smile appeared on his face as he recalled his friends. "Well, Morrigan would''ve been the best sparring partner." "But her demands are starting to increase." "I''m worried my wallet won''t be able to feed her for much longer." Neo took a deep breath, focusing his energy inwards "I suppose I should end this soon." His Divine Energy started to fuse into the air at a fearsome speed. The Necromancer frowned when it realized Neo was doing something. Dark cloud, rumbling with red lightnings, gathered in the sky. Analyzing the Aura signatures, the Necromancer stiffed. "How...?" His words got stuck in his throat when giant swords made ofpressed red lighting descended from the sky. Each sword was as big as the giant Shadow monster that Neo encountered when he first entered the Window. The Necromancer desperately setup defenses. The attack, while fancy, was very simple. It was purepressed Death elemental Divine Energy. Nothing more, nothing less. However, the amount of Divine Energy imbued in the attack made it devastating. "Stop this madness, fool! "You''ll kill us both!" The giant swords hit the ground and the world shook. Chapter 181: Billions Explosions apanied by powerful shockwaves erupted. When everything calmed down, the Necromancer''s body was in tatters. It had survived thanks to the defensive spells. Neo stood calmly. Even after using arge-scale attack, he was barely short of breath. "Hehhehehe¡­." The Necromancer started tough. Its chuckles turned into maniacalughter. "I see. So, that''s how it is!" "¡­?" Neo, although confused, didn''t hurry to end the battle. He wouldn''t be able to leave the window until the entrance reopened. There was a lot of time to spare. Besides, he was waiting, hoping his Shadow would spawn. Though there were low chances of it happening, given that he hadn''t encountered his Shadow until now. "You must be the leader of Awakeners! "That''s why you are so strong." The Necromancer pointed his long, elongated finger at Neo. Although he was shouting, there was a sense of pride in its gaze. "The damned Hanma Family must''ve spent centuries cultivating you." He nodded to himself as if he had understood everything. "After they prepared their ultimate weapon ¨C you ¨C they opened the seal and sent you inside to fight me!" "What are you talking about?" Neo frowned. "I''m just an academy student. No one sent me here." "There is no need to lie. Someone as strong as you must be the strongest or at least among the ranks of the stronges¨C" "Stop deluding yourself." "I''m strong, but far from the strongest." The Necromancer grinned. He remained firm in his spection. "Oh? Then humor me. If you aren''t the strongest, where would you ce yourself? "I, for one, was on par with Titans and the Revolutionary who opposed them. "I was one of the pioneers of the Apocalypse Era!" Neo clicked his tongue. The centuries of loneliness seemed to have messed with the Necromancer''s head. Even if he was strong in the past, he had been surpassed long ago. "Answer me, Strong One." The Necromancer urged. "I''m somewhere among the Top 25 students in my academy." "Hmm¡­ Is the Academy the name of the organization ruled by the strongest Awakeners? There¨C" "That''s just in my academy." Neo cut off the Necromancer and continued. "I''m barely in the top 100 if we count the demigods who are around my age and didn''t enter the academy, or those who used magical drugs or forbidden techniques to grow stronger." His words made the Necromancer stiffen. Neo ignored his shock and continued. "These are all who are on par with me in my age group. "If we are talking about demigods who can crush me easily, there are a million of them of at least. "The number jumps to billions if we count the mythical beasts, monsters, and otherworldly entities in elemental dimensions." Neo shrugged. "I''m strong, but far from the strongest." "Don''t lie¡­" The Necromancer scowled. "Do you really think I will believe those foul lies! "What about the Titans? What about the Resistance!? What about them!? "If you are average, then what are they? Gods!?" "Yes. They''ve be gods centuries ago." "..." The Necromancer swallowed his words. He couldn''t believe Neo. However, he knew Neo had no reason to lie. "What¡­ what is the highest stage of Awakeners in your era?" the Necromancer asked. He wanted to know. The Myths, the strongest Awakeners, were the second-stage Awakeners. Neo opened his mouth. "I would call them Fifth-stage Awakeners if I were to use the terms from your Era." "What about the Gods?" "Their strength can''t be measured in stages." The Necromancer''s head dropped. His eyes lost their drive. "What have I been doing for centuries? If I''m so weak, then have I not done anything but waste my time?" "¡­." Neo didn''t answer. The Spirit Seed the Necromancer cultivated had the potential to shake the world. However, the Spirit Seed was unstable. From the looks of it, the Necromancer didn''t have a strong mind to bear the burden of the Spirit Seed that had been cultivated from the grudges of hundreds of souls. So, in a sense, it was true he had wasted his time. "If you''ve received your answers, I''ll finish you now." Neo walked up to the Necromancer. He ced his palm on the Necromancer''s head. The monster didn''t resist. While he did have absolute trust in his immortality, he just didn''t care anymore. Neo activated his blessing. The life of the Necromancer yed in his head. A man was traveling across the country with his family. His children were happy since it was the first time they sat in an airne. The smile of his family warmed his heart. He felt it was worth it to spend a portion of their family savings for the trip when suddenly the Apocalypse hit. The ne crashed, and the man was the only survivor. Yearster, he came to realize he had awakened the moment the Apocalypse began and used the Death element to save himself. He was talented in the arts of Death elements. The man had been living like a ghost until then. However, the realization gave him a purpose. He would revive his family. He dabbled in the forbidden branch of death ¨C Necromancy. The Soul Hunters from the Underworld were deployed to take care of the man. He defeated them easily. The man, drunk on his powers, started to use sacrifices to grow stronger. He was powerful. So powerful that the Titans and the Resistance, led by Zeus and Ares, had to set aside their differences to stop him. It wasn''t until the Hanma family interfered that the man started to lose. Hamna family dabbled in the art of Necromancy and, for some strange reason, they weren''t hunted by Soul Hunters. With the Hamna family providing the knowledge of the strength and weakness of Necromancy, the Titans and the Resistance forced the man to retreat into a [Rift] connected to the Shadow world. Defeated, the man realized he had been sealed in the Rift between his world and the world of Shadows. However, he didn''t despair. He wasn''t alone. He used the people he had kidnapped, killed them, and captured their souls, torturing them for centuries. The grudge born from the souls was an excellent fertilizer for the Spirit Seed of Darkness. Centuriester, when the man was beginning to lose his sense of time, suddenly the entrance of the rift opened from the other side. The necromancer tried to invade the world and kidnap more souls to torture. A ck-haired swordsman blocked his path¡ª Neo exhaled lightly when the memory ended. His eyes glowed. His hand was covered in a starry, ethereal aura as he opened his mouth. "Niles Radcliffe, you''ve led a life full of sins. "Not only did you forget about your family¡ªthe reason why you became a necromancer¡ªyou became drunk on your powers andmitted atrocities that destroyed the lives of tens of thousands of innocent souls. "Even after being sealed, you never repented. "You tortured the souls of more innocents to strengthen yourself. "You, Niles Radcliffe, are a Sinner." The Necromancer realized something was wrong. Neo wasn''t trying to kill him. But his senses were warning him as if an attack capable of reaping his life wasing. "I sentence you to an imprisonment of 1500 years in the 5th circle of Hell." Chains erupted from the ground and bound the Necromancer. They started to pull him into the ground. "You¡­ what are you doing!? "Who are you to judge me!?" the necromancer shouted, panic evident in his voice. The chains burned his soul, making him cry. He red at Neo. "You damned boy. I spoke to you as an equal, and this is how you treat me!? "Look at yourself! Your soul is even more ursed than mine! Your Sins are far heavier than what I''ve umted! "You have no right to judge me¡ª" The Necromancer, unable toplete his words, was taken away by the chains of Hell. "It was easy to defeat the Necromancer since he was a soul, and my blessing can judge souls." Neo looked at his hand. He couldn''t help but recall the Necromancer''s words. "My Sins," Neo muttered. Using Darkness to devour the souls of others allowed him to gain their stats and abilities, but it also brought their sins. It came as no surprise Neo''s soul looked corrupted to the Necromancer since he had devoured a lot of beings and was now carrying their sins. Shaking his head, Neo looked at the bones jutting out of the ground. Each bone was a prison for a different soul. He joined his palms, gathering the power of his blessing, and pushed it into the ground. Thend was covered in a starry glow. Hundreds of memories started to y in Neo''s head. The souls cried. They let out the grievances in their hearts. Neo listened to them patiently like a parent. He could see the lives they''d lived. Some of them were captured when the Necromancer was trying to escape. They were innocent and had lived good lives. Neo sent them into the cycle of reincarnation. Some of them were sinners. Neo didn''t send them to Hell since they had already suffered in the Necromancer''s hands. He turned their souls into pure Divine Energy using the blessing and let them be one with the world. Some of the souls were innocent, but they didn''t want to reincarnate. The centuries of torment under the Necromancer destroyed their will to live. Neo used the blessing to soothe their souls. If they still wished for death after that, he let them be one with the world. [??? is satisfied with your Judgement.] [You have received...] Chapter 182: Second Stage Of The Blessing Neo could hear the souls thanking him. He freed them. They were grateful for ending their centuries-long despair. Sensing their emotions, Neo understood why his blessing had cried. Among the hundreds of voices, Neo heard a particrly different voice. [??? is satisfied with your Judgment.] [??? has unsealed the 2nd stage of your blessing.] Neo felt his soul expand. A soothing warmth surged throughout his body and¡ª It turned into searing pain. Neo fell to his knees, clutching his chest, gasping for breath. Something dark. Something ominous appeared within his soul. He closed his eyes, concentrating. It wasn''t easy to locate his soul. However, Neo, having reached Adept mastery in Death, could use Death Elemental Vision. It allowed him to see souls if he concentrated. Neo followed the power of his blessing rushing into his soul. He saw ''that'' within himself. Hell. It was small and broken. The power of his blessing nourished the Hell present in his soul. Suddenly, his Divine Energy churned. It flowed into his soul, helping his blessing repair the Hell. The cracks disappeared slowly. Neo lost track of time. He remained on the ground, writhing in agony as his blessing and Divine Energy repaired the Hell. It took days for the process toplete. His body was covered in sweat when it ended, and over half of his Divine Energy was constantly flowing into the Hell to keep it working. "What the is this damned thing?" The Hell had always been in his soul. Just broken. The blessing repaired it. "This thing better be useful for making me go through all that." He tried to look inside the Hell. Basic information about it flowed into his mind, and he saw thirteenyers¡ªthirteen circles¡ªof different hells. "Is this..." The ce was empty. Neo could see the whole ce with a nce. Eachyer was as big as a city. He noticed the Necromancer''s soul in the 5th circle. "The Fifth Circle ¡ª the Furnace of Regrets." Neo pursed his lips. As if led by his instincts, he concentrated and used his blessing. His Avatar appeared inside the 5th circle. He looked around. The ce was covered in mes. He walked towards the burning soul of the Necromancer. The Necromancer raised his head sluggishly when he sensed another presence. The mes, instead of killing him, forced him to relive the worst regrets of his life. His gaze was unfocused and meek. "You..." His eyes regained rity when he saw Neo. "It''s you!" He tried to pounce on Neo, fueled by rage and hatred. The mes surged and pushed him down before he could hurt Neo''s Avatar. The Necromancer was not discouraged. He began tough. "I told you! You are just as evil as me! Now you''ve been imprisoned in the Hell too!" He was gloating until he saw Neo unharmed. The mes weren''t burning him. "You... why are the mes not harming you? Why!?" "I was the one who sent you to the Hell. Who do you think I am?" His words answered plenty. They were enough for the Necromancer to know why Neo stood in the Hell perfectly fine. Before the Necromancer could answer, Neo canceled his Avatar. His sense of self returned to him. Opening his eyes, he saw himself sitting on the ground inside the Shadow window. "Only the Necromancer is present in my Hell. "It''s almost as if he is a..." "Gift to celebrate the achievement of creating my Hell." His Hell was still young. The Hell would grow stronger andrger as Neo fed more Divine Energy to it, as he regained his blessing and as he ranked up. "But again, what''s the point of the Hell..." Unfamiliar information surged inside Neo''s head. They were the memories of the Necromancer. Unlike earlier, they weren''t a simple overview of his life, but detailed recollections of some of the Necromancer''s experiences. He exhaled deeply, unable to believe what he had just gained. "Is this really true?" He raised his hand and muttered chants under his breath. The chants were something he learned from one of the Necromancer''s detailed recollections. "O Death Beyond, be my hands, crush my enemies." His Divine Energy churned. The Incantation activated. Giant bone hands appeared from the ground, waiting for Neo''smand. Neo was stunned. He shouldn''t have been able to use an Incantation just by knowing the chant. He needed to train, gain experience, and increase his understanding of the chant first. "I stripped the Necromancer of the Incantation and took it as my own with the power of the Hell." His amazement only increased. He gained only one incantation among the dozens of incantations and Divine Energy maniption techniques the Necromancer possessed. However, this could be solved as his Hell grew stronger. When that happened, he would be able to strip more possessions from the sinners trapped within him and use their abilities as his own. "Finally, I got something good. "I don''t need to depend on Darkness and my luck to gain abilities from the corpses from now on." Theoretically, Darkness allowed him to gain knowledge, memories, experiences, and techniques when he devoured someone. However, he had gained only stats until now. Secondary stats on top of that. He knew his luck was bad, but wasn''t it too much to not gain a single technique or Spell after using the Darkness for years? "The Hell is great, but I wish there was a more detailed guide¡ª" A thick book appeared inside his soul before he couldplete his sentence. Neo stared at the book with a strange gaze. "They actually gave me a guide." He opened the book. It contained examples of Judgments. Each example allowed him to experience the life of a sinner from a bystander''s point of view and the sinner''s point of view. After the vision ended, the book asked him to give a Judgment. It would grade his Judgment. He received C- and A+ for the two examples he tried. The blessing had been guiding him until now during the Judgments to make sure he didn''t make mistakes. He lost its guidance after he opened his Hell. The book and the examples were to help him train. A chuckle left Neo''s lips. "Even the Underworld is adopting modern education system. "What''s next, sending practice questions online?" He closed the book after going through two examples. Even for him, seeing so many memories of different people was exhausting. Neo stood up and dusted his clothes. He looked around. "My Shadow never appeared until now. It''s safe to say it won''t spawn in this Window." Neo pursed his lips. He had expected to fail during the first few tries. "Now, what do I do about this?" He stood in front of the Spirit Seed of Darkness the Necromancer created. It was powerful, but unstable. Obitus was far stronger, and it had even more potential. The Spirit Seed of Darkness might be a treasure in others'' eyes. However, it wasckluster for Neo. While he was wondering how to deal with the Spirit Seed, Obitus'' voice appeared inside his head. No¡­.. The single word carried intense emotions. Panic, fluster, and jealousy. The sword didn''t want to share Neo with another spirit. Neo smiled bitterly. "Fine, I won''t take this Spirit." Obitus buzzed with happiness. Neomanded it to devour the Spirit Seed. The sword''s de split apart from the tip. It opened it''s maw and gulped the Spirit Seed in one go, chewing it for a few seconds. It''s bitter¡­. [Sense +4] [Spirit Synchronization +3] Neo could feel the connection between him and Obitus grow stronger. Afterpleting the goals he had inside the Window, he returned to the entrance. There was no need to close the Window, even though he could do it without proper equipment. If he closed it, he would fall into the World of Shadows¡ªif he was lucky. In case he was unlucky, he would end up in the gap between dimensions. "Waiting like this is just wasting time. "I might as well train." Neo brought his palms together until they were almost touching. Red lightning crackled between them. Instead of creatingrge bolts, he tried to create smaller,pressed bolts. His brows creased. He tried topress the lightning further and further until it was strong enough to kill the ''space.'' There were different ways to create a miniature ck hole. One of them was to destroy the space. Neo kept trying to conjure enough Death to kill space. He failed. His mastery of Death wascking. He was gasping for breath after hours of training. "If I can''t do this here, I doubt I''ll be able to do it outside either. "Windows are a passage between two dimensions. "The space here is unstable and weaker. "I should be able to do this, dammit." The entrance of the Window reopened a few dayster. Neo jumped out when the time came. An invisible power wrapped around him as soon as he fell through the sky. ''Someone is holding me with Telekinesis,'' he thought. The telekic hold brought him down carefully. Chapter 183: Court Hearing The ground below was filled with adventures. Leading them were powerful Demigods. ''They are Temrs.'' Each one of them was far stronger than him. The adventurers were emitting intense bloodlust, while the Temrs stared at him curiously. Neo''s gaze shifted to the blue-haired young man. He was holding him with Telekinesis. cing Neo on the ground, the blue-haired young man turned to his colleague. "Check him for injuries." "Yes, sir." The green-haired woman''s hand glowed. Tiny white pollens materialized around her. They flew towards Neo and seeped into his skin. "He is¡­ perfectly fine," the woman said, perplexed. "Are you sure about that?" the blue-haired Temr, Elijah, questioned. "He has been alone inside a Tiger grade Window for seven days." "Yes, he has no injuries, and he is in peak physical condition." Elijah stared at Neo with a deep gaze. He opened his mouth, addressing the adventurers and other Temrs. "Send Team 1 and Team 2 into the Window. The leaders ¨C Temrs ¨C will secure the perimeter. "Follow the standard protocol." The adventurers moved. Only Elijah and Shana, the green-haired woman, stayed with Neo. "Neo Hargraves, we have a lot of questions for you. Follow us." Neo nodded. He entered a limo with them. Inside, Neo met Professor Evelyn. "It''s good to see you in health, Neo." She smiled and passed him several documents. "While there is a ton I would love to say ¨C thank you for protecting the city while the management was slow to react, congratte you on returning and a job done perfectly ¨C I believe we should focus on the urgent topics." Shana coughed when Professor Evelyn mentioned ''management''. It was a jab. Professor Evelyn clicked her tongue slightly when Elijah ignored her words. "You entered a Window without safety gear or permission. "You used city-level attacks in the public domain. "That''s two major crimes, seventeen minor offenses, and more if we were to count how recklessly you fought. "It''s twenty years in prison minimum." She continued. "Normally, you would go straight to the Senate and be made to stand before the Jury, but the Academy appealed for your case. "All matters have been settled while you were in the Window. "You just need to give us a detailed summary of your time inside the Window and the Labyrinth, and you are good to go. "There will be no prison sentence and you will be rewarded for your deeds." Professor Evelyn continued to give him pointers about what to say and what not to say while giving the summary during the court hearing. Elijah looked pissed, probably because he had to ignore the tant misuse of authority. But he had orders from the higher-ups. And he had to listen. After the pep talk ended, Professor Evelyn let go of her professional demeanor and praised Neo for his bravery. She smiled, saying he exhibited an impressive control of Death, making sure to hit only his opponents. ording to her, a lot of adventurers had sent gifts to him since he was the only reason they were alive. Their talk ended, and the car became silent. Elijah stared at Neo with an unfriendly gaze. Shana was going through her social media ount. Neo took out his device to pass the time. He noticed hundreds of messages from his friends. After giving them a short reply, he saw the messages from unknown contacts. They were adventurer teams and other organizations trying to recruit Neo, or they were news reporters trying to fix an interview with Neo. Neo ignored them. Just then, a new message popped up. >Henry Hargraves< Henry: How are you? Me: Good, I''d say. Henry: When will you return home? Me: No idea. I''m going to the Academy right now to deal with the proceedings of entering a Window illegally. Henry: There is a press conference of Hargraves Corporation tomorrow before theunch of the Auction. Henry: Be on time. You''ll be attending it. Henry: PS, if those Temrs or Academy staff give you trouble, give me a call. >Henry Hargraves< Neo smiled. Henry was the same as ever. "We are here," Elijah spoke. Neo stepped out of the car first. The noises of hundreds of cameras clicking surprised him. The entrance of the academy was filled with cameramen and reporters blocking their path. "Neo Hargraves, we would like to know¡­" "Divine Ruler, our news channel¡­" The shes of cameras almost made Neo think he was standing in front of a blinding headlight. The reporters tried to rush up to Neo. "No interviews. Neo Hargraves has to stand in a hearing. He can''t waste his time here," Elijah''s words were polite yet sharp. The reporters hesitated. They looked at each other and opened a path to the Academy. Neo, escorted by Elijah and Shana, entered the Academy premises. On the way, Shana''s device rang. Elijah stared at her with a frown. ''How many times have I told you to keep it on silent while we are working'' was what his gaze was saying. "Sorry, just let me check it." Shana took out her device. Her brows jumped in shock. "It''s a message from the Team 1 leader. "They''ve closed the Window," she said. "Already? That was fast," Elijah muttered. "About that...." Shana pursed her lips, wondering how to break the news to Elijah. "What is it?" "The Team Leader of Team 1 reported they didn''t do anything. All shadow monsters were defeated already. "They only encountered shadow monsters that were born a few hours ago, nothing else." Her words made the group stare at Neo. "Did you defeat the Shadow monsters?" Shana asked cautiously. Neo nodded. Shana opened her mouth and closed it, unable to form words. "All of us thought you were hiding there for seven days until you escaped. "Even if you didn''t do that, no one could''ve predicted that you could clear the Window in only six days alone," Eluiaj spoke in ce of Shanna. The way he stared at Neo changed. His gaze contained a hint of acknowledgment and wariness. The four of them stood outside the doors of a conference room. Professor Evelyn opened the door. "This is as far as I''ll go." Elijah and Shanna entered. As Neo was about to enter, Professor Evelyn gave him a smile. "Don''t be afraid. Even if something goes wrong, the Academy will have your back. "You''ve done a service by protecting the city; we''ll make sure you aren''t punished for it." Neo nodded and entered the room. The ce had a big round table and a small tform in the center. Several figures sat around the table, including Charlotte. Elijah took the seat next to her, and Shanna sat beside him. "Please stand on the podium," Elijah said. Neo followed his words. Elijah turned to Shana. Shana understood the cue. She took out her device and a pen to note down everything that would be spoken thereon in the room. "Neo Hargraves, this is a hearing initiated to understand the cause of the Window #38023 appearance and the disappearance of the Labyrinth. "You have been called into the hearing because you are the prime suspect rted to both incidents. "Now, is it true that you defeated the Minotaur and entered the Window that appearedter above Greenwood City?" Elijah questioned. "It is." Elijah nodded. Shanna continued to jot down the points. "Please give us a detailed summary of everything that went down." "I entered the Labyrinth and¡ª" "Please, start from the beginning." "¡­?" Neo pursed his lips. "I don''t understand your question." "Then, I''ll change the question to make it easier to understand." Elijah took out several documents. He flipped through the pages. "ording to the evidence, you tried to take an SS-rank mission from the Academy''s hall and were refused. "The SS-rank mission was to defeat the Minotaur." "....?" Neo frowned. He did not understand what Elijah was trying to say. Elijah continued, "In its ce, you took an S-rank mission and multiple lower-ranked missions, all connected to the Labyrinth in one way or another. "Is this all true?" "Yes." "I see." Elijah nodded. "Thereafter, you proceeded to enter the Labyrinth the same day. "The same day, you encountered survivors who had the key to the Minotaur''s Chamber. "And, the same day, you reached the Minotaur and defeated it. "Is this all true?" "It is." "I see." Elijah closed the documents. He interlocked fingers and leaned over the table, staring at Neo. "The above evidence shows that you knew the location of the Minotaur and sought it out purposefully. "Is this true?" "¡­." "Neo Hargraves, your actions have caused the loss of assets worth 3,000 million dors and nearly caused the death of thousands of civilians. "All of it would''ve been prevented had you warned the Labyrinth Association that you knew the Minotaur''s location and you were going to defeat it. "If people knew the Labyrinth was going to disappear, a lot of chaos could''ve been prevented." "¡­." Neo shifted his gaze to Charlotte. The principal was frowning. Elijah, despite being ordered to end the hearing without any trouble, was clearly not nning to do that. ''This damned brat''s sense of justice always causes trouble.'' She massaged her brows. Chapter 184: Court Hearing [2] Charlotte shifted her gaze to Neo. Their eyes met, and Neo turned to Elijah. The small gesture was enough to tell her Neo was not going to stay quiet. ''Evelyn should''ve told him to remain silent if something goes wrong. Then why?'' She wanted to sigh. ''All students I take interest in turn out to be massive headaches.'' ''I was worried since Elijah was following in Elizabeth''s footsteps.'' ''But now it looks like I need to worry about one more person.'' She watched Neo open his mouth. "I found the minotaur by luck." "By luck?" Elijah gave him an unsatisfied stare. "You think anyone here believes it?" "You have something to prove that says otherwise?" "¡­." Elijah had evidence that ''suggested'' Neo knew the minotaur''s chamber location. However, there was nothing to show it was not luck. He couldn''t even ask for someone with the ability to sense truth and lies, since he was doing this trial by going against his superiors'' wishes. By the time he asked someone for help to verify Neo''s words, someone with a higher rank than him woulde and take over the trial. Elijah seemed frustrated and angry. Neo didn''t care. He had used thebyrinth''s map to locate the monsters before he went out to fight the minotaur. He had killed almost all monsters and saved many adventurers while trying to find the key to the minotaur chamber. Unlike what Elijah believed, he had saved hundreds. Not to mention that tens of thousands would''ve died when thebyrinth closed and the window opened. And millions would''ve died when Mira gained the Spirit Seed that the Necromancer cultivated. Elijah grunted. "Fine, I''ll leave aside that matter. "However, it doesn''t change the fact that you damaged civilian property while fighting the shadow monsters." "I did it to save the civilians." "You are neither a Temr, nor a member of an organization that is licensed to fight dimensional threats," Elijah added. "What you did is a crime, and you will be fined 5,000 dors." "That''s all?" Neo smiled. He looked at the device he had kept on the podium. "You heard him, brother." "Done already." Henry''s voice flowed through the device. "I''ve alsopensated any civilians who were harmed during your battle. "Of course, we''ve given them more money than what those lousy government jerks and Temrs give them. "Also, since you''ve spoken to me, I take it you''ve kept the device on loudspeaker?" Henry questioned. "I have," Neo answered. "Good." Henry spoke. "I hope you are listening, you cock-sucking bitch, Elijah. "You have quite a big mouth for someone who was missing when the window opened and the civilians needed rescue." "And you have a nasty mouth, just like always," Elijah replied. "Anyway, I''m just following the standard procedures. "I couldn''t let Neo go unpunished if he did something like putting so many people in danger. "Even if he is your brother, he needs to take responsibility." "Yeah, I hope you can say the same to your superiors." Henry cut the call. Neo could tell he was pissed. Elijah adjourned the hearing after fining Neo. He didn''t try to push the case. As he passed Neo, he whispered: "I don''t care if you are protected by the academy and Henry Hargreaves. "You would have no choice but to take responsibility after I find the evidence of your deed." Neo remained silent. The people left the conference hall, leaving only Charlotte and Neo inside. Neo was about to leave behind them when Charlotte called him out. "Stay here." He followed her words. Professor Evelyn closed the door after everyone left. Then, Charlotte spoke, "You have a knack for creating trouble, brat." "It was coincidence." "Yes, I totally believe you." Charlotte shook her head with a bitter smile. "Anyway, the reason I told you to stay back was because of something else. "Tell me, did you awaken your Time element?" "I did." "What happened to Professor Daniel?" "He time slipped." "I see. So it was true." "¡­?" Charlotte took out a piece of paper. "I asked someone to write this for me since I don''t have the Time element. "It''s just that the person who I asked had a nasty personality. "So I needed to make sure what was written here was true." "What is written in that?" Neo questioned. The paper was quite far from him, but he could still read it thanks to his eyesight. However, he didn''t do that to show proper courtesy. "Bits of information from yourst regression. Like who Professor Daniel was and other things." "¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "Why are you telling all this to me?" "No reason. I just felt like you should know about your ''teacher''." "Then, can I ask something?" "Go on." "Who was Professor Daniel?" Charlotte read the content written on the piece of paper. "ording to him, he was the founder of the Academy." Her face contorted. "He lied beautifully." "¡­?" "See this." She showed him the paper. The sentence ''Professor Daniel was the founder of the Academy'' was written in red. "The person I asked this information from has¡­ unusual spell set. "The fact that she wrote this sentence in ''red''¡ªa childish choice of pointing it out, of course¡ªmeans that this is a lie." Charlotte sighed. "Did Professor Daniel give something to you that might help us verify his identity?" "¡­" Neo recalled the tattoo of a dragon on his back. It could help Charlotte. However, he remained silent. "Neo, I know you might not want to do something that seems like ''stabbing'' Professor Daniel in the back. "But this is important." She suddenly closed her mouth. Her expression changed as she wondered if she should tell everything to Neo. In the end, knowing Neo was bound to make it big and find out about these things in the future, she decided to reveal the information. "I''m sure you know what awakeners are, so I''ll be direct. "All awakeners from the Age of Gods have had happen one of three things to them. "They either became a god. "They died. "Or they betrayed us." "¡­?" Neo frowned. Even though he knew what she was talking about, he made it look like he knew nothing. "[The Ones From Beyond]. "A few awakeners have betrayed us and joined their hands. "In return, they received power and long lives. "Since Professor Daniel lived long and was extremely powerful, it''s weird how he couldn''t be a god. "There is a high chance he is an affiliate with ''them''." Neo pursed his lips. [The Ones From Beyond] was a codename for ''them''. They had many names. The Herald of the Abyss. The Void Born. Those That Must Not Be Named. Calling out their name attracted their attention. It was why Charlotte had to use a title associated with them. Charlotte waited for Neo to say something. She sighed when Neo remained silent. "If you change your mind,e find me. "You can go now." Neo nodded. He left the room. While he was on his way to the academy exit, he recalled something and changed his path. Neo entered the mission hall. He walked up to the mission counter. "I''m here to submit thepletion of the mission I took previously." "Of course, sir!" The receptionist recognized Neo. She became enthusiastic, knowing he was the Divine Ruler. "Someone named ''Mira'' of [Mi&Ge] Corporation must''ve sent the academy a parcel a few days ago. "The parcel contains the proof of the missionpletion." During the chaos when thebyrinth was closing, Neo had given those things to Mira. After all, he couldn''t carry them into the Window, and he didn''t have a dimensional pocket yet. ''I need to get a spell to create a dimensional pocket.'' He clicked his tongue. ''Damn it, I forgot I don''t have the Space element, and my Shadow element doesn''t work.'' While he wasmenting, the receptionist finished her call. "Sir, I''ve called my colleagues and confirmed we received the parcel a few days ago. "The mission rewards will be given to you shortly." Neo''s device rang just when she finished speaking. He took it out and confirmed the credits. As for the material rewards, she gave them to Neo in a bag. "Thank you." "The pleasure is mine." Neo left the mission hall. On the way, he took out his device. He opened the messaging app. >Elizabeth< Me: Can we meet tomorrow? >Elizabeth< He was about to type in the address, thinking Elizabeth would receive the chat when shees online when suddenly he saw her reply. >Elizabeth< Elizabeth: Where and when? Me: Street 42, Krien City, Valsco, at 12:05 pm. Elizabeth: Okay >Elizabeth< She went offline before he could exin why he wanted to meet. Neo shook his head. "I did invite her. "But I wonder how she will react when I don''t go to meet her." He could picture her getting bothered and punishing him for it. "What is done is done. "I can sacrifice a bit for the future." *** Trivia 4 (or is it 5?) The Labyrinth Association earned money through the Labyrinth and they didn''t want the Labyrinth to disappear. Of course, they couldn''t outright ban demigods from defeating the Minotaur. Which is why they made a rule: Only Grade 3 Mythic Demigods and below were allowed to enter the Labyrinth. It was theoretically impossible for Grade 3 Mythic Demigods and below to defeat the Minotaur. The Senate didn''t call the Labyrinth Association out for making such an absurd rule because the Labyrinth association appealed that the Labyrinth could be used to train weak and lower ranked demigods, and won the case for the appeal. While it might''ve seemed that the appeals were useless, they were not. Originally, the Labyrinth Association wanted to allow the entrance to only Awakened Demigods. It was after a few court cases that the limit was increased to Grade 3 Mythic Demigods and below. Chapter 185: Arriving At Hargraves Mansion Neo walked towards the academy gates. He noticed the crowd waiting for him, and he frowned. ''Should I call someone to pick me up?'' Just as he thought along those lines, a ck sedan entered the academy premises. It stopped in front of him. The door opened, and a familiar figure stepped out of the car. "Greetings, young master." "It''s good to see you too." Neo nodded, acknowledging the butler''s greeting. He wondered if his brother sent the butler, knowing he would need him. The butler bowed before he opened the car''s door. Neo sat inside. He sank into the plush leather seat of the luxurious car. The smooth ride made him lethargic. His eyes started to droop. The fatigue from days-long battles was catching up to him. The butler, a stoic figure, smiled when he saw Neo struggling to keep his eyes open. He drove the car silently through the academy gates. Reporters waved cameras and microphones with excited shouts. The noises helped him stay awake. He focused on them. "Neo! Neo Hargraves! Over here!" The plethora of voices prompted Neo to look over. "Neo Hargraves, thank you for saving us! My daughter and I were..." "Immortal ying Death! Immortal ying Death!" "We are reporting live from the doorsteps of Demigod Academy!" "The Divine Ruler has left the premises unhindered! The Senate Hearing..." "Ender of Undying! Ender of Undying!" The cheers were all addressed to him. "Ender of Undying?" Neo''s nose wrinkled. "Who gave me that nickname?" "The title was given to you when you yed the Minotaur, young master." The butler smiled appreciatively. Neo''s frown worsened. "Couldn''t they call me something simpler? The Divine Ruler was enough as it is. Ender of Undying is a bit too much." Despite hisints, a strange sense of pride swelled within him. ''I feel like I''ve be a local celebrity.'' He couldn''t deny the feeling was addicting. The car lurched forward, and the butler navigated through the crowd skillfully. They inched closer to the Hargraves estate at a steady pace. It took them a few hours to reach their destination. "...." Neo pursed his lips when he saw the mansion. He had seen photographs of the estate, of course. But experiencing it in person was something else entirely. His heart raced. The realization that this was the first time he was returning home as Neo Hargraves made him feel fuzzy. "Home." He repeated the words, feeling a sense of familiarity and unfamiliarity with them. The butler pulled into the driveway. The massive iron gates of the mansion swung open. The meticulously manicured gardens and pathways lined with luminescent flowers on either side surprised Neo. ''It''s beautiful.'' ''It feels like I''m entering a castle.'' The butler parked the car before the main mansion. He opened the door for Neo. Neo hesitated for a moment. He took a deep breath to steady himself and stepped out. A bag rested over his shoulder. Beforeing back home, Neo had contemted how to deal with the item inside the bag: the Trident of Poseidon. He had been struggling to find a way to put the weapon to use. It was too powerful for a demigod of his rank. Still, the weapon was too useful to be left rotting inside his room. After thinking it through, he decided to bring the trident back home. Neo exited the vehicle. He noticed a small crowd outside the Hargraves'' main gates of the mansion. They were the residents of Greenwood City he saved or his fans. They came to cheer him, to celebrate his return. Neo shifted his gaze from the gates towards the mansion. He noticed his brother, Henry, standing just outside the massive double doors of the mansion. Next to him were his friends: Jack, Nathan, Arthur, Felix, Mars, Sean, and ra. The group''s expressions varied¡ªfrom concern to relief to anxiety. Before Neo could say anything, he noticed Henry''s gaze. His brother was staring at the bag in his grip. ''Can he see what''s inside?'' The thought prickled at Neo''s mind. A flicker of uncertainty arose in his mind. ''Should I just reveal the trident to him?'' The trident was one of the few weapons that could harm Neo. And it could harm Henry too. ''He is definitely going to ask where I got it.'' Neo shook off the thought. He maintained a neutral expression as he approached his family and friends. "Hey, everyone," he said, trying to sound casual. "Neo!" Jack rushed forward, his brow furrowed. "You had us worried sick! Are you okay? You didn''t get hurt, did you?" "I''m fine," Neo replied, the practiced words rolling off his tongue. "I wasn''t injured much during the incident." "Not injured much?" ra''s voice rose in disbelief. "You took on that horde of monsters alone! You even entered the Window alone after that! "An entire team of Mythic Demigods is needed to clear a Tiger-ranked Window! "And it still takes them a few weeks! You took one week only! "How can you not be injured after going through all that?!" Her excessive concern surprised Neo. Following her, praises andints from others poured in. Felix and Jackplimented him. Arthur had a troubled expression, happy that Neo returned safely, but he couldn''t praise such a reckless attempt of Neo. Neo smiled inwardly. While he didn''t show it, he appreciated their concern. He nced back at Henry, who was still eyeing the bag. The tension was palpable. Neo could tell his brother had questions. He chose to ignore it for now, not wanting to escte the situation further. "So, what are you all doing here?" Neo asked, diverting attention away from himself. "We wanted to wee you home¡ª" "What really happened out there? The media is going wild with spection. They''re calling you a hero, but..." Arthur stepped forward, cutting Mars off. He could not ignore the issue anymore. "But what?" "But why did you do that? You had no obligations to save anyone. "Fending off an invasion from an unidentified Window is nothing but suicide. "I know you wanted to save the civilians, but at times like this, you need to think carefully¡ª" "Would you have retreated if you were in my ce?" "..." Arthur''s mouth mped shut when Neo asked him a question instead of answering. "I wouldn''t have entered the Window alone at least," he replied finally The words feeling inadequate even as they left his lips. "I would''ve asked for help from the adventurers or waited for reinforcements." "Is that so?" said Neo. He had his reasons for entering the Window alone. There was no way he would''ve risked showing the Seed of Darkness cultivated by the Necromancer to anyone. Arthur had no more words. Neo''s question made him realize he had been acting like a hypocrite again. "Let''s go inside," Felix suggested. The group entered the mansion. A grand foyer greeted them. It was adorned with exquisite chandeliers that cast shimmering light over the marble floors. The walls were lined with portraits of stern ancestors, and the air hummed with an unsettling familiarity. Neo couldn''t help but be stunned again at the grandeur. Once they settled into the spacious living room, Neo ced the bag on a nearby table. He could feel Henry''s gaze boring into him. ''He really looks pissed.'' ''Of course, he is pissed. I''m carrying a nuclear bomb, one that is especially dangerous to me.'' ''I bet he wants to know what was going through my mind bringing a weapon like this without any security to protect it.'' The room buzzed with conversation. His friends wanted to know what happened within the Labyrinth and the Window. Neo recounted his experience for them. At the same time, his mind focused on another topic. ''I wonder if things are going to be okay with Elizabeth.'' ''I know she is strong, but I''m taking a huge risk by asking her to meet me tomorrow.'' Finally, Henry couldn''t hold back any longer. "Neo, what''s in the bag?" he asked, his tone low but firm. "It''s something I picked up at the academy." "Along the way?" "Yeah, I found it in a nice shop whileing back home." Henry''s eyes narrowed. He knew the answer was a big, fat lie. Henry opened his mouth to press further, but Neo raised a hand to stop him. "Later." It was rare for Neo to dodge questions like this. The atmosphere shifted as silence settled over the room. Everyone realized that something was wrong between Neo and Henry''s conversation. However, they didn''t ask him about it, knowing it would be rude to intrude in family matters. "Let''s talk about something else," Neo diverted the topic openly. "How''s everyone doing with the academy? Any good news?" The conversation shifted. Everyone was happy to bury the stifling silent atmosphere. Soon,ughter and stories filled the room. Jack recounted how he had been trying to increase the number of summons he could do together. Sean revealed he had awakened the Time element. While listening to them, Neo''s gaze drifted back to the bag. What was he supposed to do with the trident? He had spent countless nights pondering about it. In the end, he decided to risk it all. *** Starstream News Headquarters A heated discussion brewed within the bustling media office of the local news station. Reporters huddled together, speaking with excitement and ambition. "Did you see the footage from the Greenwood incident?" Gwen eximed. Her eyes were wide with enthusiasm. "Neo Hargraves is a sensation! We need to capitalize on this!" "Absolutely," Karl chimed in. He scribbled the notes furiously. "But what''s going to make a bigger headline? The weapon auction or Neo''s bloodline?" The murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. "The Auction is being held to advertise the new weapon series of Hargraves Corporation. Everyone is already focusing on that. "It''s better for us if we make the headline on Neo Hargraves instead of trying to do what everyone is doing." Gwen nodded. She conveyed her intentions to her fellow reporters. "Neo is the son of the Hargraves family ¡ª a family with deep ties to thete Hephaestus n. "Everyone believes the Hargraves family has the bloodline of High God Hephaestus. "Of course, it''s not concrete proof as it''s been ages since a demigod was born in the Hargraves family." She continued. "We digress. "As I was saying, it is widely theorized Neo Hargraves has the bloodline of High God Hephaestus. "However, his affinities say something different. "He doesn''t seem to have any metal affinity or fire affinity." Gwen''s voice trembled with excitement. "What is Neo Hargraves'' bloodline? "He is certainly not a descendant of High God Hephaestus going by his affinities! "This could be a goldmine for our articles!" Her words earned her satisfied nods from others. "It''s a good headline. "But we need to tread carefully," an older reporter cautioned. "He''s still a budding talent only, and the auction is a significant event. Let''s focus on that, and give a bit of spotlight." The others agreed. No matter what Neo''s bloodline was, it couldn''t overshadow the auction event. *** Hargraves Mansion Neo leaned back in his chair. Laughter echoed off the walls, but his heart remained heavy. He continued to go over his n regarding the trident. It was simple. But he was worried Henry would object. ''The conference is tomorrow too.'' Tomorrow would bring the press conference, and with it, more attention than he had bargained for. Neo would need to face the media. He would be confronted with the questions that would inevitably arise about his bloodline and his newfound fame. ''Lucas tried to kill me because of my bloodline. I still don''t know what it was about.'' ''There is a slight possibility the other ns mighte after me too when theye to know about my bloodline.'' He nced at Henry, who was still watching him with an intensity that made his stomach twist. Thankfully, Henry seemed to be holding back the curses because of his friends'' presence. Chapter 186: Talk About The Poseidons Trident [Author''s note: Neo wasn''t fined 5,000 dors, but 5,000 million dors.] They had lunch. Neo was about to leave for training when the butler came to him. "Master Henry is calling for you, young master." "Got it. I''ll be there." He turned to his friends. "I''ll see you guys in the evening¡ª" "There is something we have to talk to you about. "Make sure toe back and don''t go somewhere to train while leaving us behind," Jack mentioned. His gaze was serious. The rest were the same. Neo didn''t understand what it was about, but he nodded. He moved through the mansion corridor and stood outside Henry''s office doors. Before he could knock, he heard Henry''s voice from the other side. "Come inside." He entered the room. It wasvish and big. The office, grand and spacious, was adorned with dark mahogany furniture, velvet armchairs, floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, and a marble firece. Warm, ambient lighting illuminated opulent artwork and a vast, polished desk. Neo sat on the seat across the table. Henry stared at him for a few seconds. "Is there anything you want to say?" "The academy¡ª" "Tell me what was in the bag." Neo''s brow furrowed. ''So it came to this.'' He couldn''t avoid it anymore. "The replica of Poseidon''s trident." "Who gave it to you?" "Thete Tyrant Empress." "The te'' Tyrant Empress?" Henry leaned forward, his eyes burning with fury. "That bitch cares about that weapon more than her life. "There is no way she would give it to anyone, even on her deathbed." "How do you know about the weapon? I thought no one knew it existed¡ª" "Don''t try to change the subject, little shit." "¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "She gave it as amemorative gift for Amelia and my¡­" "Baby?" "Yes, that thing." Henry gave Neo an unamused stare. "Are you going to keep using that excuse?" "It''s not an excuse, though." "I can call that bitch''s daughter and get a medical report." "I doubt she would listen to you after how you insulted her mother¡ª" Neo''s words got stuck in his throat when Henry took out his phone. He opened the messaging app and showed it to Neo. "This¡­" Neo looked at the chats between Henry and Amelia. "You two talk with each other. That''s¡­ I thought you hated the Tyrant and her daughter?" "Look at the messages closely, dumbass." > Amelia de Beaufort < Amelia: Brother, Neo started to train like a maniac again after he returned from the window. Amelia: Brother, I wanted to give Neo a gift¡­ Amelia: Brother¡­ > Amelia de Beaufort < Neo''s brows grew tighter when he read the chats. Amelia was treating Henry like her big brother. Worse, all her conversation topics revolved around Neo. Henry wasn''t any better. "She isn''t as stubborn as her bitch mother and has a good personality. "I don''t hate people like that." This time, Neo gave Henry an unamused stare. Nice personality? All you two talk about is me! You creepy fucks! Neo knew Henry cared about him more than his life, and Amelia couldn''t see him in harm after they grew close. Still, he wished he had high mastery in time so he could go back in time and stop himself from reading those ursed chats. They looked like two fans talking about their favorite idol. "Whatever." Neo ced Henry''s device back on the table. "I have the trident because I asked for it in exchange for saving the queen. "Although I couldn''t save her, she still gave it to me." Neo expected Henry to object to his tant lie. Both of them knew Elizabeth wouldn''t give the trident for such a simple reason. Henry leaned back into the chair. He stared at Neo, lost in thought, as he drummed his fingers against the armrest. "How did you know about the existence of Poseidon''s trident?" Henry questioned. "¡­" Neo remained silent. Henry didn''t force him to answer and asked something else. "The trident possesses the ability to kill Immortals. It''s dangerous to you. Why haven''t you destroyed it yet? "If the Senate gets news about it, they''ll do anything to get their hands on it. "They are desperate to find a weapon that can kill an Immortal," Henry exined. "They know about my immortality already?" Neo acted surprised. "Don''t underestimate them. The Senate is a gathering of the strongest Demigods. "There aren''t many things they aren''t capable of." Henry continued, "Now, tell me, why haven''t you destroyed the Trident and instead brought it home?" "I want to undergo Exoskeleton reinforcement." "¡­!" For the first time, Henry was surprised. His expression turned into one of indignant fury. "Maybe I misheard you. Repeat what you said." "I want to undergo Exoskeleton reinforcement." Henry mmed his fist into the table and red at Neo. "Do you realize what you are talking about?! "That weapon is far too strong for you. "It would kill you if you try to touch it, and you want it to reinforce yourself?!" "The Hargraves Corporation should have methods to limit its power until I''m strong enough to unleash it fully," Neo interjected. "You fucking crazy bitch!" Henry looked like he was ready to explode at any moment. "Even if we do that, the weapon has the Immortal yer trait. "One mistake, and you are dead! "It will kill you, an Immortal, if it isn''tpatible with you! You lunatic¡ª" "Brother¡­" Henry''s mouth mped shut when Neo called him "brother." He couldn''t remember when was thest time Neo said that word to him. "I don''t have talent." Neo was reluctant toy his weakness bare for others to see. But he knew he needed to do that for Henry''s approval. Besides, he was okay with Henry knowing the truth. "It might look like I have heaven''s gifted talent, but it''spletely the opposite. "I have visited the underworld. It was enough to strengthen my Aura of Death. "Yet there are people around my age who, despite not having such an advantage, canpete with my Aura. "I''ve spent hundreds of years to increase my mastery of Darkness. "All that, and I''m only at Adept mastery." Neo chuckled bitterly. "Rank 3, Year 2, Demigod Academy, Eric Gand. He is one year older than me and has a higher mastery than me in Darkness. "Let alone him, there are countless people who have reached higher mastery with only a few decades of training." Neo''s expression worsened. Saying everything out loud was enough for him to realize how weak he was. "I''ve spent years regressing, devouring monsters, strengthening myself. "And I''m only a Grade 5 Mythic Demigod. "You know, Morrigan? I''m sure she is either already a Grade 5 Mythic Demigod or she is near." Neo''s heartbeat increased. He had to suppress the tremors in his hands. He felt¡­ exposed. "Repeating the same days, same months, same years until I forgot the count. "It took me all I had, and I''m still not the strongest in the Academy. "There are second-year students who are stronger than me." Chapter 187: Their Request "¡­" Henry remained silent. He could feel how hard it was for Neo to say what he was saying. "It takes me ten steps to do what others can do in one step." "Those people you areparing yourself to are geniuses, Neo," Henry spoke. "You shouldn''tpare yourself to them." "My enemy won''t care if I''m a genius or not. I can survive and win only if I''m strong." Neo continued, "At my current pace, it won''t be long before others start to catch up with me. "My only advantage is my Immortality. I can take bigger risks to get stronger. "The trident¡­ is a chance. It can kill me, but it can make me stronger. Far stronger." He looked Henry in the eye. There was a deep determination behind his gaze. "I need that strength, even if it kills me." Henry sunk into the chair. He massaged his temples and looked out of the window. There, he could see a gigantic tornado beyond the horizon. The tornado could be seen from anywhere on the continent. Neo followed his gaze and noticed the tornado. He opened his mouth. "Void Window #8477. "It appeared suddenly and wiped out the entire Hephaestus God n. "No one who entered that Window has returned. "That window killed¡­." Neo pursed his lips. "Mom and Dad." He turned and faced Henry. "The God n supported by one of the High Gods couldn''t survive. "It''s proof enough how much strength matters." "¡­" "Please, brother, let me undergo exoskeleton reinforcement." Henry''s scar started to throb as he stared at the tornado ¨C at the window that took everything from him. The Window that forced him to be the abomination he was now. "Ah, fuck." He pulled out a cigarette and took a puff. The pain lessened after a few drags. "This fucking shit." Henry knew the importance of strength. He had cursed everything. The fate, the world, and himself, for making him what he was. For not allowing him to awaken his God blood. "Fuck." Henry threw the cigarette after taking a few puffs. He stared at Neo after calming down. "What exactly is your reasoning behind using the trident? "The exoskeleton reinforcement isn''t something you can do multiple times. "If you are going to do it, you should choose the best weapon ¨C or metal ¨C you have," Henry exined. "The Trident has an immortal yer trait. It has a goodpatibility with my Death element." "And?" "It might help me in building my Concept." "The Concept of the Death element?" Henry was slightly surprised. "What Concept are you trying to build?" "I''ll tell you when it''spleted. "For now, it''s barely reached its infant stages." His current progress was around 10~15%. It helped Neo had a clear image of his Death element''s Concept. However, he would be lying if he said he knew what to do to progress further. "Fine." Henry snarled. "But if you die, make no mistake, I''ll pull your soul back from the Underworld and kill you again." "That''s impossible." Neo smiled, knowing Henry was worried about him. "It''s not impossible. All I need to do is threaten those Temrs from the Temple of Death." Neo''s smile disappeared. "Please don''t do that." ''Because I can see those Temrsining to Grim Reapers and then Barbatosing to me, asking me what I did.'' The principal was enough. Neo didn''t need another person after him, telling him he was creating problems everywhere. "You can go now. "The procedure for the exoskeleton reinforcement will take a week toplete. "Until then, you should focus on the press conference and the auction." Neo nodded. He stood up. "See youter." After Neo left the room, Henry took out another cigarette. "Fuck." He knew Neo had been pushing himself to grow stronger. But what he heard from Neo was beyond his imagination. He looked out of the window, at the tornado. "From desire springs ambition, and from ambition arises power." His face contorted. He hated seeing Neo in so much pain. But it was necessary. Neo needed to be prepared to face them. ¡­ Neo met up with his friends. Everyone was training in the private training rooms inside the mansion. They had avish dinner a few hourster. Henry made sure to treat them to the best of the best. After dinner, they decided to y table tennis. They did a blind lottery for the match-ups. Neo sat at the side while Jack and Sean were having a match. Mars was next to Neo. Suddenly, Neo opened his mouth. "What is it?" "¡­" "All of you have been on toes around me." Mars smiled. "It''s always hard to hide things from you." "No, it''s just that you guys suck at it. Jack especially." "Hey, I can hear you two!" Jack shouted while ying table tennis. "Stop ndering me!" Neo rolled his eyes. The groupughed. Although they were looking at Jack and Sean y, Neo could tell their attention was on the conversation between Mars and him. "We aregging behind," Mars spoke. "It''s clear looking at you that we need to step up our game. "That''s why we wanted to ask you to help train us." "You want me to train you?" Neo swept his gaze around the room. They nodded. "¡­" Neo thought about the proposal. Before answering, Neo turned to Arthur, "You want me to train you too?" "Yup." There was a slight sense of hesitation behind Arthur''s answer. Neo sensed it easily. "Arthur, I know you are saying yes because of everyone here. Just tell me your honest opinion." "I''m saying the truth¨C" "Arthur¡­" Arthur closed his mouth. A sigh escaped his lips. "Fine. It''s true I think training under Neo is useless. "It''s not that I''m looking down on Neo, but he doesn''t have much talent. "Neo is growing at a blinding pace. True. I have no idea how he''s doing it. "However, I can tell that it''s not because of his talent," Arthur exined. "What?" Jack spoke. "You never told us anything like that." "I couldn''t say it. I''m sorry," Arthur said. "There you have it." Neo interjected. "It''s useless to train under me. I''m growing stronger at a fast pace because I have my own methods. "You guys can''t use it, or I would''ve revealed them to you already." Everyone became silent. They were left confused, not knowing how to react. "But¡­" Neo continued. "I can be a target for all of you. A target you need to surpass." His words caught their attention. "Let''s do this. "We''ll have a battle when the next semester starts. "All of you can fight me together. "You can ask for more people to help you ¨C because I frankly don''t think you have a chance against me with just you seven ¨C and if you manage to defeat me¡­" "If we manage to defeat you?" Jack questioned. Chapter 188: Bones Of Old Gods "I''ll get you guys an Exoskeleton Reinforcement surgery if you defeat me." The group''s eyes widened. "Am I dreaming?" Jack muttered. "This is too good to be true." The surgery was expensive. Using the cheapest metal for it would cost them at least 1000 million dors. The price increased if the patient wanted to use a stronger metal. "That''s not all," Neo added. "I''ll use Orichalcum for the surgery for all of you." ¡­!? Jack opened his mouth and closed it, unable to form words. Orichalcum was expensive. It was rarely sold for money, and when it was, its price would go into billions. "You really are filthy rich," Mars chuckled from the side. Neo could throw billions as if it was nothing for him. His words made them excited. The Exoskeleton Surgery, especially with Orichalcum, wasn''t something they could get. Only Arthur had a dubious expression. While others returned their focus to the game, Neo stood beside Arthur and spoke in a whisper. "You can use another metal if you have something better." "¡­!" "No need to be shocked. Your face was saying everything." Arthur smiled bitterly. He kept his eyes on the game and spoke. "Yeah, there is something else I want to use instead of Orichalcum." "That is¡­?" Arthur pursed his lips. He wanted to be cryptic but decided against it. "Bones of Old Gods." "I see." "Sheesh, I thought this would be enough to surprise you." "I''ll be surprised if Jack gets more marks than us in the exams." Arthur chuckled. "Do you know about the bones of Old Gods?" "Somewhat." "They are the bones of Titans. Not many of them remain now. "Almost any bone that was excavated from the corpses has been used to create Ancient Weapons." Neo nodded. Arthur continued, "You might not know, but Ancient Weapons were the names given to the replicas of the Weapons of Gods. The Lightning Bolt, Poseidon''s Trident, the Hades¡ª" "Arthur." Neo interrupted. "We aren''t in a ss." Arthur''s face flushed, and he chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. Both of them became silent for a few moments. Neo took out his device and scrolled through his messaging app. He was going through the random numbers that messaged him after he closed the Greenwood Labyrinth and Window. He stopped searching when he found a particr number. "Arthur, where are you going to get the bones?" "I haven''t thought about it. I do have a ce where I can start searching. "It might take a few months¡ª" "Not might. It definitely would take you a few years ¡ª if you are lucky enough to find a Bone of an Old God that is." Arthur couldn''t refute Neo''s words. Before he could say anything, Neo spoke up, "Keep your schedule open for the next few months. I''ll help you get a bone." "Huh? What do you mean¡ª" "I''ll tell you about it when I havepleted the preparations." The table tennis continuedte into the night. They split off after the game and went to their rooms. Neo opened the door to his personal room. Just as he stepped inside, he sensed a presence. He noticed a woman with mechanical legs sitting on the chair next to his bed. "What do you want?" "¡­?" Luna was surprised. "Not ''who are you'' but ''what do I want?'' "Do you know me?" He did know who she was. Even id he didn''t, he had noticed her outside thebyrinth, and she had sent him a message, so he knew she wasing. "I don''t know you, but no one can enter the Hargraves mansion without permission. "I''m pretty sure you are here because my brother allowed you." "You are good," the woman spoke. "You thought about the situation carefully instead of panicking." Neo sat on the other chair. Luna, the woman, opened her mouth, "I''m Luna Burton. I am¡ªwas¡ªthe leader of one of the excavation teams of the Hargraves Corporation." "The excavation teams?" "Our jobs are to collect materials for weapons. Precious materials are always rare and in ces that are out of reach. "Hargraves Corporation sends powerful demigods to collect these materials." Neo nodded. "What do you want with me?" Instead of answering, Luna asked something else. "Do you know about the bones of Old Gods?" "I do." "Oh, that''s surprising. I thought it was a subject for the third semester in the academy." "I have a studious friend. He told me about them." "Well, this makes things easier." Luna added, "The bones of Old Gods can make extremely powerful weapons. "The Trident of Poseidon ¡ª the trident you gave to Henry ¡ª is made from multiple such bones." For the first time, Neo was surprised. This was something he didn''t know. "You know about the trident?" "Yes? Why wouldn''t I know¡ªoh, wait, I guess I forgot to tell you about this¡­" She exined, "I became a member of the R&D department after leaving the excavation team. "In fact, I''m the leading researcher responsible for converting the trident into a usable serum for you." "I see¡­" She waved her hand. "Anyway, the point is, bones of Old Gods are extremely rare. "Even a fingernail-sized piece of bone can throw the world into chaos. Everyone wouldpete to get its ownership. "And I know a ce where we can get those bones in abundance." "¡­." "Come on, you don''t believe me, do you?" She pped her mechanical legs. "I lost these legs while trying to get to that ce. "Heck, the bones used to create the Soul Series Weapons were excavated from there. Though I lost my legs ¡ª and entire team ¡ª in the process." As she spoke, her eyes went towards Obitus resting at Neo''s waist. The sword was one of the four Soul Series weapons. Only Neo knew the Soul Series Weapons would be called God yer Weapons in the future. The bones of Old Gods were that powerful of a foundation metal. Neo opened his mouth to speak, but Luna spoke before him. "I''m not trying to guilt-trip you or anything. We were paid for the job, and we took it knowing the risks. "My point is, the ce I''m talking about exists. "There is a huge amount of bones that have yet to be excavated." "¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "Where is this ce?" "d you asked." She grinned and pointed at the floor. "There." "The ground?" "No." She corrected him. "The continent." "...?" "The bedrock of our continent is the corpse of the Great Titan, Oceanus, and his blood is the ocean." Silence. Neo didn''t say anything. Luna, believing Neo was too shocked, gave him time to digest her words. She opened her mouth after a few minutes, "I know it soundspletely unbelievable. Anyone would tell you I''ve gone insane. "But the weapon you are carrying ¡ª the sword ¡ª is the proof that bones of Old Gods exist in the continent''s crust. "I have plenty of proof that it is Oceanus'' corpse." She continued, "The problem is, the aura of Death surrounding the corpse of a Great Titan like Oceanus is too powerful. "Whatever killed Oceanus was so strong that its aftereffects haven''t disappeared until now. "My legs ¡ª and my team ¡ª died thanks to it. "I''ve tried everything, but my legs won''t heal or regenerate. "That''s how strong the death around the corpse is," she exined. "So you want me to go down and excavate the bones?" "Yes, that''s exactly what I want." Luna''s brows furrowed. Although she had been excited, her enthusiasm started to wane after talking with Neo. He was a rich and strong. He was a prodigy with a bright future ahead of him. There was no reason for him to endanger his life and excavate the bones of the Great Titan Oceanus. He would refuse. Luna was sure of it. "Got it. However, I have one condition." "Please think about it again before you refuse¡­ wait, what?" "I''ll bring one of my friends along with me." Luna blinked. She had a hard time believing her ears. "You are agreeing¡­ to my request?" "Yes¡ª" "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She jumped and hugged him tightly. Neo heard his bones creak when she failed to hold back. The air was pushed out of his lungs. "I''ll go and tell the news to the other guys! "As for your friend, he can follow you if he gives his consent!" She waved and jumped out of the window in an excited, hurried pace. Neo shook his head with a smile. "I secured a way to get the bone for Arthur at least." Neo slept after taking a shower. He had to undergo thorough makeup from the professional for the press conference after he woke up. Although Neo wanted to refuse, he agreed to it when the butler remained adamant. He met up with his friends before noon and went towards the press conference venue. The ce was filled with reporters. They tried to surround Neo when he arrived, though the guards stopped them. "I''ll see you guyster." "Got it. We''ll go get seated in the guest area," Arthur said. They were about to leave when Mars approached Neo. "Neo...." He ced his hands on Neo''s shoulder. "You''ve be a celebrity thanks to everything you''ve done in past months. "The reporters will ask question that you won''t like you and try to get answers from you. "Stay calm. Answer only if you want. If you don''t divert the question." Jack spoke from the side. "If you are nervous, just know things like these will bemon in the future. "You''ll have to attend a lot more interviews ¡ª bigger than this one ¡ª because you are a friend of the future Great Necromancer, Jack Hanma. "Something at this level shouldn''t bother you." Neo rolled his eyes. The groupughed. They split off and went to their respective areas. Neo met with Henry. "You finally look presentable, little shit." "You look good too." Henry clicked his tongue when he saw Neo wasn''t bothered in the least with the curses. "Are you ready for the interview?" "Somewhat," Neo answered. "But is there a need for all of this?" "Of course, there is." Henry snorted. "It would look weird if the heir of Hargraves Corporation didn''t attend the press conference." "...?" Neo''s brows creased. "Heir?" "Stop asking everything twice, dumb fuck." The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 189: Press Conference Henry did not answer Neo. He went up to the stage through the backroom. ''Look at him ignoring me.'' Shaking his head, Neo followed behind him. The stage lights and hundreds of camera shes instantly assaulted his eyes. He frowned slightly, his eyes taking a few seconds to adjust. The stage was wide and empty with only Neo and Henry on it. There was a few meters of gap below the stage and the seating area. The guards and the butler stood in the gap. Henry wore a microphone to enhance the volume of his voice. He gave a ceremonial speech ¨C without any curses, much to Neo''s surprise ¨C before he reached the main topic. "Today, we, the Hargraves Corporation, areunching a new weapon series ''The Soul Weapons.'' "We''ll give a short demonstration before we get down to the selling points of the new weapon series." A few crew members arrived on the stage with ten thick metal blocks and a few swords. They left after cing the metal blocks and the weapons on the ground. Henry walked up to the metal blocks. He patted them. "45% purity adamantium. "It can tank up to a hit from 125 Strength Stat and is almost immune tomon elements like Elementary-mastery fire, ice, and lightning. "These things here have the same defenses as a peak Grade 3 Mythic monster that has its stats geared towards constitution." He picked up the sword and tapped its de. "It''s a standard de made by ourpany for Grade 5~Grade 4 Mythic Demigods." Henry shed the adamantium metal block with the sword. "As you can see, an unawakened like me cannot put a scratch on it. "The Mythic Demigods will be able to damage the metal blocks if they attack it instead of me. "However, even they would find it difficult to destroy the blocks." Henry ced the sword on top of the metal block. He stood beside Neo and ced a hand over his shoulder. He spoke to the audience, "Today''s demonstrator will be my brother, Neo Hargraves. "I''m sure many of you know about him. He has been quite famous for doing some vignte stuff." The reporters chuckled. "No, I''m being honest here. "His actions, no matter how correct, were illegal. Quite a few media stations are painting him in an ''antagonist'' light. "Calling him names, calling him evil, since he uses dark elements. "But look at him now. Does he look like a viin? "No, he looks like he has seen a ghost because I haven''t cursed in the past fifteen minutes." The chuckles grew louder. Henry smiled. Neo could tell Henry was enjoying his job. "And that''s what he is. A normal highschooler who entered the Academy through his hard work and became the Divine Ruler." Henry was satisfied with the result of his digressive talk. He stood away from Neo and spoke, "Neo, what are your current masteries in your primary elements?" "¡­Adept, both." Neo wanted to roll his eyes. No one told him he was the demonstrator. "That''s awesome. It''s rare to see anyone with such high mastery in Death and Darkness. "I''m sure it took a lot of hard work on your part?" "¡­It did." Neo pursed his lips. He could tell Henry was shaping his public image. "That''s incredible. "Now, can you create an Aura de? An ''actual Aura de,'' of course." Neo nodded. Although he hadn''t made a proper Aura de before, it wasn''t hard with his mastery. He held his fists together as if he was holding an invisible sword. The Divine Energy in his core churned. Red lightning crackled around his arms. It condensed and condensed until it was turned into the shape of a sword. A rush of emotion appeared within his head. Obitus started to sulk. Neo conveyed to his sword spirit he was holding ''another weapon'' just for a moment. "Make aplete Aura de with both of your elements," Henry spoke. Neo frowned, but heplied. ck mes materialized around him. They covered his Aura de. The mespressed until they looked like cold metal. The red lightning peaked through the surface of the sword at random intervals, giving the sword an illusion of red lightning moving within it. Darkness for strengthening the de and allowing the sword to block attacks. Death to increase the damage. Neo used two elements together topensate for their weakness. His Aura de looked simr to Obitus. Obitus'' emotions red. Happiness, jealousy. Neo found it hard to maintain the Aura de. Although the Aura de was small, it was deadlier than the giant swords he used to attack the Necromancer. The audience started to sweat. Their pupils dted and their heartbeats quickened. They could sense the powerful Death within Neo''s hand. He could kill all of them with a flick of his hand. "There is no need to worry," Henry spoke up. "Proper safety measures have been prepared for the demonstration." He motioned towards the butler who was standing below the stage. "Sir Sebastian V Roche is standing guard. I''m sure all of you know him. "He is a living legend. "I''ll refrain from boasting about him since the demonstration isn''t rted to Sir Sebastian. "But this should be enough for all of you. "With Sir Sebastian here, you''ll be safe even if a God n attacked the press conference right now." Henry continued, "You can enjoy the demonstration without any worry. "Now, Neo, please attack the adamantium blocks." Neo nodded. He walked up to the first adamantium block and shed. His Aura de passed through it like a knife cutting through butter. The top half of the adamantium block slid off the cleanly cleaved surface. Henry pped. "A marvelous demonstration." He turned to the audience. "We''ve seen Neo''s performance with his Aura de. "It''s exemry, but as you can see, it''s taxing for him to maintain the Aura de." He snapped his fingers. A giant holographic screen appeared in the air. It contained basic information about Aura des. "Aura des, while powerful, are too draining. "Almost any Demigods who can use them, don''t use them. "The ratio of output to Divine Energy consumption for Aura des isn''t worth it, or so the demigods say. "This is why they use weapons and coat ¨C or superimpose, if I were to use a more technical analogy ¨C the Aura de on their weapon. "The output is almost the same, and the Divine Energy consumption is reduced by half." Henry continued to exin pros and cons of Aura des. He rified why demigods used their weapons to create an Aura de instead of creating an Aura de out of thin air. "This sword¡­." Henry picked the standard sword that was brought to the stage. Chapter 190: Press Conference [2] "It is one of the weapons demigods use to create Aura de. "Neo, can you demonstrate your Aura de with this sword?" "Understood." Neo nodded. He still felt weird seeing Henry talk normally. But he ignored it. Or tried to do so atleast. He took the sword from Henry''s hand. Obitus didn''tin. It was trying to stay quiet, believingining too much would annoy Neo. Neo could sense how much it hated the him touching other weapons ¨C swords especially. If he were to put Obitus'' feelings in words, he was a husband who was spending a night with another woman. He spoke a few words offort to Obitus. After calming down the Sword Spirit, he channeled his Aura of Death and Darkness into the sword. The de started to crack. Neo realized it would break if he did not stop. "Don''t hold back," Henry said. Neo nodded and shed. The sword crumbled away before it could touch the adamantium block. "There you have it." Henry turned to the audience. "Ourpany''s product is already well known in the market for it''s durability. "There is no need to exin that it''s one of the best products with a good cost-to-performance ratio. "Yet, you saw how easily it broke when the weapon is pushed beyond its limit." One of the reporters raised his hand. "Yes, you can speak." "Usn''t it too much to use Neo Hargraves as a benchmark?" The reporter continued. "He defeated the Minotaur. Even if he is a Mythic rank demigod, he is in the upper bracket among them. "The standard weapons are used by new Grade 5 Mythic demigods up to Grade 3 Mythic demigods. "They aren''t strong enough to destroy the weapons with their Auras," the reporter exined. "Miss¡­" "Eli Spencer from BigNews Daily." "Miss Eli, you say the demigods aren''t strong enough to destroy a weapon like Neo did. "What about the monsters? "A Grade 3 monster whose stats are geared towards attack will do major damage to the standard weapons inbat. "From our calctions, the amount an average demigod spends within five years to repair their weapon is enough to buy a new standard weapon. "A standard weapon of Hargraves Corporation, while cheap, still costs years of savings on the demjgods'' part. "This is same as saying they are burning through their savings to repair their weapons." Henry added, "If this continues, the demigods will never be able to buy another gear. "And without new gear, they won''t grow stronger, they won''t be able to defeat more monsters, and they won''t earn more money. "They''ll be stuck at their current level for their whole lives. "Hargraves Corporation doesn''t want that. Our goal is to create affordable and powerful weapons that anyone can use and help them grow stronger" The reporter jotted down his answer and returned to his seat. More reporters posed their questions. Henry answered them patiently. After a while, he spoke, "Now, we''ll present the Soul Weapons." The crew members brought a suitcase to the stage. They opened it and presented it to Neo. Neo took out the sword from within it. ''Obitus, just wait for a few seconds.'' The sword didn''tin. But he reassured it nheless. "Begin the demonstration." Neo poured his Divine Energy into the de swiftly. He could not hear any faint murmurs from within the sword like he could hear from Obitus. Even though both were Soul Series weapons, they were qualitatively different. The adamantium block was sliced cleanly, and a deep gash was left behind on the ground. "This is the ability of our Soul Series Weapons. "They boost your control over your primary elements as well as improve the cirction of Divine Energy." Henry exined the benefits of the sword. Everyone thought the demonstration had ended. Before the reporters could start the interview in earnest, Henry raised his hand to stop them. "Neo, please draw Obitus." "¡­?" Although confused, he grabbed the hilt of his sword. Suddenly, his aura expanded explosively. It was as if Obitus wanted to show it was better. The aura of Death and Darkness was so thick that the adamantium blocks and the stage started to crumble away before Neo did anything. The butler had to step up to stop the damage from spreading. A thin, transparent golden film covered Henry, the stage, and the reporters. Soon Neo''s aura returned to his control. The performance of Neo''s sword left the reports ck jawed. "The weapon you just saw was the True Soul Weapon. Only three more such weapons exist. "They will be sold at the auction the day after tomorrow. "You can ask the questions now." The reporters jumped into action. Henry picked them at random and listened to their questions. "What''s themercial difference between normal Soul Weapons and True Soul Weapons?" "The standard Soul Weapons are mass-produced, while only four True Soul Weapons exist." Another reporter stood up. "What makes the True Soul Weapons different? There must be a reason if you are auctioning them separately." "True Soul Weapons can grow along with their user. Conversely, the opposite is also true. "As long as the weapon grows stronger, its user will too." The conference hall went into a frenzy. Henry''s words were too absurd to be believed. But the proof was in front of their eyes. Neo had been seen using Obitus during ranking tournaments when he was a Grade 5 Awakened Demigod. He was still using the sword, and it had grown in its abilities visibly. "Mr. Henry, if your words are true, then a True Soul Weapon can allow Mars Everhart¡ªthe Fallen Genius¡ªto grow stronger. "The Ares n would''ve paid any price for a weapon of that caliber. "Why are you putting them in an auction instead of selling it to the Ares n directly? "Is it because you want the ns topete for the True Soul Weapons?" "That''s a tricky question," Henry chuckled. "There are many reasons for my decision. "But the main reason is the True Soul weapons themselves. "They choose their owners. If they don''t like Mars Everhart, he can''t use them." The reporters grew excited when they heard him. After all, his words were essentially saying True Soul Weapons were alive. Instead of confirming their guess, Henry dodged around the questions, saying any more information about the True Soul Weapons was confidential. The interview continued until one of them spoke to Neo. "My question is for Neo Hargraves." "Go on," Neo said. "The short clip of you defeating the legendary Minotaur with only two attacks has gone viral. "Not to mention, you proceeded to defend Greenwood City until the authorities came to the scene. "Prior to this, you became the Ruler by defeating Morrigan di Montaigne, who was the irrefutable rank 1 of this year. "After bing a Ruler, your exceptional performance in the S-rank mission was also quite shocking." The reporter continued, "My question is, who are you? "Frankly, you are too talented to have a minor god''s bloodline. "I ¨C we ¨C want to know what is your bloodline. "An exceptionally powerful bloodline can be the only reason how you could grow so strong in such a short amount of time." The question came. Neo had expected it. "You want to know my bloodline?" He opened his mouth. Chapter 191: I Am..... "You want to know my bloodline?" He scanned the crowd, his gaze unwavering, cool as a winter''s midnight. "My bloodline is named ''Monarch of Death.''" Silence. A beat passed, no one dared to speak. Then, he added, "It''s the bloodline of the great god of death, Hades." For a moment, absolute silence nketed the room. The reporters took a few seconds to digest his word,. Their faces shifted from disbelief to awe. The conference hall erupted in a blinding sh of cameras and a chaotic flood of questions. They spoke without waiting for their turn. Their voices merged into a sea of iprehensible noise. Neo picked one of them. "Neo Hargraves, are you sure about your bloodline? The bloodline of the great Death has never appeared in history. "This is not a simple headline. If you''re telling the truth, today will go down in the history books." "The principal of the Demigod Academy can vouch for my bloodline," Neo said. "Next question, please." Another reporter stood up, her voice quivering with excitement and doubt. "Hargraves family is an offshoot family of the Hephaestus God n. How is it that you possess the bloodline of Hades?" "I just have it," Neo replied bluntly. His voice carried an edge that made the reporter flinch. He turned to another reporter for their question. "You are the only bloodline holder of the Monarch of Death. "That automatically makes you the n head of the Great God n of Death. What are your intentions regarding the future of your n?" "My current goal is to pass the academy. Anything other than thates after." Neo continued to answer the reporters with patience. His remained voice calm, his expression unreadable. Finally, near the end, one of the reporters asked a controversial topic. "Neo Hargraves, you possess the bloodline of the Great God Hades. One of the three great gods. The god that rules wealth, the underworld, and death. "Doesn''t that mean you naturally have the highest degree of talent?" "I''m sorry, I don''t understand your question," Neo responded. "It''s simple, actually. Until now, you''ve been a dark horse, an uprising demigod with no talent, who reached the apex through sheer hard work. "But wasn''t that all a lie? "Nothing you achieved was the result of your hard work. It was all your talent." Neo fell silent. The question hung in the air. He waited for the reporter to finish, and his gaze remained unreadable. "Your strongest elements are death and darkness. Don''t theye to you naturally with your bloodline? "It''s proof enough that your sess in built on the talents you were born with." Neo raised an eyebrow. "Hmm¡­ So, you''re saying that bloodline alone decides talent?" "Yes." Neo nodded The corner of his lips rose into a faint smirk. "You are?" "Karl from Starstream News." "Mr. Karl, how many children of Hades can you name?" Karl''s mouth mped shut, his face turning pale. "Please, go on," Neo nudged him, his voice dripping with irony. "I''m sure you won''t say I''m the first son of Hades. If bloodline alone is enough to make one talented, the other children of Hades must be as gifted as me." "Please, name some of them." The reporter had no words. He could only offer an awkward smile and sit down, defeated. ... Street 42, Krien City, Valsco Elizabeth waited at the pre-decided location. Her eyes scanned the busy street. Neo had told her to meet here today. She ended up arriving an hour early. Left with nothing else to do, she loitered by the sidewalk. The street was bustling, alive with the hum of voices andughter. Elizabeth noticed several people sneaking nces her way. A few brave ones approached her, going as far as asking her name and number. Her ethereal beauty caught attention of all passerby. She was in a disguise that resembled her original appearance, only her hair was ck instead of its usual pure white. Since she was an exalted demigod, Elizabeth looked like someone in their twenties. Before Elizabeth left, the principal had warned her something like this would happen. She thought it was the principal''s needless concern. But experiencing it in reality was a headache. Some attempted small talk, trying to gain her attention. She ignored them as irritation flickered in her eyes. Her hand twitched. She had the urge to send them scattering, but she restrained herself from sting the entire street off the map. "Where is he?" she muttered under her breath, impatience settling in. "Is he really going to show up¡­?" She had no idea why Neo called her here. But, knowing Neo, it had to be for an important reason. An hour passed with no sign of him. During that time, Elizabeth checked thetest online news and saw Neo at the Hargraves Corporation press conference. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched. Still, she held on to the thought that there had to be a reason why Neo called her here. Sighing, she decided to enter the coffee shop next to the street rather than waiting outside. The door chimed as she entered, and she took a seat near the entrance. After ordering a coffee and sipping it slowly, she was approached by one of the staff. "Hello, could we ask for a review?" A young girl stood beside her, smiling politely. Elizabeth stared at her with a frown. The girl''s smile faltered. She became nerves under Elizabeth''s piercing stare. "I-it''s fine if you don''t want to leave a review," the girl stammered and retreated as fast her feet allowed her. Elizabeth''s gaze didn''t leave her for a moment. ''That''s a high-level disguise artifact,'' she thought to herself. ''Who is that girl?'' She suppressed her curiosity. The girl could be a Temr on an undercover mission. Even if she wasn''t, it didn''t concern Elizabeth. Elizabeth was enjoying her coffee when murmurs broke out in the coffee shop. "Holy¡­ the bloodline of Hades. That''s a first." "I told you. Neo Hargrave was too strong to have a normal bloodline!" The people around were eagerly discussing today''s press conference and the shocking revtions it had brought. Almost every other person was talking about Neo. Their voices carrying a mixture of awe and envy as they recounted the details. It made Elizabeth happy and irritated. Her jaw tightened as the constant chatter surrounding Neo filled the room. The press conference had ended an hour ago, yet there was still no sign of Neo. Her impatience simmered as she nced around, hoping for even a glimpse of him. It was then she overheard another piece of conversation. "Sigh, I wish I was Neo Hargrave." "Stop it, Dan. Just because he has a great bloodline doesn''t mean he has everything served to him," the friend replied, rolling his eyes. "Thousands of children with Zeus'' bloodline are born every year, yet only a few of them have the talent and are able to be sessful. "Besides, Neo surpassed everyone within a few months. That''s not something talent alone can achieve," the friend said with a shrug, his tone almost reverent. "I don''t want his talent," Dan muttered stubbornly, his expression sullen. The two friends continued their argument, oblivious to the looks they were attracting. "He''s rich. I want his money," Dan insisted with a smirk. "¡­" "And¡­ dammit, that lucky bastard!" he burst out, exasperation clear in his voice. "Why are you acting like this¡ª" "You don''t understand. That guy is the only person with the bloodline of Death," he said, his eyes wide with envy. "Hundreds of girls would be ready to bear his children. "He can marry as many as he wants by saying he''s trying to preserve and spread the bloodline of Hades! "Dammit, I''m jealous." "You should¡ª" The second friend stopped speaking abruptly when they heard a loud noise. Elizabeth had mmed her hand against the table. The sound startled everyone nearby. She gave the two friends a cold, piercing stare before turning on her heel and leaving the coffee shop. The day was drawing to a close, and her mood was at an all-time low. Normally, she would''ve punished Neo for standing her up like today, but affected by everything that had happened, she did something different. With a deep, frustrated sigh, she messaged him, asking why he hadn''t shown up. > Neo < Me: Where were you today? Neo: Hargrave Corporation press conference. Me: Why didn''t youe after telling me to meet up? Neo: ¡­? Neo: What are you talking about? Neo: Wait, what? You didn''t meet her? > Neo < Elizabeth''s frown deepened as she read his responses. She didn''t understand if Neo was purposefully acting clueless, given that their previous messages were just a scroll above, or if he had genuinely forgotten about her. Both options was terrible. > Neo < Neo: One of my friends wanted to meet up with you. Neo: I''m really sorry. I forgot to exin that my friend would being to meet you, not me. Neo: Again, sorry. My head was jumbled after the Senate trial, and I didn''t properly exin it to you. > Neo < Her frustration boiled over as she stared at his messages. She couldn''t tell if Neo was truly remorseful or if this was just another of his careless excuses. Chapter 192: Ares Clan And The Bargain Elizabeth understood something was wrong. She reread the message. There was someone who wanted to meet her? Was this a direct message or a code? She thought back to everything that happened today. The only thing that stood out was... "The coffee shop girl in the disguise." Elizabeth frowned. "No, that can''t be. There is no way Neo would go in such a roundabout way to have me meet someone. "It doesn''t make sense." Then again, this wouldn''t be the first time something about Neo didn''t make sense. For one, the chaotic time elementals around Neo suggested he had regressed 3~4 times. However, given his current strength, Elizabeth knew he had regressed far more times. He somehow found a way to eliminate the chaotic time elementals. It should''ve been impossible for him. But the truth was bare before her eyes. "It doesn''t hurt to try." Saying so, Elizabeth closed her eyes. She chanted a short Spell under her breath. Her eyes hidden behind the eyelids glowed. Her vision synchronized with every water surface within the city. Thousands of images appeared within her mind. Elizabeth looked through with a practiced motion. "I can''t find her anywhere." The spell ''Water Reflect'' was a powerful but widely known spell. The countermeasures against it were not secret. Elizabeth wasn''t surprised. Given the woman''s disguise, she had expected this to happen. The lead disappeared. Elizabeth would''ve hit the roadblock in her investigation. But she was an Exalted demigod. She chanted more Spells,yering multiple chants over the Water Reflect Spell. The images in her mind moved. They showed her the memories of the water surfaces. It was easy to find the girl with her new method. Elizabeth followed the images in her mind and arrived at the location from where the girl disappeared. The alley was dark and enshrouded in shadows. It didn''t take her long to find an invisible magic circle carved on the ground. There were faint traces of Divine Energy around the ce. Elizabeth crouched and studied them. "This must belong to the girl." Her gaze shifted to the diagram. "Teleportation magic circle. It will activate with only specific Divine Energy signatures." The magic circle would explode if anyone else other than the registered Divine Energy tried to activate it. Elizabeth stood up. The Divine Energy around her churned. She used her Concept. The signature of her Divine Energy changed, turning simr to the traces of Divine Energy left on the ground. She activated the magic circle. Her gaze was on the chats disyed on her device. "I hope this is something important, Neo." Or she would make sure he regretted ying with her heart today. ... Deepest part of Ares n Headquarters. "You''ve returned home, boy." "Greetings to the n Leader." Mars bowed to the giant seated on the throne. He had ming red hair, fierce eyes, a deep, slow voice that made one''s soul shudder. Mars kept his head down. He waited for the patriarch to say something. "Boy¡­" Mars'' jaws tightened. The man never called his name. He knew it was how the man was. The man treated everyone the same way. "I''ve heard about the Press Conference of Hargraves Corporation." Mars'' brows rose ever so slightly. His heart thumped against his chest. He struggled to suppress the growing excitement. "Is this why you called me back home?" Was the man going to ask him about Neo? The first child of Death was certainly interesting news. "Neo, he¡­ is my friend." Mars did his best to calm himself. The man ¨C father ¨C questioned him about his friend. Their following conversation was going to be a familial talk, from a subjective point of view at least. Not the dry n and War God Ares ideology exchange they had been having for years. "He is the leader of my team¡ª" "I want to know about the True Soul Weapons." The man''s words poured cold water over Mars'' heated head. "Do they work as Henry Hargraves advertises them?" "¡­I do not know." "Those weapons can remove the chains that have been binding you until now. "You are telling me you didn''t use your connection with Neo Hargraves to know more about them?" The man stared at Mars with a deep, powerful gaze. Mars felt drained when the surging emotions disappeared. It was his mistake to have expected a familial warmth from the man. "I don''t like to use weapons. I''m a martial artist," he said. "It is my path." He wanted tough at the irony. At his own answer. The man and he were simr. Both had the ideology of power above all. They were driven by a ming desire to reach the apex. There was just one thing that separated them. Morals. The man was ready to sacrifice anything ¨C anyone ¨C for his dream. Mars was not. "The n''s Council has decided to be generous and buy a True Soul Weapon for you." The man ignored Mars words and added, "You will bond with the weapon and finally break free from the limitations that have been holding you back." "Generous?" Mars almost sneered. He was thankful that his friends were not here. He could show his ugly self to the man without any worry. "The n Council that forced me to be the Rank 100, thest rank among all the God n members, wants to gift me a True Soul Weapon generously?" "Indeed." The man ignored the sarcasm dripping from Mars'' tone. "The n Council has decided that investing in you in the current situation is the best for the n." "And I have decided against following their decision. "I''m a martial artist. I don''t like using a weapon." "Why are you being so stubborn, boy?" "Why? You ask that now?" Mars barely stopped himself from snapping. Nothing had changed. The man remained oblivious just like always. And Mars hated him as always. "I asked you a question." "Mother never used weapons either." Mars could''ve kept his mouth shut. But he answered. Because this was one of the only topics that hit the man like a p in the face. "I want to be like Mother. A shining star. A radiant phoenix." "Your mother wouldn''t have liked you giving up a chance of being stronger." The man''s voice grew soft as he continued. "If she were here, she would''ve told you to take this chance and soar your wings." "If she was here." Mars'' voice wasce with contempt. "But she is dead. Seven feets too deep into the ground." The man''s face hardened. Mars didn''t stop. "She died and was mocked. Her martial arts¡ªher pride¡ªthat she honed for her life was said to be the reason why she died as a weakling. "You never¡­" Mars closed his mouth. He took a breath and tried to calm himself. It was not like him to talk back against the man. Chapter 193: Temple Of Void Spending days with Neo''s family, watching the two brothers interact, made himpare his family to them and caused him to explode. "I''ll show everyone that martial arts aren''t weaker than Spells or Incantations," Mars said in the end. The man''s aura changed. He gripped the stone throne so tightly that the armrest cracked. He closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, Mars could see the calctive intent hidden behind them. "Is there nothing that can be done to change your choice?" "There is something, actually." The man suddenly realized he had fallen into Mars'' trap. It was easy to see Mars had been waiting for this moment all along. "Did you learn this from your ''friends''?" the man questioned, the sarcasm obvious. "I did." Mars gave an innocent smile. The man snorted. In the end, he didn''t care that Mars had a hidden intention. "What is it that you wish for?" "Give me the weapon." "¡­?" "Even if I fail to bond with the weapon, the weapon will belong to me. Not the n." The man''s brows creased. Mars hated using weapons. Still, he wanted the ownership. His intentions were obvious. Silence reigned in the room. The man neither denied nor affirmed anything. Just when Mars thought he was going to be rejected, the man spoke, "Your wish shall be fulfilled. "But remember well your part of the bargain, for it must not be forgotten." A sigh escaped from Mars'' lips. "You can leave." "Thank you." Mars stood up. He approached the giant doors and was about to leave when suddenly the man spoke, "Neo Hargraves, can he use the Blessing?" Mars stopped. He turned around. "Blessing?" "Forget it." The man waved his hand. "You are dismissed." ... Elizabeth appeared within a corridor. The paths were lit with the help of the Divine Energy-fueled mes burning on top of wood torches. She closed her eyes and spread her senses. "This ce is as big as a small city." It looked like a gigantic bunker or an underground base. Given the low number of personnel within, it was not the main base. She cast Water Reflect Spell along with extra chants. The memories of the water yed in her mind. She found the girl she had been searching for. In the memory, the girl canceled her disguise after arriving at the base. She transformed into a man. Elizabeth had seen him before. "He is¡­" She tried to recall the man''s name and failed. "He is the owner of the mystical fauna sanctuary. "He posted the A-rank mission that Neo''s team took and failed after the phoenix died at Lucas'' hand." More memories surfaced in her mind as the words rolled off her tongue. "The principal tried to catch him after the academy realized something was wrong with mystical flora sanctuary, but he escaped before that." There had been no lead on the man for months. Elizabeth understood Neo purposely sent her here to catch him. Her displeasure increased. "He can ask me directly if he wants something. Why be roundabout?" Despite her words, she stepped toward the man''s location. She inspected the base on her way. A patrol''s path intersected with hers. He stared at her wide-eyed. "Intruder¡ª" Water flowed into his mouth and left him unable to say anything. He tried to move and attack, but the ball of water trapping him erased all of his Spells. More patrols found Elizabeth as she kept walking. She disposed of them, making sure not to kill them in case she needed to extract information from them. It took her a bit of time to reach the man''s location. She could hear his voice through the wall. "Finally! We can finally move our n forward! The failure at the academy almost cost us our n, but now we have a chance!" Elizabeth attacked. The wall exploded, revealing the room. Elizabeth entered the ce through the hole. The man sat on the chair at the head of the table. He smiled at her. "Wouldn''t you say so?" Elizabeth frowned when she realized the man was calm. Too calm. Almost as if he had expected her to arrive. "Indeed that''s true." The man grinned. "The coffee shop was meant to lure powerful demigods like you who came after me. "Since we can''t use the academy to collect sacrifices anymore, demigods like you will have to do." "¡­" Elizabeth shifted her gaze to the roof of the room. A purple giant circle with one eye at it''s center was painted on it. "Temple of Void," Elizabeth muttered. She lowered her gaze and met the man''s eyes. "What were you nning at the academy?" "Nothingplex. Grow tainted monsters, create upheaval in the academy, collect corpses of the most talented demigods of the generation, and use them as sacrifices." "For what?" Excited, the man''s breath grew ragged. It was as if he could envision the future where they had seeded. "We will tear apart the fake sky and wee the True Gods! The Gods of Void!" Elizabeth stared at the man as if she was looking at an insect. He clearly had a few screws loose. She was about to take a step to capture him when suddenly a force yanked her from behind. A blink, and she appeared in a strange world. The sky had a roof. A chessboard-like roof that seemed to stretch into infinity. The ground was the same. There was no wall. Only a chessboard-like sky and floor. "Hahahahaha!" Elizabeth turned her gaze to the source of uncontrolledughter. She caught sight of a man, dressed in white,ughing his heart out. ''The man in the base was too weak to dispose of demigods that were lured,'' she thought. ''This person must be the one who deals with intruders.'' The man dressed in white raised his head and stared at her. Elizabeth flinched when she saw the worms eating half of his face. The worms entered his nose and mouth, eating his flesh, yet the man acted as if he couldn''t feel them. "A Void-tainted." "So you recognize this appearance," the man, a Void-tainted, smiled. "Of course you do. An Exalted Demigod would have knowledge about these matters, no doubt." Heughed and spread his arms. "To be honest, I was quite shocked when both of us were teleported to the [Dream Dimension]. "The Will of the World opens this ce only when Exalted Demigods are about to fight." He pointed at her. "Think about how I felt when I was about to attack the woman who entered our base and suddenly the Will of the World pulled me into the Dream Dimension." The corner of his lips rose. "Thanks to you, we canplete the ritual today itself." The man shot towards Elizabeth with a swift pace. "I can''t believe an Exalted Demigod delivered herself to our doorsteps! "Die and be the foundation of our great ritual!" Chapter 194: My Ten Beautiful Wives "A Void-tainted." "So you recognize this appearance," the man, a Void-tainted, smiled. "Of course you do. An Exalted Demigod would have knowledge about these matters, no doubt." Heughed and spread his arms. "To be honest, I was quite shocked when both of us were teleported to the [Dream Dimension]. "The Will of the World opens this ce only when Exalted Demigods are about to fight." The Void-tainted pointed at Elizabeth. "Think about how I felt when I was about to attack the woman who entered our base, and suddenly the Will of the World pulled me into the Dream Dimension." The corner of his lips rose. "Thanks to you, we canplete the ritual today itself." The man shot towards Elizabeth with a swift pace. "I can''t believe an Exalted Demigod delivered herself to our doorsteps!" "Die and be the foundation of our great ritual!" *** Training Room, Hargraves Mansion "Status," he muttered. [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 5 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 2 Mythic ] [ Stats ] ¦éStrength: 130 ¦éSpeed: 128 ¦éDexterity: 140 ¦éConstitution: 119 ¦éLuck: 0 [ Affinity: Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time ] ¦éMagic Spell: Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath [ Bloodline: Monarch of Death ] ¦éUnique Skill: Death, Immortal, Eternal [ Quest: Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1), Completed 3/5 ] He focused on the luck values. A sigh escaped his lips. "I wonder if my Luck - Fate Value - will affect what happens with Elizabeth." He shook his head. There was no point in thinking about what would happen. He had yed his card. Now, he had to wait. Neo shifted his focus to the task at hand. He sat alone in the training room. He closed his eyes and meditated. Time elementals surrounded him, casting invisible shadows that danced along the walls. Sweat flowed down his cheek while he focused. Each droplet traced a path of intense concentration across his strained features. "[Rewind Enchantment] Spell," he murmured to himself. It was a Resonance-rank spell. The other spells Neo had were all ingrained in his mind by Barbatos, Elizabeth, or the System. He could use those spells easily. However, Resonance Enchantment Spell was different. He had been practicing since the day he bought it. Neo''s eyes snapped open. He huffed, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he caught his breath. "Dammit. Why is it so hard?" he muttered, frustration etched in his voice. He closed his eyes again, focusing within himself. His lips parted as he recalled everything he had been taught in the academy. "Resonance-ranked spells are 3rd Stage spells," he repeated, a familiar chant now. "It means they have 2 raised to the power 3¡ªeight¡ªsubshells." Each subshell was made of one elemental paired together with one strand of Divine Energy. The subshells were arranged in a very specific formation to activate the Spells. "The theory is simple. But this damned spell¡­" he muttered, exhaling as he tried to calm himself. "Again." Neo closed his eyes. He had yet to reach Adept mastery in Time element and couldn''t use Time Elemental vision to ''see'' time Elementals. He had to focus on his other senses to sense them. He took one elemental of the Time element. Then, he tried to ce it inside a subshell with a strand of Divine Energy. The strand and the elemental were attracted to each other like opposite poles of a ma. He had to strain his mind and focus to keep them separated. After creating one subshell sessfully, Neo tried to make the second one. Second. Third. Fourth. By the time he was creating the fifth subshell, he had to use all of his focus to keep the subshells in ce. Some of them attracted each other while others repelled, and it took him all of his attention to maintain the delicate bnce. Beads of sweat rolled down his skin, each drop heavy with the effort he was exerting. The opposing forces between the subshells became too much, and the formation shattered, leaving Neo gasping for air. Only now did he realize how lucky he had been with his previous Spells. Necrotic Touch from Barbatos, Ocean''s Embrace from Elizabeth, and Essence Breath spell from the System. Those spells had been wired in his mind when he gained them. Time Enchantment Spell, however, was something he had to train from the ground up. He had to learn it himself. Neo closed his eyes and returned his focus to training. He stood up when the door of the training room opened. The butler bowed. "Young master, it''s time for the Auction." "Got it." Neo stood up and used a towel to wipe the sweat from his brow. He took a bath and changed clothes, the butler waiting for him in the room until he was ready. "Let''s go." The two left the mansion. During the auction, Neo found himself alone. His friends had been called back by their families. On the way, the butler broke the silence. "Young master, there is something the Master ordered me to tell you." "¡­What is it?" Neo frowned, noticing Sebastian''s cryptic tone. It gave him an ominous feeling. "Please be prepared for the marriage proposal meeting. They''ve been arranged after the auction ends." "Marriage proposal meeting?" Neo echoed, confused. "Yes. Marriage proposal meeting," the butler rified as he drove. "You have the bloodline of Death, and you are the head of the Great God n of Hades. Many families want to form an alliance with you. Naturally, the best way to do so is¡­" "By having their daughters marry me." Neo massaged his temples, feeling a headache brewing. Polygamy was socially epted, and he had no doubt there would be tons of marriage proposals waiting for him. "Refuse them." "We can''t." The butler produced a letter from his bosom and passed it to Neo. "¡­?" Neo opened the letter. His eyes scanned the words, and his face contorted. "Are they kidding me?" His mouth hung open in disbelief. The butler watched Neo''s expression from the rearview mirror and sighed. "The Senate Council has ordered you to preserve your bloodline. Until then, you are under house arrest." The bloodline of Hades was precious. Neo was the only one who possessed it. The Council''s order was to ensure Neo had a child before he could be set free. "Have my brother do it. He has the same bloodline." "We can''t be sure about that. Since Master never awakened his bloodline, there is a small chance he might have Hephaestus n bloodline. After all, the Hargraves family belonged to Hephaestus n. It was you who surprised everyone by awakening a different bloodline." Neo''s face crumbled, his thoughts heavy. The order by the Senate Council was quite a burden. "I''ll ask my brother to help me¡­" He trailed off, his frustration mounting. There was no way Henry didn''t know Neo had no intention of marrying or having a child. Yet Henry still sent the letter through Sebastian. "That damn bastard is enjoying this." He sighed and sank back into the seat. The butler coughed, trying to keep a straight face as he saw Neo''s expression. "I''m sure Master has appealed to the Senate Council already. He will try to have them remove the condition of you having a child." "What about the marriage part?" "¡­." "Sebastian? Say something." The butler coughed again. "I''m not sure about that. But even if the marriage condition is removed from the Senate order, you will have to take fianc¨¦es." "Fianc¨¦es? Multiple fianc¨¦es?" "¡­Please read the letter carefully." Neo reopened the letter, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the text. He had missed a few lines before. "Ten wives!? Do I look like a rabbit to them?" Neo slumped down in his seat like a deted balloon. There was so much he needed to aplish¡ªget his exoskeleton surgery, defeat his shadow,plete Barbatos''s trial, fight all of his friends together, pass the academy, and be a Temr. Marrying was thest thing he wanted to focus on. It didn''t help his goal of bing stronger in any way. He clicked his tongue and looked out of the window. They reached the auction venue. Neo noticed several high-ranked figures among the auction participants. Temrs, Senate members, n Heads. There was no shortage of people. Neo stepped out of his vehicle and entered the auction house. He was guided to a VVIP room by the butler. *** Trivia 5: Trivia Type: Skill information Topic: Unique Skill Transcendence Transcendence strengthened physique and soul 1% every time the user revived themselves. While it looked like a heaven''s blessing, it waspletely opposite. Transcendence had a very dangerous drawback. A drawback so dangerous that it could easily kill Neo. The skill needed Divine Energy to work. Every time, Neo would have to expend his Divine Energy to use Transcendence. Whenever he grew stronger, the skill Transcendence would require more Divine Energy to strengthen him further. Unless his Divine Energy pool could continue to grow and satisfy the demand of the skill, he would one day die because he couldn''t provide enough Divine Energy to support the skill. Chapter 195: God Slayer Weapons And Four Horsemen Of Apocalypse While waiting for the auction to start, Neo''s mind wandered. ''The Senate wants me to spread my bloodline.'' ''On the other hand, Zeus n wants to kill me.'' ''Is it safe to say Zeus n is moving alone, or are they trying to use a smokescreen to hide their true intentions?'' Whatever it was, Neo had no intention of marrying or having a kid. It was clear Zeus n bore ill intentions against his bloodline. They would go after his wife or child, too. It was an unnecessary burden for Neo. "Wee to the Hargraves Auction, dear guests!" Neo looked down over the auction hall from the VVIP room on the second floor when he heard the auctioneer. Wealthy patrons wearing tailored attire sat in rows of velvet seats. Their eyes gleamed. Their faces revealed the anticipation they had for the auction as they murmured among themselves. The air was thick with expectation, and the soft rustling of fabric filled the silence between their hushed conversations. The golden chandeliers above cast a warm glow over the room, highlighting the gleaming jewelry and intricate designs of the attendees'' clothing. The auction started. Weapons, ores, spell books, incantations, mythical beasts. Highest quality of exotic items were put on the auction. Neo watched the proceedings. Atst, the host on the stage announced the final item of the auction. "Dear guests, it''s time to reveal the item all of you have been eagerly waiting for! "The True Soul Weapon Series!" The audience pped. Neo stared at the stage silently. A warhammer. A bullet. A longsword. Three weapons were disyed on the stage. "Please note, the Auction House does not take responsibility if the True Soul Weapon refuses to form a bond with you." The auctioneer began to exin the information about True Soul Weapons. "Finally, the True Soul Weapons change their shapes depending on their user''s preference. So please don''t worry if you aren''t a swordsman, but a spearman!" The audience chuckled. Neo ced his hand on the Obitus hilt as he stared at the True Soul Weapons. "The Weapons of Apocalypse," he muttered. God yer Weapons all belonged to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Obitus originally was supposed to be owned by the Apocalypse of Death. The other three weapons belonged to Apocalypse of War, Apocalypse of Famine, and Apocalypse of Conquest. "I didn''t stop the auction," Neo muttered. "Was this the right thing to do?" The Apocalypse, while dangerous, were not viins. Not exactly, at least. They were something like a ragtag bunch of overpowered vignte demigods. Still, there was a reason why they were called Apocalypse. Neo watched the auction carefully. "Did the Apocalypse of Deathe?" Neo didn''t know the identity of Apocalypse of Death, unlike the other three. His n was to use the auction as a way to find his true identity. "First, we will be auctioning the Warhammer! The bids will start at 500 million!" "1 billion!" "1.5 billion!" "3 billion!" "10 billion!" The audience became quiet. They stared at the VVIP room where the owner of the 10 billion bid sat. "Is there anyone who wants to increase the price?" the host asked. "10 billion, once! 10 billion, twice! 10¡­" "15 billion!" "17 billion!" The bidding continued to go up. "Sold to Senator Abrahim for 80 billion!" The first True Soul Weapon was auctioned sessfully. "It''s the same as in the novel." Neo frowned. "Where is the Apocalypse of Death? Did he note to the auction?" "We will start the auction of the second True Soul Weapon! Starting price is 500 million!" The auctioneer pushed the bullet forward to show it to the audience. Another heated bidding took ce. "Sold to Gideon Everhart for 100 billion!" The price of the second soul weapon jumped by 20 billion. The auctioneer hid his immense happiness behind a perfect business-like smile. "Mars family bought the second weapon." Neo''s expression was not good. He hated letting his friend have a weapon that was bound to the fate of cmity. But it was the only way for his friend to grow stronger. Besides, Neo himself was using Obitus. If he told others not to use True Soul Weapons because they were dangerous, it would just make him a hypocrite. "This is thest remaining True Soul Weapon! "Don''t let go of this chance, dear people! A True Soul Weapon is invaluablepared to money! "It can grow stronger with you and strengthen your primary elemental control! It will work even if you be a Paragon Demigod or an Exalted Demigod!" The auctioneer did a short marketing pitch before starting the bidding. "We will start at 500 million!" By now, Neo was standing in front of the ss wall that showed him the auction hall. His hand held the railing tightly. "Come out. Come out, fucker." Neo had no lead left if he failed today. The Apocalypse of Death was a mysterious being. He was strong, rich, and ¨C ording to the Apocalypse of Death himself ¨C a student in the demigod academy in the same year as the main cast. Neo had gone through the student list of the academy five times. He even mobilized the power of the student council. Yet he was unable to find anyone who could be suspected of being the Apocalypse of Death. Today was the only chance he could find him. "Where are you, Death?" The auction ended. "Congrattions to Charlotte Fontaine, the principal of Demigod Academy, for buying the third True Soul Weapon!" Neo clicked his tongue. He left the room with a frustrated expression. "The weapons were sold to the same people. It''s clear the future didn''t change much. Why did only he disappear?" There were a lot of mysteries around the Apocalypse of Death. "Dammit." The trip back to the mansion was uneventful. The butler passed him a few documents. "What are these?" "The prospects who came to meet you today for marriage contracts." "¡­" Sighing, Neo flipped through the file quickly. He stopped at a particr page. "Why is Morrigan''s name here?" "The Zeus n seems to have sent her with a marriage contract." Neo frowned. "Isn''t this too much? The Zeus n abandoned her because she lost her position to me. "But giving up a genius like her for a connection to another family sounds like a stupid decision." "It''s how the Zeus n works, young master," the butler exined. "They want talented soldiers who listen to their orders without questions. Not geniuses who act on their own or failures who are useless." Neo nodded. The Zeus n had a twisted ideology. Chapter 196: Queen Of Gluttony Shaking his head, he returned the document to the butler. "I know it''s an order from the Senate Council, but remove the prospects from the Aphrodite n at least. Why are their names in the list?" "Understood, young master. I''ll be careful next time." Neo was about to reach his room when he noticed two people outside the door. One had familiar blue hair, and the other was an unknown woman with green hair. "You are here!" The woman grabbed the wrist of the blue-haired man, Elijah, and dragged him toward Neo. "Nice to meet you. I''m Signora Everly, 17th disciple of the Senator, Sir Nics Montague." She gave him a refreshing smile as she bowed and pulled Elijah down. "This is my brother, Elijah, a Temr of the Temple of Wind. I''m sure you already know him. He was the one who handled your Senate Hearing. "Sorry about what he did back then. Elijah has a tendency to act out of line." She stood up straight after apologizing to him. Elijah looked away, irritated and embarrassed, but he didn''t say a word. "Why are you two here?" Neo questioned. "We were sent to supervise the meetings you will have with your marriage prospects. "It''s to make sure you don''t reject them without a proper basis." Signora smiled awkwardly. "Sorry about this, Neo. I know the Senate''s decision might be a bit too much. However, it''s for the greater good." "I don''t care about it." "¡­?" "You can leave." Neo went past them and was about to enter his room when Signora called him. "Umm, are you going to meet the marriage prospectster?" she asked, surprised by Neo''sck of reaction. Senators were the leaders of the continent. Their disciples were naturally treated with high respect. Even the presidents and prime ministers, andrge organizations bowed their heads in front of Signora. "I''m not going to meet anyone," Neo spoke. He turned to the butler. "Reject the marriage prospects that''vee today, Sir Sebastian." Before Neo could step into the room, an invisible hand of Divine Energy grabbed him. "Now that is something we can''t allow. The Senate has ordered you to meet them today, and you will have to follow their orders," Signora smiled. "And I refuse the orders." "Please, think about your decisions twice, Neo. Or else, I''ll have to resort to force." Neo snorted. He had no intention of taking a fianc¨¦e or a wife. "Use the force," he said. "Try it if you can." Signora continued to smile; however, the fury hidden behind her gaze was clear to Neo. Neo was sensitive to bloodlust. He could tell she wanted to kill him because of how he was acting. However, she didn''t act. Neo smirked. "Why are you not using force?" Signora turned her gaze to the butler. "Sir Sebastian, please tell Neo to follow the orders of the Senate Council." "I apologize, youngdy, but I can''t refuse the orders of young master. "If he does not wish to meet the marriage prospects, then I will follow hismand." Sebastian snapped his finger. The invisible hand holding Neo shattered. "You are disgusting, Sir Sebastian," Signora said with a smile. "You are a taint on the name of Senators. "Do you know how much we¡ªhow much everyone in the Senate Council¡ªsuffered when you decided to act like a butler for a dirty, small¡ª" "Youngdy, please choose your next words carefully. I won''t tolerate any insult against master or young master." Signora kept her mouth shut and stared at Sebastian with a fake smile. She turned around. "Let''s go, Elijah. We can''t do anything if Sir Sebastian is helping him." After the two left, Neo shifted his gaze to the butler. "Thanks." "I only did my duty as your butler, young master." Neo nodded. He entered his room, took a shower, and called the butler again. "Where are the marriage prospects?" "I''ve sent them back." "Good." Neo nodded. "What about Morrigan?" "Miss Morrigan is in the dining hall." Neo didn''t need to ask to know what Morrigan was doing in the dining room. He went to meet her. There, the table was filled to the brim with different dishes. The silver tes gleamed under the warm light of the chandelier. Each te was carefully arranged with vibrant, fragrant food. A roast duck sat at the center, its skin golden and crispy. The tter of grilled steaks with glistening juices and a hint of char stood next to bowls of mashed potatoes, creamy and smooth, garnished with sprigs of parsley. Arge dish of fresh fruits, cut into perfect slices,y beside the main courses/ Their colors popped against the white porcin. Pillowy bread rolls, their crusts soft and warm, were stacked neatly on a silver tray, ready to be torn apart and dipped in rich butter. There were bowls of soup as well, their steam rising in delicate swirls, with hints of herbs and spices that made the air fragrant. In the corners of the table, delicacies like grilled seafood, stuffed mushrooms, and vibrant sds added variety to the feast. Neo could see Morrigan devouring the mountain of food. "Calm down. Nobody is going to steal your food." He sat next to her. She ignored him. Propping one hand on the table and supporting his chin, he turned to her. "Why didn''t you go back to your n? I''m sure Sir Sebastian told all of the marriage prospects to go home. "Don''t tell me you decided to stay here so that you could eat like the glutton¡ª" "Yes." She stopped him before he could continue teasing her. "Low-ranked members like me aren''t allowed to enjoy luxuries like eating good food in the n." Neo closed his mouth. Before he could say anything, Morrigan added, "I knew I could eat anything if I came here. "But the n didn''t let me leave without any reason. So when the news about the n selecting marriage prospects for you appeared, I applied as quickly as possible." Neo raised his brow. "You want to marry¡ª" "No," she said. "I came here for food and not you." Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry. After three months of being teammates, Morrigan had opened herself to everyone. Especially Neo. She didn''t hesitate to treat him like a food truck. Neo shook his head and raised his hand to eat something. He was starting to feel hungry while looking at Morrigan eating everything happily. However, before he could touch anything, Morrigan pped his hand away. She stopped eating and gave him a cold stare. "It''s mine." He was exasperated. ''War Empress my foot.'' ''She is the Queen of Gluttony.'' Chapter 197: Elizabeths Ticking Time Left with no other choice, Neo spent his time watching Morrigan. Much to his surprise, she passed him a te a few minutester. "¡­?" "¡­I don''t like how you keep staring at me. Here, you can have it. Don''t say I didn''t share anything." Neo''s lips twitched when he saw the half-eaten dish. He shook his head and took it. Just as he was about to start eating, his device rang. "A call?" He noticed it was from Amelia and picked it up. "N-Neo?" Amelia''s voice cracked as she sniffled. "Mom, sh-she¡­e here quickly, Neo¡­ please¡­." Neo''s face hardened. He stood up swiftly. "I''m on my way." ¡­. Elizabeth''s mind was muddy. Thest thing she could recall was defeating the Void Tainted. She had tortured a lot of information out of him. After leaving the Dream dimension, she attacked other branches of Void Temple she had found out about. She was injured, with half a foot in the grave after the battle with Void Tainted, but there was no time to rest. The members of Temple of Void would escape. Elizabeth had to deal with them before they knew the Void Tainted was defeated. She couldn''t recall anything after that. Her head throbbed painfully. "D-don''t hit me, please¡­" The voice snapped her out of the daze. She looked around and noticed a little girl. The little girl had silver-white hair and blood-red eyes. "It hurts¡­ stop¡­." The girl curled as the blue-haired man kicked her repeatedly. "Fuck! I lost the fucking bet!" "S-stop¡­" "Shut up! Fuck, did I give permission to you to talk!? Now even you are ignoring me!?" The man left after he had taken out his anger on her. The little girl continued to cry. "It hurts¡­." Tears slipped from her swollen eyes and mixed with the blood flowing out from her bruised lips. ck and purple marks throbbed on her limbs and torso after the man''s¨C her husband - beating. Shey broken on the floor, bleeding. Painful memories surged in Elizabeth''s mind. The scene before her eyes changed. The little girl had grown up. She came of age, and her womanly features began to show, revealing her alluring appearance. However, her gaze remained vacant. The girl stared at the screen. She watched the drama depicting the love life of a princess and her prince with murky eyes. "A princess¡­ I-I''m a princess too. Will I be treated like that when I grow up?" The blissful smile on her face disappeared when the door was smashed open and her husband entered, drunk. Elizabeth, who had been watching everything from the side, clutched her chest. "This is a dream¡­ It''s just a nightmare¡­" She took deep breaths to calm herself. The painful memories of her childhood were but a thing of the past.She repeated those words to herself. Elizabeth was breathing heavily. Her eyes quivered. The scene changed. She saw a woman looking down from the castle''s windiw. The woman had a simr face as that of the little girl. However, her cold expression was vastly different. Unlike the girl who had spent her life waiting for help, living on others'' terms, the woman had taken control of her life in her own hands and cut down those who went against her. "It''s time," the woman muttered. "Should I ascend?" Elizabeth recalled that moment. It was long before the symptoms of the curse appeared. Back then, she had reached the peak of her strength. She was just a step away from bing a God. The woman was lost in deep thoughts when suddenly a knock on the door echoed. "Mom, it''s time for dinner. Paul and Sister ra are waiting for you. Let''s go," Amelia''s voice flowed from the other side of the door. The woman''s cold expression cracked. She revealed a small, but warm smile. "I''m on my way." The woman opened the door and attended the dinner with her family. She had decided against attaining Godhood. To be a God, she would have to ascend and leave the world ¨C leave her family ¨C behind. ''I finally got what I wanted after those hellish years. There is nothing more that I want.'' Her family was enough for her. ''I don''t need power or Godhood.'' Elizabeth, who had been watching the scene, started to tear up. She hurriedly wiped her tears when she noticed them. ¡­. "Dammit¡­." Neo sat next to Elizabeth. She was on the hospital bed, wrapped in bandages and injuries. The room was lit dimly, sterile, with monitors quietly beeping. Tubes and wires surrounded her frail, bandaged body as she rested, bruised and motionless on the hospital bed. ''It''s my fault.'' Neo sped her hand and bit his lips. ''I should''ve been more careful.'' ''I underestimated the strength of Temple of Void since they were just a budding organization at this period of time.'' His heart clenched when he noticed tears slip down Elizabeth''s eyes. ''She is having a nightmare.'' He wiped her tears. The door of the hospital room swung open. Amelia entered. Her eyes were reddened and swollen, and her hair was unkempt. For some reason, she red at Neo with intensity. She grabbed his arm before he could say anything and pulled him out of the room. After they had moved away from the room, Amelia grabbed Neo''s cor and pushed him against the wall. "Why was Mom fighting against those people?" "How are you feeling, Amelia? I didn''t see you after I came, and I''ve been worried¡ª" "Don''t change the topic!" Amelia held his cor so tightly that it started to rip. Tears gathered in her eyes. "I''ve checked her phone just now. You were thest person she talked to after going missing, and¡­." "¡­" Watching Elizabeth in the ICU reminded her of the time when Elizabeth was about to die to ra''s¡ªher sister¡ªcurse. "Neo, tell me. Please. Why is Mom hurt? The doctors are saying that s-she might not live. "Please say that it isn''t your fault." Amelia cried, almost begged. To say that he hadn''t betrayed them. That he wasn''t the reason why Elizabeth could die. "Neo. Say something. Please¡­ say something!" She pushed him against the wall with force. Neo avoided her gaze. "I sent her there." "¡­!?" Amelia stiffened. Tears slipped down her cheeks as her fears were confirmed. She let go of his cor. "Why?" The single word was all she could muster. "I wanted her to take care of an organization." "The Temple of Void¡­?" Neo nodded. Hope returned to Amelia''s eyes. ''Y-yeah, Neo wouldn''t push Mom into harm''s way.'' ''He must''ve asked her to scout the ce, and she encountered the Temple of Void by coincidence.'' The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 198: The Price Demanded By Fate Eliabeth had destroyed several cities ¨C all belonging to Temple of Void ¨C in her rampage. The news was spreading among the upper echelons already. "Did you know Mom would encounter the people from Temple of Void?" Amelia asked with a shaking voice. She shouldn''t have asked such a question from Neo. He was the one who saved her mother from the curse. He was her savior. But after being betrayed by her siblings, she had started to doubt everyone. "¡­" Neo exhaled deeply. "Yes." "Why didn''t you tell Mother to bring more people with her¡­?" "¡­" The truth was bare before her eyes, but she remained desperate. She wanted to hear anything ¨C even if it was an excuse ¨C to trust Neo. "Neo¡­ Answer me¡­" "More people could''ve jeopardized the secrecy of the mission. Besides, they would''ve be a burden on Elizabeth when the battle started." "Then, why didn''t you ask Sir Sebastian to go with Mother? He is an Exalted Demigod." Amelia didn''t know why she questioned Neo. She wanted to know if he had purposely pushed Elizabeth into harm''s way. She was afraid of the answer. Afraid that he would say yes. His answers until now were enough. They should''ve satisfied her even if they sounded like excuses. But she continued to question him despite not wanting to hear his answer. "¡­" Neo remained silent. It was enough as an answer. A crisp echo rang, and a sharp pain rose from Neo''s cheek. Amelia stormed away, crying. Left alone, Neo sighed. "Fuck." He moved down the corridor and left the building. After arriving in the park outside the ce, he sat on a bench. He stared at the clear blue sky with a muddled gaze. "Was my choice wrong?" Neo shook his head. "It wasn''t¨C" "It wasn''t wrong. If you had sent more people, then Eliz might''ve actually died." He snapped his head towards the source of the voice. Charlotte, the principal, sat next to him on the bench. Her cane rested next to her, and she stared at the sky. "It''s funny, isn''t it? The more you try to change the future, the more Fate resist." "¡­" She kept her eyes on the sky. "There is a famous story among the Time users. Do you know about it, brat?" "No." Neo answered, even though he was confused. He didn''t understand what Charlotte was trying to say. "Nine hundred years ago, a genius was born. He grew up to be one of the best time mages. "He was capable of going as far as eight years into the past." Charlotte continued. "He was prideful and arrogant for obvious reasons. "One day, he was assigned to protect a vige. "Long story short, the vige was destroyed by ''them.''" Neo''s face hardened at the mention of ''them.'' He listened to Charlotte''s story with attention. "Arrogant as he was, the man was also kind. "He regressed to save the vige. "He failed and regressed, failed and regressed, failed, regressed, failed, regressed. "He kept going on for decades." Charlotte stopped for a moment. She took a nce at Neo before returning her gaze to the sky. "He didn''t have an extraordinary will. Nor was he kind enough to waste decades of his life in a fruitless attempt. "The only reason he continued to regress was because he had fallen in love with a woman from the vige." She chuckled. "Why not escape with the woman? "He did that, but it never worked. She would take her life after the vige was destroyed." Charlotte smiled bitterly. "The man was depressed and on the verge of losing his sanity from hundreds of failures. "He was drive to the corner and... "He ended up breaking the taboo of regressors. "He shared his pain ¨C his past attempts and knowledge of future¨C with others and asked for help." Neo closed his eyes. Herst sentence was enough for him to know the ending of the story. "The man saved the vige and the woman he loved. "In exchange, those he had revealed the future to died a brutal death a few monthster." Charlotte sighed. "The fate of death remained. The people who helped the man paid the price in his ce." Shaking her head, Charlotte lowered her gaze. She stared at the park, at the trees rustling from the wind. "Even 900 yearster, we still don''t have a concrete exnation as to why those people have to pay the price instead of the man. "There are plenty of regressors who reveal the future. "Take a few students in the academy as an example. They would regress after an exam and share the question paper with their friends. "The Fate wouldn''t interfere in small cases like these. "However, if it was something big ¨C like the incident where an entire vige''s life is at stake ¨C the Fate would make sure the timeline doesn''t change even if someone regresses. "The bigger the stakes, the harder it is to make changes. "Fate wouldn''t let you act as you wish." Charlotte stood up. She walked to the front and turned to face Neo. "Neo Hargraves, for what reason did you put my disciple''s life on the line? What was the Fate that you wanted to change?" "¡­" "She trusted you. That''s why she fought until she was on the verge of death." "Don''t worry." Neo exhaled. "She will survive." His lips parted. "I didn''t tell her anything. She was clueless about the entire matter. "I neither led her to the Temple of Void directly, nor did I help her catch them." He spoke without hesitation. "In essence, she was just a piece in taking down the Temple of Void and I was the mastermind. "Sure, I changed the future greatly. "The Fate would demand the price for it, of course. "But it will leave Elizabeth alone." Neo never revealed the future to Elizabeth. She was spared from the wrath of Fate. The fate would attack Neo and Neo alone. Because he was the only one who was aware the future was being changed. Charlotte''s expression changed. She looked at Neo with pity. "They were the priests of Void. Killing them like this is a big change. Can you pay the price for it?" "I don''t know." Neo stood up. "But I will do my best." He patted the dust off his clothes. "Why did you target the Temple of Void specifically?" "I wanted to dy the inevitable." He turned to leave the park. Just as he had taken a step, Charlotte questioned him, "The inevitable end of the world," she muttered. "So you know about it." "Everyone does." Neo''s answer made her stiffen. She watched Neo''s back grow smaller in the distance. "Everyone knows about the end of the world." She repeated the words and a bitter smile appeared on her face. "Of course, everyone knows about the inevitable end. "After all, the world was supposed to have ended 500 years ago." Chapter 199: Bonding With True Soul Weapon Neo roamed the campus aimlessly. "Should I have given the Trident to Elizabeth before the mission? "Maybe I should have sent Sir Sebastian too." He could not decide if his choice had been perfect. "I sent Elizabeth while she was in her weakest state to make sure the Fate doesn''t retaliate against her. "If I had given her too much advantage, the Fate could''ve interfered. "But did I make the right choice¡­." He bit his lips. Charlotte''s words swirled inside his head. ''Elizabeth trusts you. That''s why she put everything on the line for you.'' His face contorted. "Dammit¡­." Neo clenched his fist. "Dammit! "If only I was strong enough that I didn''t have to depend on others, I wouldn''t have to put Elizabeth''s life on the line like this." Neo found himself to be pathetic. Even after everything that happened, he would have done the same if he had another chance. The Temple of Void was too dangerous to let them grow. They had a huge hand in causing the world''s end. "Even if a few stragglers are left, the Temple of Void is officially finished." Neoughed bitterly. He extended the world''s life by a decade in exchange for almost sacrificing the life of someone close to him. "Pathetic." He was weak. That''s why he had to resort to underhanded methods. "I have to be stronger." His eyes glowed with renewed resolve. "Stronger." Neo made his choice. He would enter Shadow Windows and try to find his Shadow. If he didn''t find his Shadow until the day he got his exoskeleton surgery, he would stop looking for his Shadow in the Shadow Windows. "It''s time I stop dawdling and enter the World of Shadows." He had to take risks if he wanted power. ¡­ Mars'' Private Training Room, Mars Dorm, Demigod Academy "Are you sure you want to do this here?" Arthur questioned. "Yes." Mars nodded. "Let''s get over with this quickly and make a n to defeat Neo." He stood in the center of the room. Jack, Arthur, Felix, Nathan, ra, and Sean were present around him. A man, with brown hair and thick limbs, stood near the door. "You should do this at your n," Nathan muttered nervously. "They will be able to help you if something goes wrong." "It''s fine. The n has sent Uncle here." Mars directed his gaze towards the man far from him. The others followed his gaze and nodded. "I''ll start." Mars took out a fist-sized ck box. His friends retreated a few steps to give him space. He opened the box, revealing a bullet within it. "A true soul weapon." Jack muttered with aplicated gaze. "It feels weird knowing Neo had been carrying something like that around like nothing." "Well, he spends millions like it''s nothing." Felix shrugged. Jack agreed with her with a helpless smile. They stopped talking when Mars took out the bullet and held it in his hands. Nothing happened. A few minutes passed, and Arthur opened his mouth. "Maybe you should drop your blood on it to bond with it¡ª" Arthur''s mouth mped shut and he covered his ears when suddenly a high-pitched noise screeched. The noise wasing from the bullet. The screeching increased. "It feels like an attack¡­." Arthur clenched his teeth. He tried to use his Sound affinity to stop the screeching. Felix, the weakest among them, started to bleed from her ears and eyes. Arthur was about to help her when she stopped him. "H-help Mars. You c-can help meter." Felix was on her knees, unable to handle the pressure oozing from the bullet. Mars, at the center of the screeching, had his eyes closed. His face remained motionless. It was as if he was saying an attack of this level was nothing for him. The screeching suddenly stopped. The bullet shot out of Mars'' hand and flew towards the group at a blinding speed. Arthur dodged the bullet at thest second. It hit the wall like a cannon and left a deep crater. They were shocked, unable to understand what happened. "Mars!" Jack suddenly shouted. He ran towards Mars. "Are you okay?" "Of¡­ of course¡­" Mars struggled to speak. He had grown extremely thin. His hollow cheeks and shriveled muscles made him look like he had been starved for a few weeks. Blood dripped from his hand. His fingers were mangled when the bullet shot out of his grasp. Jack supported Mars and helped him sit. No one spoke. They had grave expressions. Jack bandaged and applied medicines to Mars'' damaged arm. Mars chuckled when he noticed the despondent atmosphere. "It''s fine. There is no need to be shocked like this. I expected something this to happen." Their excited expressions from minutes ago were nowhere to be seen. "Mars¡­." Felix opened her mouth. "Sorry." "It''s fine. I told you I never expected much." It was clear to them Mars failed to bond with the True Soul Weapon. Despite Mars'' calm expression, Felix could see the despair and relief hidden behind his gaze. While they were trying to console Mars, the man from Ares n took out the bullet of the wall and ced it back in the ck box. Mars called out to him before he could leave the room. "Leave the weapon here before you go." "¡­" The man turned around. "You''ve failed to bond with the weapon, Mars Everhart. "Since you lost its ownership, it now belongs to the n." "Who ordered you to do this?" "...The n Council." "Sigh." Mars shook his head. "The n head has given me his word that the weapon belongs to me. "You should know what would happen to you if you go against the words of the n head." "¡­" The man''s face hardened. The fear behind his gaze was evident. "The Council won''t be able to protect you," Mars added. The man clicked his tongue after minutes of contemtion. He left the weapon inside the training ground and left. "Please bring that to me," Mars said. Arthur picked the ck box with the True Soul Weapon inside it and returned to Mars. Mars held the box in his hand. "I can''t bond with it." He raised his gaze and looked at Felix. "So, it''s better for someone else to have this." He threw it towards Felix lightly. She caught it in her hands, her eyes wide. "What are you doing!? You can''t give me something precious like this¡ª" "Felix," Mars smiled weakly. The blood loss was making his head light. "It''s yours now." Before Felix could refuse, the box exploded. The bullet, as if alive, dug into her hand. ¡­ Floor B-4 Hargraves Mansion Neo walked through the white corridors with a tired gaze. His clothes were tattered and covered in blood. He had been clearing Shadow Windows for thest few days with no sess. Chapter 200: Absorbing The Trident Of Poseidon "Seems like I need to enter the World of Shadows to find my Shadow." After walking through the white, sterile corridor for a few minutes, he came across a door. A green light shot out of the door and scanned Neo. "Neo Hargraves confirmed, Entry allowed." The doors opened with a shooosh. The massiveboratory behind still shocked Neo even though he hade here multiple times in the past days. A sprawling, high-techboratory filled with glowing holographic screens, advanced machinery, and sterile metal corridors. Robotic arms assembledplex devices, while scientists in sleek uniforms analyzed data on floating interfaces. The people wearing white clothes were busy with different experiments. They ignored him. Neo went past them and arrived at the door at the other corner of theboratory. The door opened, and he entered another room. The room was smaller than theboratory. It had a single giant tube filled with an unknown liquid in the center. Pipes were connected to the tube. Their other end went underground. Henry and Luna stood before the tube. They were calibrating the device. "I''m here." "Oh, wee." The two turned to see Neo. Henry frowned when he saw Neo''s haggard state. However, he stayed silent. "Neo, are you sure you want to go through this exoskeleton surgery?" Luna questioned. "We have developed a new technology for exoskeleton surgery. "It is much safer than the standard surgery. "However, the fact remains that the trident used to make the serum for the surgery is an antithesis to you. "It can kill Immortals." Luna pursed her lips and added, "You might die. The chances are low, but they aren''t zero." "I''m okay with it." Neo smiled. He knew that the new technology for the surgery was not supposed to have beenpleted yet. It should''ve beenplete six monthster. Henry, along with Luna and other head scientists, have pushed themselves to the limit toplete the new technology for the surgery before the scheduled time. Because it was safer, and it increased Neo''s chances of survival. "Please remove your clothes and enter the pod." Neo nodded. He took off his clothes and climbed thedder. The lid on top of the pod opened. He turned to Henry before entering the pod. "Thank you." ''For doing your best for me.'' Neo entered the pod. The lid closed above him, and an unknown liquid entered the pod from the tubes connected to it. Henry watched the process, the concern behind his gaze clear to Neo. He stood with crossed arms, his fingers gripping his arms tightly, and he maintained a stoic expression. The liquid filled the pod to the brim. "I''ll start the process," Luna said. Neo nodded. He did not feel any different for a few minutes. As time passed, the temperature started to increase. It was bearable at first. As a Mythic Demigod, he could hold his breath for a few minutes and fend off slight heat easily. Only on m v|le|mp|yr It soon turned into scorching heat. Neo closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He didn''t want to thrash around in pain before his brother''s eye and worry him. The scorching heat made his skin sizzle. The liquid seeped into his skin forcefully. It made him feel as if someone was forcing pebbles into the pores of his skin. The liquid started to turn red as Neo bled and it seeped deeper into his skin. Deeper and deeper. From skin to muscles. It continued sinking it''s fang into Neo until it reached the bones. The liquid touched them and wrapped itself around their surface. A sickening cruch echoed. Neo''s bones started to break. The liquid was eating them. Corroding and recing his bones. Neo stifled his screams. His nails dug into his skin as he tried to stop himself from cking out. Pain. Neo was used to it. He should''ve been able to shrug it off. However, he felt as if his soul was being peeled away. Layer byyer. As if something entirely else was recing the damaged parts. His very essence started to tremble. His consciousness grew hazy. Whispers entered his ears. "¡­o." "¡­Neo!" "Neo!" He was jolted awake. "Take deep breaths!" Henry held him in his arms, having taken him out of the pod just a few seconds ago. "How are you feeling!? Answer me!?" "Don''t shout near my ears." Henry''s expression rxed when Neo answered him. He helped Neo stand. "Can you give me a towel?" Neo spoke as the pain disappeared slowly. Luna passed him the item. He wiped his body with trembling arms and turned to Henry. "I can¡­ stand on my¡­ own¡­" "Shut the fuck up, bitch. Just take my support." Henry helped him to the seats at the end of the room. After taking a minute to wash away the drowsiness, Neo changed into his clothes. "How are you feeling now?" Luna questioned. She kept a notepad in her hands to write down the details about his condition. "I''m good." Neo clenched his fists and reopened them several times. The pain and weakness had almost disappeared. It was reced by a deep power coursing through his limbs. Luna took his full check before nodding. "Seems like there are no harmful side effects. "It''s a miracle thar the surgery ended so easily." "¡­" Henry stared at Neo from the side. ''The trident merged with him too smoothly.'' ''His Concept,'' Henry thought. ''The only reason I can think of is his Concept.'' ''It must be something simr to the trident''s trait, which is why the trident epted him without much resistance.'' Neo stood up with a jump. The weakness had disappearedpletely. He felt refreshed and energized. "Let''s test out my strength." The corner of his lips rose slightly, surprised by the changes in his body. "I can feel my Water and Death mastery has increased. I''m almost at Adept-mastery in Water element." "Those must be the side effects," Luna exined. "Exoskeleton surgery mainly strengthens the physical stats." "I know. "That''s why I want to test my strength. "If the side effects are so great, the boost to my physical strength must be immense." Henry clicked his tongue when he saw Neo excited like a child. Henry himself was extremely happy; however, he didn''t show it. "Fine. Follow me." Henry took Neo to the sixth basement floor. Luna followed behind them. They entered the third door they encountered after entering the floor. The room beyond the door looked like a destroyed city. "We testrge-scale weapons here." "You can try out your strength¡ª" "Got it." Neo cut off Henry and stepped forward. He pulled his fist back and punched towards the seven-floor building at the front. The air exploded. A beatter, Neo saw the building he had attacked. It had been pulverized along with dozens of buildings behind it. Henry remained expressionless. Luna, on the other hand, was shell-shocked. She had seen many Mythic Demigods. But¡­ "N-Neo, what is your current rank?" "Grade 5 Mythic." She couldn''t believe her ears. "Only Grade 5?" Luna turned to the destruction Neo hadid with a single punch and looked back at him. Chapter 201: Entering World of Treacherous Shadows Luna turned to the destruction Neo hadid with a single punch and looked back at Neo. "Mka," she muttered under her breath. Neo stared at his fist. He could feel himself growing stronger with each second. Henry opened his mouth when he noticed Neo''s expression. "That''s the effect of the new technology we used for the surgery. "We sealed the powers of the trident since it was too strong. Your body wouldn''t have been able to handle it." Henry added, "Currently, you have use only 5% power of your Bones. "As long as you keep strengthening your body, the old god bones that have reced your bones will give you more stats." "So that''s how it is," Neo nodded. He moved around more to adjust to his new strength. After training for a few hours, he left the basement and had dinner with Henry and Morrigan. "¡­Why is she still here?" Neo questioned. "Because a certain dumbass couldn''t keep his ass at home and went around clearing Windows even though he was under home arrest." Henry gave Neo a sharp re. "The council''s orders were changed after we appealed the case to them. "They were going to give you a 5-year grace period, but of course, you had to break the rules. "Now, you need a fianc¨¦ or else the Senate won''t let go of this matter." "Huh? I don''t¡ª" "I''ve paid them 10 billion worth of assets as fine, fucking bitch. "Maybe have some shame and think before you act." "¡­" "Yeah, keep your mouth shut like that. "Morrigan is your fianc¨¦. The talk with the Zeus n will start soon." Neo''s brows creased. He couldn''t help but feel betrayed. Before he could say anything, Morrigan opened her mouth. "It''s not like we need to marry just because we are engaged. "We can stall marriage until everyone loses interest, then break off the engagement. "Until then, you will be free from being hounded to pump out offspring, and I''ll get a way to get off my n." "¡­" Her words reasonable. Still, it was surprising Henry was okay with this arrangement. ''Why does he even want to tie my knot with her¡­'' Neo stopped speaking. Morrigan was beautiful, exceedingly so. She was smart, strong, and had a good character. A perfect life partner to say. "Fuck." Neo stood up. "Where are you going?" "I''m full." He left the dining hall. Sighing, he walked out of the mansion and roamed the garden. "It''s getting colder." Neo rubbed his hands while he stared at the moon. He took out his device. >Jack< Me: When are you free? Jack: ¡­? >Jack< Jack, unsurprisingly, came online as soon as Neo sent him a message. A video call arrived. Neo picked the call. A hologram appeared above his device, showing him Jack, Arthur, Sean, and ra. They were in the library. Arthur and ra had fallen asleep while Sean was flipping through books. "What are you guys doingte at night in the library?" Neo questioned. "Looking for weaknesses of Death and Darkness element users," Jack said. "We were creating a n to take you down." Neo smiled as he shook his head. "Where are Felix and Mars? I don''t see them with you." "¡­" Jack''s face hardened. He answered a few secondster, "¡­They are training. Mars is helping Felix." "Oh," Neo nodded. "Seems like Felix is having a hard time adjusting to the True Soul Weapon." "Yeah, ¡­." Jack stopped speaking. His eyes widened. "How do you know about that?" They nned to keep the news secret from Neo. It could be a trump card in their battle. After all, Neo should never have been able to guess Mars gave the weapon to Felix. "Stop being surprised at every little thing." Neo berated Jack. "Also, instead of trying to take me by surprise, try to help Felix. "True Soul weapons aren''t easy to tame. "I doubt Felix would be able to use it before our duel." "Got it." Jack nodded with an awkward smile. The two talked for a few minutes before Jack spoke with a serious gaze, "So why did you message me?" "¡­" He stared at Neo carefully z as if studying his expression. "Dammit, so Felix was right." "¡­?" Neo frowned, confused. He hadn''t said a word. "Why do you think I called you as soon as you messaged me? I knew you were going to ask me this." "What are you talking about?" "You want me to help you enter the World of Shadows." Neo''s eyes widened slightly. He hadn''t expected them to know what he was nning. Jack wanted to give a smug smile as he had managed to surprise Neo, but he couldn''t since he knew what kind of ce the World of Shadows was. "How did you know?" Neo asked. "You told us you can''t control your Shadow element. "So we thought ¨C Felix thought¨C you would try to go to the World of Shadows and meet the Supreme Deity of Shadow to ask for a solution to your predicament." "¡­Do you take me for some kind of maniac? Why would I try to meet the Supreme Deity for such a small matter?" "Are we wrong?" "¡­." "Last week, you started entering the Windows. "I bet you were searching for a damaged Window to see if you could enter the World of Shadows through them." Neo massaged the back of his neck with one hand and sighed. "Fine. That''s my n. "Supreme Deity of Shadows is friendlier than other Supreme Deities. "He will help if everything goes right." "Friendly? You call that friendly?" Jack almostshed out until he recalled others were sleeping. He covered his face with both hands and sighed. "I''ll help you, dammit. It''s better than leaving you on your own. "Meet me at the station tomorrow noon." "Thanks." "Thanks me after everything is done." Neo cut the call and pocketed his device. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "By now, Jack must''ve gained high mastery in using the Key we found in the Window. "With his help, I can enter the World of Shadows easily." Neo yed with the device in his pocket. World of Treacherous Shadows. It was among the most weing, yet the deadliest Elemental Worlds. "I should be able to find my Shadow with this. "Even if I don''t find my Shadow, the Supreme Deity will be able to answer what is wrong with my Shadow element." Neo closed his eyes and focused inwards. He tried to convert his Divine Energy into Shadow elemental. There was no response. His current state was no different from someone who had not awakened the Shadow element. However, he could stay inside Shadow windows without safety gear. It was only possible for those who had awakened the Shadow element. Neo had talked about his problem with professors from the academy. Chapter 202: Entering World of Treacherous Shadows [2] No one could tell what was wrong with Neo''s Shadow element. The only exnation they had was Neo''s Shadow element was, somehow, stuck in a half-awakened state. Something that was impossible. "I''ll find out the answer soon." He returned to the mansion when it got chilly. After taking a shower, he turned to the bed for sleep. Next morning, he had a short breakfast. "Where are you going?" Morrigan questioned him just as he was hurrying to leave before Henry caught him. Because Henry wouldn''t let him go if he told him where he was going. "I''m going for training," he answered ambiguously. "Stay safe," Morrigan said as she leaned against the wall. "The Supreme Deity of Shadows isn''t hostile to outsiders. "But it won''t help you as easily as you think." "¡­.how did you know where I was going?" "Felix told me a week ago that you will try to enter the World of Shadows soon. "I just felt like you were going there today." "Felt?" Neo almost rolled his eyes. ''Well, I guess it makes sense.'' ''She doesn''t know I know about her Fate affinity. So she can''t say how she knows I''m going to the World of Shadows today.'' "Be back on time. The second semester will start in a few days," Morrigan said. Neo was thankful to her since she didn''t try to stop or impede him. After leaving the mansion, Neo visited a high-end potion shop. He bought 50 vials of the highest quality of Diviner Energy replenishment elixir his body could handle. Since he was a Grade 5 Mythic Demigod, he couldn''t drink elixirs which were too strong, or he would burst like a balloon. He had to buy elixirs that were suitable for demigods of his rank. He purchased another fifty bottles of healing elixir. There were elixirs for temporary boosts for different stat boosts, but Neo did not buy them. Consuming too many elixirs could harm his future growth. Besides, the stat boosts weren''t anything substantial. It was good for average demigods, but for someone like Neo, it was too weak. Using stronger elixirs could solve such problems. However, a single vial of stronger elixir was a lethal dose for demigods if his rank. He would burst as soon as he consumed them. After buying a few more essentials, Neo met with Jack at the station. "Why are you carrying all that?" Jack questioned with a confused gaze. "I don''t have Shadow Space." "Right." Jack nodded. "Give them to me." Jack stored the items inside his Shadow Space. Neo looked around. "You came here alone?" "Yeah, I didn''t tell anyone you were going to Shadow Window." "¡­?" "They were nning to stop you. So I sneaked out without telling them you were doing it today." "Thanks, I guess?" "I don''t need thanks. Give me something else," Jack said. "Let mee with you to the World of Shadows." "No¡ª" Before Neo could refuse, Jack took out his device and dialed Arthur''s number. It was an open ckmail. "Fine. You cane with me." Neo clicked his tongue. If Arthur and others knew he was going to the World of Shadows, they would definitely stop him or inform Henry. "But I won''t take a guarantee for your life," Neo added. "I won''t rescue you if you die again this time." "Don''t worry about it. I''ve already taken proper precautions," Jack said mysteriously. The two entered the station. They took a bullet train to Pelgona City. "Why Pelgona?" Neo questioned. "We have to enter a Shadow Window to enter the World of Shadows. "There is no Shadow Window in Pelgona City." "Juste with me. There is something I have to show you before we head towards the World of Shadows." The journeysted a few hours. The bullet train dropped them off at their destination. Jack called for a taxi with familiar ease. "Where to, sir?" The taxi driver questioned. "Dtri Complex. It''s near Gragolgyule Statue in the south sector," Jack said. "How much will you take?" "1000 dors for both of you." "Huh!? Do you think this is the time we areing here? "This is my hometown. The fare is only 300 for Dtriplex." The taxi driver realized Neo and Jack weren''t tourists. "The prices increased, sir. Though, if you insist, I''ll take only 800 dors from you." "300. We won''t pay a penny more." Neo felt there was no need to bargain and was about to give the money to the driver. He stopped himself at thest second. ''When did I gain the habit of splurging money?'' ''I used to bargain for everyst dor, and now I''m spending thousands like it is nothing.'' He shook his head, embarrassed to have nearly lost his title of haggling lord. Jack and the taxi driver settled at 450 dors in the end. The driver opened the door for Neo and Jack. "So, care to tell where we are going?" "My home." Jack looked out of the window at the forest beyond the road. "My family wanted to thank you." "For what?" Neo had an idea, but he asked the question nheless. "It''s for the Labyrinth and the Window. My dad will tell you theplete details." The taxi driver dropped them off before a dpidated mansion. It had three floors and arge garden. However, it was clear that no one had been maintaining the garden. The rest of the pace wasn''t better. Even the paint on the mansion was starting to fall off. "Wee, my cutie!" A woman, her features simr to Jack, hugged Jack as soon as he entered. She squeezed the life out of him and turned to Neo. "Wee, Sir Divine Ruler." "Neo is enough." "We can''t be rude to someone who brought salvation to our house," Jack''s mother smiled. "Pleasee inside." She took Neo and Jack to another room before serving them tea and snacks. Few minutester, a man entered the room. He was thin, almost only bones. His emerald eyes, however, had a fiery determination behind them. "I''m sorry for beingte, Sir Divine Ruler. There were some matters to attend to." "It''s fine." Neo didn''t bother telling them to use his name anymore. He stared at Jack from the corner of his gaze. Unlike what he had expected, Jack had a serious expression and he was notughing at Neo for being called by his title. "Please, sit," Jack''s father said. The man had an uncanny power behind his words. Despite his appearance that suggested he was weak, Neo could tell he had no chance of victory against the man. They talked about their academy and the courses. The man looked at Neo with a serious gaze after a few minutes of idle talk. "There is a reason why we asked Jack to bring you here." Jack''s father turned to the door where Jack''s mother was standing with a book in her hand. He nodded. She brought the book and ced it before Neo. "Please take this as a gift for defeating the Niles Radcliffe, the Necromancer you encountered inside the Window." Neo remained silent. Chapter 203: Terror-ranked Spell: Black Dawn Of Darkness! Entering World of Treacherous Shadows [3] Watching him, Jack''s father spoke. "It was our family''s duty to defeat the Niles Radcliffe. "However, we were too weak to do that." He continued, "The burden that had been shackling our family for hundreds of years has finally disappeared. "It''s all because of you. "This spell is our family heirloom. Please ept it as our thanks." Neo looked at the book. He picked it up and flipped through the pages. The pages were filled with theoretical knowledge, subshell diagrams, and extra notes for detailed exnation. "Our ancestor made this Spell. "Since then, every generation''s patriarch has made slight changes to the Spell and continued to improve it." The man smiled. "You can take it without worrying that it will be useless. "It''s a Terror-ranked spell: ck Dawn of Despair." "¡­!?" Neo looked at Jack''s father. "Terror ranked?" Although he didn''t say it outright, his words were obvious enough. "Indeed, our family heirloom is a Terror-ranked spell. "Yes, it''s a powerful spell, but the user needs to have high mastery in the Darkness element to use it. "None of our n members could achieve it except the originator of the Hanma Bloodline, Nyx Hanma. "And since it would''ve caused great turmoil if others knew we had a Terror-ranked spell, we kept the news hidden until now." Neo nodded. He read the Spell details written in the book. Temporarily turns day into night, enhancing the power of darkness-based allies, inducing madness and causing spiritual damage to enemies. ''¡­Turn day into night?'' The description was astounding. Neo knew it was something to be expected from Terror-ranked spells. "Thank you," Neo said and took the Spell book. "You don''t need to thank us, Sir Divine Ruler. It''s us who are in your debt. "If you need anything else, please do not hesitate to question us." "There is something I''d like to know." "And that is?" "Why didn''t the patriarch of the Hanma Bloodline defeat the Necromancer before he ascended to Godhood?" "¡­" Jack''s father stared at Neo for a few seconds. His fierce gaze bore holes into Neo, and he sighed a few secondster. "Our progenitor was a woman. "Only a bit of time had passed when the Necromancer was sealed and she became a God. "In fact, our matriarch was one of the first Awakeners to be a God. "She attained Godhood before Great God Zeus and Great God Poseidon, even before the Akashic Records were created." Neo could feel the pride behind Jack father''s words as he exined the details. "In the Age of Gods, the world was going through an upheaval. "Our matriarch, Nyx, was one of the pirs who defended the world. "She didn''t have time to unseal and defeat the Necromancer when worse threats were threatening the peace," Jack''s father said. "Why didn''t she do it when the peace returned? Because she had ascended?" "No, it''s because she was dead." Jack, who was sitting on the side, suddenly sighed. Jack''s father red at him, forcing Jack to look away. The man clicked his tongue and turned to Neo. "Our matriarch died before the Akashic Record was created. "There is no proof of any of her great deeds. "Everything I''ve told you is an oral record that has been passed through our family." Neo nodded. During the Age of Gods, cities were destroyed almost every day. There was no way any written piece of information could''ve survived the aftermath of the battles that happened between Awakeners endlessly. The only exception was the Akashic Record. Akashic Record, thependium of all knowledge, was Eternal. Anything written in it could never be destroyed. It was why the Akashic Record was called Hope. The discussion continued. Jack and Neo left the Hanma Mansion few hourster. "Your parents are nice," Neo said. "I know," Jack muttered, "but my old man talks too much." ''Well, so do you.'' Neo kept his thoughts to himself. The two took another bullet train to Solivara City. On the way, Jack kept looking at his device nervously. "What happened?" "They are calling me." He smiled bitterly and showed Neo the screen. "The cat is out of the bag. "They know I''m trying to help you enter the World of Shadows." "Oh, good luck." Jack wanted to cry when he heard Neo''s uninterested answer. Felix was going to skin Jack alive for doing exactly what she had told him not to do, and Neo, whom Jack was helping, had no intention of saving Jack. Arriving at Solivara City, the two took a taxi for Oryanthar''s south-side sector. There, a Shadow Window had appeared two days ago. "Did you book that Window?" Jack questioned. "Yeah." Neo muttered as he stared at his own device. >Henry< Henry: Good luck >Henry< Neo let out a helpless smile. Henry knew where he was. "So¡­" Jack dragged his words. "I''m pretty sure the association''s rule is that only a party of 5 demigods or more is supposed to enter the Window. "Where are the rest of the people?" "They wille a few hourster. I have bribed them." Neo had joined a temporary adventurer team at Sir Sebastian''s rmendation. Since they worked under his family, he could order them as he wished. "Let''s go." Neo and Jack entered the Window. Jack winced when he felt the overwhelming amount of Shadow elementals in the air. His face contorted. "What''s the n now?" Jack questioned. "We''ll find a Corner, and you will use your [Key] to widen the Corner and open a passage to the World of Shadows." "What about the Window? If we don''t close it, the Shadow monsters will invade our world." "The adventurer team I''m affiliated with will close the Window a few hourster from now." The duo scoured the Window and searched for the Corners. Be it Neo''s luck or coincidence, they found the Corner only after reaching Depth Level 5, the deepest part of the Window. "We ended up defeating the Shadow monsters on our own," Jack said. He sat on the ground, tired. His limbs were sprawled, and his chest heaved up and down unevenly. The two were only a few meters away from the Corner. "We should rest for some time and recover our Divine Energy before entering the Shadow World," Jack said in between his gasps. He added, "Elemental Worlds don''t have pure Divine Energy. "They have only elemental Divine Energy. "You know what that means right? "The World of Shadows will have only Shadow element-infused Divine Energy present inside it. "Neo, you won''t be able to recover any Divine Energy you spend inside the World of Shadows, since there won''t be any pure Divine Energy for you to absorb." Jack''s expression worsened as he talked. Saying those words was making him realize they were doing somethingpletely batshit. "I can absorb the Shadow element-infused Divine Energy since I have awakened my Shadow element," Jack exined. "Besides, Shadow element can mimic other elements. "What I''m trying to say is, I can use mimic elements. "Mybat ability will be more or less the same inside the World of Shadows. "But it will be different for you since you can''t absorb Shadow element Divine Energy." "Don''t worry about it," Neo said. "I''ve brought elixirs." "That''s not really helpful. "You can use one elixir only once every 12 hours. "That''s the same as saying for every twelve hours you can go all out only once, or you''ll risk emptying your Divine Energy pool." Neo wasn''t worried. While it was true arge portion of his Divine Energy was being used to nourish the Hell inside him, he still had an overwhelminglyrge reservoir of Divine Energy. He wouldn''t ¨C shouldn''t ¨C have any problem inside the World of Shadows. "I''ve rested enough. Let''s go." Jack sprang to his feet. He turned to the Corner. The crack in the space was as unnerving as ever. He stood next to it and closed his eyes. ck lines, simr to circuitry diagrams, appeared on his hands. His palms hovered above the Corner. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheek. For a moment, nothing happened, then shadows suddenly sprang from within the Corner and engulfed them¡ª Neo woke up. His head throbbed painfully. He sat up, looking around. Floor made of ck tiles and an endless dark sky. "This is not the World of Shadows," he muttered. "You are correct, Neo Hargraves." He snapped his head towards the source of the sound. The life-sized cloth doll standing in front of him bowed. "Wee, Neo Hargraves. "I''m A #22, a Gatekeeper of the World of Treacherous Shadows." It stared at him in the eye. The doll''s lifeless eyes and unmoving lips were unnerving. "Where is my friend?" "I presume you are talking about Jack Hanma who entered from the same passage as you?" "Yes." The doll nodded in understanding. Chapter 204: Crossing Into The Age Of Gods "I presume you are taking about Neo Hargraves who entered the same passage as you?" "Yes," Jack answered. The doll, E #23, nodded in understanding. "Neo Hargraves is going through a qualification test at another site." "Qualification test?" "An agreement should be a better word in yournguage," the doll said. "The Shadow Supreme is a generous ruler. "He doesn''t attack anyone just because they enter his world. "Instead, he gives them a chance. A trial. "If youplete the trial, he will fulfill your wish. "You can ask for anything. "Did you enter the world of treacherous shadows by mistake? Then the Shadow Supreme will help you go return to your world. "Do you want desire power? Then, the Shadow Supreme shall make you the strongest. "Is there someone you want to kill? The Shadow Supreme will erase them." The doll added, "All you have to do isplete the Trial of Supreme and prove yourself worthy." Jack took a few moments to digest the words of the gatekeeper. ''Yeah, this ce is damned crazy.'' ''I don''t think there is another elemental world that invites invaders like this.'' The Shadow Supreme was too weing. The fact that he fulfilled one wish of the invader if theypleted his trial was suspicious. ''Forget it. It''s not like I can do anything about it.'' Jack shook his head and posed a question. "So what''s the agreement about?" "It''s something you must agree to before we start the trial," the doll said. "As I''ve told you, the Shadow Supreme is a generous ruler. "The trials he gives reap omnipotent rewards. "However, the trials are made to be difficult so as to match the level of the rewards. "Due to the high difficulty, the Shadow Supreme understands not everyone wants to participate in the trial. "We won''t force you. "Only if you agree to enter the trial will we start the trial. This is the qualification test," the doll exined. ''It''s quite simple,'' Jack thought. "What happens if I reject the agreement?" "¡­" The doll stared at Jack silently. "You will be treated as an intruder." The doll appeared before Jack as if she had teleported and shed with her hand. Jack''s neck was separated from his body¡ª "Huff! Huff!" Jack clutched his neck, breathing heavily. "I''m¡­ I''m alive?" he said. "But I was beheaded a moment ago." "That is what will happen to you if you be an intruder. I hope you will make the right choice," the doll bowed. A bitter smile appeared on Jack''s face. ''So the qualification test is a ruse.'' ''We don''t have a choice but to ept it.'' ''Or they will kill us.'' Jack shook his head. The Shadow World was still friendly. It wasn''t attacking them as soon as they entered, at least. "I want to enter the trial," Jack said. "Very well." The doll snapped her fingers. Jack felt a sense of weightlessness. Everything around him disappeared, turning into a dark void. He was falling toward a small beacon of light far below him. "I wonder if Neo and I will have the same trial." Jack spoke to himself to calm his palpitating heart. He had no idea why Neo wanted to enter the World of Shadows. Neo avoided the question whenever Jack asked him about it. Still, Jack followed Neo into the World of Shadows. ''Blind trust.'' Jack thought to himself. ''Is it right to put my life on the line for someone else?'' A chuckle left his lips. ''It''s not even a question.'' ''I''m going to help Neo no matter what.'' Jack hadn''t forgotten the Shadow Window they entered in the academy. He was useless back then. Neo had died to save him. Jack knew Neo was immortal, but it didn''t change the fact Neo saved him at the cost of his own life. ''I''m always depending on others.'' Jack''s family had been chained by the duty of defeating the Necromancer. Neo saved them from the burden. Jack was thankful to Neo, but it did not mean he didn''t loathe his own weakness. ''Always. I''m the one receiving help.'' Jack had to be stronger. To stop depending on others. To help his friend who had been helping him until now. ''I''llplete the trial.'' Just as the thoughts strengthened his determination, Jack reached the beacon of light. It was a hole in the dark void, revealing a destroyed city on the other side. ¡­ "Selene¡­ Selene¡­" The child, barely thirteen, cried. His knees were scraped and his clothes were torn, covered in soot. He walked through the abandoned city, searching for his little sister. "Selene!" he shouted. "Where a-are you!?" ¡­ Neo opened his eyes with a groan. He massaged his temples. "Where am I?" The Gatekeeper sent him to another location without even telling him what the trial was about. Neo looked around. He was in the middle of a destroyed road. The ce had multiple craters, broken buildings, and shattered cars. "It looks like a war happened in this ce." Neo jumped, using his superhuman strength to reach the top of the tallest structure in the vicinity. The city was in the same condition as the road. Crumbling buildings, cracked roads, and rusted cars. The sky was gray, casting a dim light over the ruins. Smoke rose from distant fires and silence pervaded the air. An ominous premonition crept into Neo''s heart. "I feel like I know where the Shadow Supreme sent me for the trial." He moved around the city. There was not a single soul alive. After searching for a bit, he found what he was looking for. A newspaper. Neo read the first page. >< Daily Titans. 26th October, 2062 Today fifty years had passed since the Apocalypse began. The war between awakeners is getting more intense. The monsters continue to invade¡­.. >< Neo closed the paper after reading it thoroughly. The first line was enough to tell him where he was. "Fuck. "I''m in the Age of Gods." He massaged his head. "Is this really happening?" Neo had not time-travelled to the past. World of Shadows was a world that ''mirrored'' the real world. Everything that happened in the real world happened in Shadow World too. The only difference was, in Shadow World everything was made of Shadow elemental. Be it air, water, buildings, humans, or monsters. Of course, since Shadow elementals could mimic real objects, the objects in Shadow World were nearly identical to real worlds. They could do everything that a real object or entity could do. "If I''m not recalling it wrong, the entities living in Shadow World don''t know they are Shadows. "They think they are real." It was weird how the Shadows thought they were real and had their own will. And still, everything they did was what was had happened in the real world already. "A shadow is but a mirror to the reality," he muttered, recalling what they were taught in the academy. Neo stood up. He scoured the ce for more information. The Shadow World was a mirror that reflected everything happening in the real world. Then, how did Neo appear in the Era of Gods? Shadow Supreme could ''record'' events happening in Shadow World and use themter as a trial. Neo was inside one such ''recording.'' "The information of the trial should be somewhere here." Only on m v|le|mp|yr Neo continued his search. Hourster, he found a vault made of shadows. The vault opened as soon as he approached it. Inside, there was a folder and a bag filled with elixirs. Neo took out the file. The file had only one page. Only a single line was written on it. [Trial: Rescue the Child of Mana before others.] "No information about where the Child of Mana is, who the Child of Mana is, or if there is a time limit to the trial. "Goddammit." He turned to the bag with elixirs. "I gave this bag to Jack. Why is it here?" Confused, Neo looked through the bag. It had a note inside it. [Jack Hanma is a Shadow element user. Between him and you, you are the one who needs these elixirs.] Neo frowned when he read the note. Demigods could use Divine Energy to sustain their bodies. Jack could eat the food and water inside the Shadow World to sustain himself. But Neo couldn''t. Everything here was made of shadow elemental, eating them wouldn''t provide Neo pure Divine Energy. The elixirs were Neo''s only hope. "Fuck." Neo re-read the note. His face contorted. A demigod of his rank could live for months without eating anything. The act of Shadow Supreme giving him something to sustain himself meant two things. The trial was going to take years ¨C decades if Neo was unlucky ¨C toplete. The level of difficulty was nightmarish. The Shadow Supreme wouldn''t help him ¨C by giving him the elixirs ¨C unless the trial was astoundingly difficult. "Fuck." Neo sighed. He massaged his brows. Not all was bad news. The time flowed differently in Elemental Worlds. Chapter 205: Naked Monster Neo could spend a decade in Shadow World and only an hour would''ve gone by in the real world. "The opposite is also true. "I can spend an hour here, and a decade might''ve passed in the real world. "The time flow between different worlds is uneven, so I won''t know how much time passed in the real world until I get out." He clicked his tongue. ''I guess I don''t need to worry about time.'' ''The Shadow Supreme can manipte the time flow between worlds to some extent.'' ''If I pass the trial and impress him, he will make sure only a short amount of time had gone by in the real world.'' It was a chance for Neo. He could use his time here to train himself. "First thing first, I need to know where I am." Neo looked through the ce for anything that would reveal his location. He found he was in Oran, a city in Algeria. After knowing his location, Neo nned his next move. He decided on three objectives. "Search for Jack. "Search for Child of Mana. "Train myself." His brows creased. He tried to think of a solution toplete his objectives. "Looking for Jack isn''t easy. "I don''t know if he is in the same trial, or a different one. "Even if he''s in the same one, he could be anywhere. A different city. A different country. Or a different continent." He scratched his temple. "Child of Mana¡­ "Thankfully I know what a child of mana is, but this makes things moreplicated. "Those beings are rarer than Gods. "Common people wouldn''t even know what a Child of Mana is. "If I want to search for one, my only clue is powerful organizations like Titans and the Awakener Association." Awakener Association was the name of the resistance in the current era. Joining either of the organizations wasn''t easy. Not only were their entrance requirements strict, Neo was suspicious from their point of view. He was a powerful demigod ¨C awakener ¨C who suddenly popped into existence. "There is a high chance they will think I''m a monster. "I can solve this issue by hiding my strength, but they wouldn''t recruit me if I''m weak." He wanted to sigh. "I need to train too." He roamed the ce while thinking of a solution. An idea came to him when he was stargazing at midnight. "This should work?" The n he came up with was simple. "I need to spread my fame. "If my name spreads far and wide, Jack can find me easily. "Titans and the Awakener Association would also scout me if they hear of my strength instead of me going directly to them." He jumped down from the building andnded on the ground. Spider-like cracks appeared beneath his feet. "Rescuing people is the best way to spread my fame in this era," he muttered. Neo took a random direction and started walking. There was no need to rush. It would only tire him. Besides, the age of gods was filled with bizarre monsters and anomalies. He had to be careful. It took him two days toe across a survivor. The old man, brown hair, had scars on his face and a bushy beard. He sat on the roadside, his back resting against the broken supermarket wall. He held his bleeding torso, breathing heavily. The man tensed up when he noticed someone approached him. "Ah¡­ a human¡­" He rxed after realizing Neo was a human. "Wh-what are you doing here?" the man questioned. Neo stared at him silently. ''This era didn''t have a unifiednguage¡­'' ''Countries had differentnguages each.'' ''Yet, I can understand him even though he is talking in anguage I don''t know about.'' A grace from the Shadow Supreme, perhaps? "I''m a wanderer," Neo answered. The man''s eyes widened. "Wanderer¡­ Are you perhaps an Awakener?" "¡­" "Only Awakeners can roam cities without dying to monsters." Tears started to slip from the man''s eyes. "F-finally, my prayers were answered." "¡­?" Before Neo could question the weird words of the old man, he heard an explosion. Turning his head, he found something approaching them at a fast pace. "A naked statue?" Neo muttered. "Why is it running like a marathon runner?" The statue''s eyes had been fixed straight ahead when suddenly its gaze moved creepily and stared at the old man. "You saw my face! You saw my face!" the running statue shouted. "You need to die! Anyone who sees my precious face is not allowed to live!" The monster ran through the obstacles, pushing everything in its path aside. Its body remained unharmed. At thest spurt, the statue jumped high in the air. Itnded next to Neo and the old man gracefully. Then, it pulled its one leg back, as if preparing to kick a football, and aimed at the old man''s head. "Eeeik!" The old man tried to run away. But the statue monster was faster. Just as the attack almost hit the old man, Neo grabbed the statue''s leg. A shockwave, powerful enough to throw away the old man, erupted. The statue''s eyes moved creepily. It stared Neo in the eye. "You saw my face! You saw my face! sphemer!" The statue leaped into the air. Using the leg Neo had grabbed as leverage, it swung its other leg toward his head in a vicious kick. Neo caught the second leg mid-attack. Before the statue could react, he ripped its body apart as if it was a sheet of paper. Darkness bloomed from within his Shadow. It devoured the monster. ''Hmm¡­ no stats. I didn''t recover an ounce of Divine Energy either.'' ''Seems like I can''t recover Divine Energy by eating devouring objects.'' ''The only option would be gaining Divine Energy stat. But with my luck, I''d rather not depend on it.'' Neo turned to the old man afterpleting his short experiment. "You alright?" "Y-yeah¡­" The old man''s eyes sparkled like a child. "Thank you for saving me. Can I know your name?" "Neo Hargraves," Neo pursed his lips, forcing the next words out of them. "I''m called Divine Ruler." "Right! That name matches with your majestic strength!" Neo winced at the praise. ''Keep it together. Jack will know it''s me if he hears Divine Ruler''s name.'' ''This is the best way to find him.'' He crouched next to the old man. "Let me look at your wounds." "It''s fine. I¡­ I don''t have much time left." The old man tried to smile but failed miserably. "I''m happy enough that I can die like a human, and not at the hands of a monster." Neo could tell it at a nce. ''He has no will to live.'' He frowned. ''Is this how people in this era were? Devoid of hope and will to live?'' Chapter 206: Fortified City ''That can''t be true.'' ''There were countless awakeners who fought the monsters and anomalies without backing down.'' ''They were the reason why peace returned.'' Then why was the man devoid of hope? Neo found the answer easily. ''Ah¡­ He is a normal human, not an awakener.'' The awakeners had the power to defy fate and stand up against their enemies. But normal humans were different. Even the weakest monster could kill them easily. Just like how Neo had died when he encountered a zombie in his first life. "Old man, do you know where I can find a base of survivors?" "Does any b-base work?" "Yeah." "I''ve heard the Azrew has a good amount of survivors." The old man gritted his teeth through the pain and answered. "App-apparently they''ve built the walls to keep the monsters out." "What about your base? You can''t be traveling alone." "The statute anomaly killed them and destroyed the base," he muttered, his voice growing weaker. "I escaped with my brother, but he was caught on the run." Neo nodded. "That Azrew City. You know the way to it?" "Y-yes?" The old man was confused at Neo''s answer. "Good, I saved your life. Now, pay me back by helping me reach that city." Neo curled his finger. Red lightning ¨C red ¨C materialized around the old man. Neo pulled that Death into himself, temporarily stopping the deterioration of the old man''s wounds and giving him a few more minutes to live. Something at this level consumed barely any Divine energy. "What are you doing?" "Wait here." Neo entered the supermarket. He searched through the ce for a few items. "Needles¡­ Found it. "Sutures¡­ Can''t find them, I''ll use threads from the clothing department." "Clean Water... I will use my element." He returned after searching for a few more items. "These are not perfect, but they should be enough to treat your wound." "B-but¡­" "Hold it, old man." The healing elixirs could''ve solved the problem, However, Neo had only divine energy elixirs; the healing ones were probably with Jack. "I don''t know who was the medic in your group, but this level of injury can be treated with emergency first aid. "The blood loss is a problem though, so we need to reach Azrew City quickly, or your wounds will deteriorate." Neo had intensive knowledge about medical treatment thanks to visions of Sphinx. He chuckled inwardly. ''Sphinx might be a bastard. But it still helped me greatly.'' The old man hissed in pain as Neo stitched the wound. Nheless, he was calm for someone who wasn''t given painkillers. "Good, this is enough." He stood up after treating the old man''s wounds. "We should rest for a few hours before we start moving." "Why¡­ why are you helping me?" "I don''t need a reason to help someone," he said. ''Besides, you''ll help me increase my fame and give me information about this era.'' The old man, Kane, thanked him in tears. The two talked for a few hours. Neo gained a lot of knowledge. The apocalypse had hinderedmunication between people greatly. The flow of information from just one city to another was almost impossible. The situation improved after the Titans brought reforms. However, a few decades ago, [Mother Silence] was born. The monster, Mother Silence, would kill anyone who used massmunication methods. Whenever someone published a newspaper or tried to post an article on your local inte band, they would inexplicably die. ''What decides something is a massmunication method?'' ''Does a newspaper I''ve printed for myself and myself only count?'' Mother Silence sounded powerful, but Neo knew there must be a drawback to its ability. All monsters in this era had a drawback. ''Divine Energy ¨C mana ¨C forced everything and everyone to evolve.'' ''The sudden mutations made monsters and awakeners nigh omnipotent, but it left gaps in their abilities.'' It was simr to dumping all stats in Strength or Agility in a game. The game character would be strong, however, it would have paper-thin defense. "Why aren''t the Titans or Awakener Association dealing with Mother Silence?" Neo questioned. "I don''t know," Kane shook his head. "I''ve heard rumors, but they are too hard to believe." "Go on. I''m all ears." While the two talked, Kane passed him some jerky. Neo shook his head, saying awakeners don''t need to eat much, and returned them to Kane. After all, the jerky, much like everything, was made of shadow elementals. It wouldn''t fill Neo''s stomach, and would rather cause him health problems if he forcibly tried to consume shadow elemental objects. "Mother Silence has been yed. Twice." "¡­?" "They say there is one Mother Silence in every country. Even if the Mother Silences are killed, more are born." "Born?" "Yes," Kane chuckled bitterly. "The apocalypse is dangerous, but don''t you find something strange? "The monsters are too bizarre. "I get how a lizard could mutate into a wyvern or drake, or an ant colony can evolve into a Thousand Demon Army. "But what about Mother Silence? She is too bizarre to be an evolution of an animal. Not to mention her ability perfectly hinders our human society. "It''s almost like¡­." "Like someone is creating those monsters and targeting us," Neopleted Kane''s words. "Yeah," Kane nodded. "There is no official confirmation, but I think this is why they are called anomalies and the others monsters." The two prepared for a journey after they had enough rest. "Is it okay for me to follow you? I''ll be just a burden." "It''s fine. I''m going to Azrew City either way. Nothing changes if one more person tags along." The two moved at a slow pace. Along the way, they had to take multiple detours to avoid strong monsters. They reached the city after a few weeks. "Woah¡­." "¡­." Neo and Kane gazed at the walls that seemed to touch the sky. Kane had a stunned expression, and Neo was inwardly shocked. The wall was long, and Neo couldn''t see its end on the sides. ''Does this wall actually cover the entire city? Creating something like this shouldn''t be easy.'' Before the two could say anything, a tiny section at the wall''s bottom opened. A woman, green hair, milk-white skin, came out of the wall''s gate. Several soldiers stood behind her. "Wee to Azrew, wanderers," she curtsied. "I can see you two have gone through immense struggles to reach this ce. "You don''t need to worry. "Our city is a safe haven, a paradise." "¡­" Neo stayed silent. Kane''s expression hardened. "Something is wrong," he whispered to Neo. "Why?" "This ce is too weing. I''ve seen cities fall because the citizens fought for resources. "And she is inviting random people like us without any questions." The woman heard Kane even though he had whispered. Chapter 207: Trait Death "Oh, was I too forward?" She let go of her professional demeanor and rxed, smiling bitterly. "Our city is always in need of strong awakeners. This is why we wee wanderers like you two. "Of course, you need to tell us your traits if you want to enter the city." Kane rxed visibly after she spoke normally. He looked at Neo and nodded. Neo returned his nod before turning to the woman. "We want to enter the city." "Then follow me. We''ll register your identities before you enter the city." The city wall was dozens of meters thick. The woman, Calista, took them to a room that was built inside the wall. "Please tell me your name, age, and trait." Her eyes glowed when she posed the question. "Kane Millens, 43 years old. I''m not an awakener. I was rescued by Neo while he was on his way to Azrew." "Neo Hargraves, 17 years old, my trait is: Death." "Death?" Calista frowned as she adjusted her sses. Neo nodded. He didn''t bother lying, since the glowing eyes of the woman and the way she acted hinted that she could detect lies. ''Demigod''s bloodline skills and Awakeners'' Traits are the same thing, so this shouldn''t be a lie.'' "What does your trait do?" "I can kill myself." "¡­" "¡­" A strange silence descended. "A-anything else?" "No, that''s all my Death can do." She adjusted her sses awkwardly and stared at Neo. "He isn''t lying. But how is this possible? I''ve heard about all kinds of absurd traits, however, this is a first," she mumbled to herself, shocked. "Wait!" A strange gleam appeared in her eyes. "How do you know about your trait? You would''ve died if you used it." Calista''s question was not wrong. The Akashic Record had not been created yet. People had to go through countless trials and errors to learn about their trait''s abilities. "Someone told me." "Someone?" "They might have the ability to see others'' traits, or something. I don''t know how they found my trait." "You believed someone just because they told you your trait''s information? "What if they were lying or if they judged your trait inurately?!" "I can guarantee that they would not lie about my trait," Neo said, and thought. ''The Akashic Records core principle is to reveal only truth and no falsehood to the demigods.'' "I see¡­" Calista''s brows creased. Her lie detection told her Neo was not lying. Everything he said was truth. She asked Neo and Kane more questions. It was only after shepleted the proceedings that her brows rxed. She allowed them entry to the city with a smile on her face. "Please enjoy your stay in the city. "Someone wille to you tomorrow and help you adjust in our Azrew. Until then, you can enjoy the festival!"she said enthusiastically. "Festival?"Kane questioned. "Yeah, we hold one every month to boost the morale of our citizens!" Neo and Kane entered the city. The city''s condition surprised them. Shops selling goods, pedestrians on roads. It was as if the apocalypse had never arrived. ''Either someone very strong is living here, or something is very wrong¡­'' Neo''s thoughts halted. He stared at the streetlight. "What are you looking at?" Kane questioned. "¡­you can''t see it?" "¡­?" "¡­it''s nothing. Let''s join the festival." Kane felt something was wrong. He saw Neo staring at random streetlights. The two reached the ce. They received discounts whenever they revealed they had entered the city only today. "Young man, you should go to the 13th Street avenue! The real show takes ce there!" a shopkeeper told. The festive atmosphere was infectious. Soon Kane started to enjoy himself and he let go of his worries. "Neo, we should go to the 13th Street avenue. I want to see what''s happening there." "¡­" Neo nodded silently. He hadn''t said a word since they entered deeper into the city. The two continued their tour. "Woah¡­" Kane gasped when he witnessed the performance at 13th Avenue Street. Time passed, and soon it was evening. The host of the show picked up the mic and stood at the front of the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, how''s the festival?" The crowd shouted, showing their appreciation. "I can''t hear you! Louder!" The cheers boomed. "I''m happy that all of you like our exhibitions and shows we prepared for the 232nd Azrew festival! "Now, it''s time for the main event!" The thunderous cheers intoxicated Kane. He shouted along. "Let the main event begin!" The host pulled the curtain that had been covering the stage behind him. A man about to be hanged was revealed. "I didn''t do anything! Those charges are false!" the man shouted. "Now, now, our dear citizens," the host said. "Who else agrees with him?" "No one!" "Kill the filthy king!" "Bring us Justice!" "Freedom!" "Well said!" the host shouted. "It is time for justice!" The tform below the hanged man disappeared. He fell and his neck snapped. Kane was snapped out of his stupor when he heard the man''s neck break. He grew flustered, his breathing became quick. "Wh-what was that? I felt like I''ve been in a daze since I entered this city." Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Kane realized he had been acting too free-spirited since he entered the city. He was an old man. It wasn''t like him to act in a childish way. "Neo." Kane shook Neo. "Neo!" There was no response. The host continued his exhibition. "We''ve finally hanged the corrupt king! Long live freedom!" "Long live freedom!" "Long live freedom!" Kane''s body trembled. He had to run. Escape. Kane grabbed Neo''s hand and tried to pull him away when suddenly he was pushed by the crowd. He fell and quickly rose to his feet. His eyes wandered and he looked at the streetlight. ¡­.!? Hanged corpses dangled on streetlights. Fear gripped Kane''s heart. Before he could run, the haze covered his mind again. "Huh? What was I doing?" Kane muttered. He looked around. When he didn''t find anything wrong, he returned to cheering along with the crowd. Neo, who had been watching everything, pursed his lips. "So the mind control can be broken when you receive a powerful shock." He could feel a foreign power trying to influence his mind. His skill, Eternal, gave him resistance against status effects, which included mental attack resistance. "My skill should keep me safe for some time." He turned his gaze to the stage. "A city under mind control," he muttered. "Saving these people will definitely help me increase my fame." Even as he spoke, he could feel the foreign power trying to control his mind bing stronger. Chapter 208: Anomaly #33, Hanged Kings Tragedy The night deepened. Neo and Kane were guided by a city council member to temporary residence. "You will be given jobs tomorrow based on your expertise. "Until then, this will be your residence," the city council member said. "Thanks," Kane smiled. He entered his room. Neo stepped into the room given to him. He went to the balcony and stared at the moon outside. ''I need to kill the monster to save the city.'' ''But where is the monster?'' During the day, he and Kane roamed around the city to enjoy the festival. Neo had tried to discreetly search for the monster back then. His first thought was to look for ces with high concentrations of Divine Energy. The problem was, the entire city was covered by a thick nket of Divine Energy. It was hard to pinpoint the monster. "And those hanged corpses¡­." Neo looked down from the balcony, at the streetlights. "This situation looks simr to the reports of Anomaly #33." Traits of powerful and well-known monsters and anomalies were taught to students in the academy. While Anomaly #33 was an extinct monster, it was famous because of its notorious deeds during the age of gods. However, since the monster was old, only a bit of information about it was known. "Anomaly #33, Phenomena-type monster. "It controls people and makes them go through the y ''Hanged King''s Tragedy.''" Neo massaged his brows. Phenomena-type monsters did not have physical bodies. They existed as ''abstract concepts.'' In other words, the y ''Hanged King''s Tragedy'' itself was the Anomaly #33. "Well, I guess it''s a good thing the reports had the method to defeat Anomaly #33 at least. "I just need to make sure my mind control resistance keeps working until I can find the core of Anomaly #33." Neo stretched his fingers and yawned. He decided to retire for the night. His consciousness blurred as hey on the bed¡ª Neo''s senses red rms. He triggered Ocean''s Embrace Spell instinctively. A powerful force hit his abdomen, and he was sent flying back. His body broke through the walls of multiple buildings and crashed into the road. "Dammit¡­ Let me sleep in peace." Neo dusted his clothes. While the attack took him by surprise, he had no injury thanks to Ocean''s Embrace protecting him. "Y-yy-y-y-you!!!! sphemer, who saw my face! Found you!" The statue, four meters tall, had defined muscles and physique. It stood before Neo, doing a Side Chest Pose. "¡­?" Neo stared at it, confused. "Why are you doing a pose?" "Don''t talk to me! Don''t talk to me! I don''t like people who saw my face!" The monster alternated to a Front Lat Pose. Contrary to its weird actions, it had a furious face, with which it red at Neo bloodthirstily. Neo sensed another presence in the vicinity. He noticed the second statue, crawling on four legs like a spider on top of the buildings. It had a simr furious expression as it muttered, "You saw my face! My precious face!" The first monster dashed towards Neo. It pulled its fist back and punched towards his head. The monster''s hand shattered as if it had hit a stone. Before it could react, Neo stepped closer to it and punched its chest. The monster''s body exploded. He picked a small pebble-sized rubble and flicked it towards the second naked statue monster. The pebble shot through the monster''s head. Dead, the monster fell from the building and crashed on top of a Honda Civic. The battle ended within seconds. Instead of being happy, Neo had a frown on his face. "These two were stronger than thest statue monster." The statue monsters were weird. How did they find Neo? Their numbers increased from one to two, and they grew stronger. Was it a coincidence? "Shit! Kane!" Neo''s eyes widened, realizing Kane must''ve been attacked too. He bolted towards his temporary residence. Reaching the ce, he saw the building demolished. Neo looked around and noticed destroyed roads, as if something huge had gone through them. He followed the clues swiftly. It didn''t take long for him to find two statue monsters chasing Kane. Kane was slipping into alleys, using the monsters''rge size against them to stay alive. "Kane!" Neo shouted. "Duck!" Kane twisted his head and noticed Neo. In a split second, he rolled away. Neo, high in the air, punched without holding back. The shockwaves roared like thunder, and thepressed air detonated towards the monsters. Their bodies were crushed under the overwhelming force, reduced to a pulp in an instant. Neonded on the ground and approached Kane. "You alright?" "Uh¡­hh¡­." Kane muttered through the heavy gaps. "I''m alive, yeah." ''He isn''t under mind control,'' Neo noticed. ''Seems like the shock of being attacked snapped him out of mind control.'' "Th-thank you." Kane stood up with Neo''s help. He stared at what was left of the monsters and opened his mouth carefully. "Wh-were there ''two'' statue monsters this time?" "Yeah." "Oh god." Kane''s expression crumbled. "The rumors were true. These Face monsters won''t let anyone go once they saw their face. "Even if we defeat them, they''ll keep chasing¡­." Kane stopped speaking. His eyes grew hazy. He bowed. "Thank you for saving me, Neo. "Monster attacks are rare in Arzew. Today was an exception. "The security must have beenx because of the festival," Kane said. "I see¡­" Neo noticed Kane''s hazy eyes. Knowing he was back under Anomaly #33''s control, he didn''t bother pointing out the holes in Kane''s answer. "Let''s go. I want to see where these monsters came from." A quick search was enough to exin everything. The statue monsters had climbed over the walls and dashed straight to Neo and Kane''s location. "If more of these monsters will keeping, it''s better to deal with them now." Neo took a step to leave the city when suddenly Kane grabbed his hand. "What are you doing?" "There is no need for you to deal with those monsters. The city will protect you." "They sure did protect me today." "Today was a mistake. Arzew doesn''t repeat a mistake twice. It''s why our city has been standing for twenty years." Neo tried to pull his hand away. Kane, surprisingly, showed superhuman strength and held Neo''s hand. ''Kane isn''t an Awakener.'' ''How can he exert so much strength?'' Neo''s frown worsened. ''Seems like Anomaly #33 can increase the physical strength of targets under its mind control.'' ''This wasn''t in the report.'' Neo knew the reports were iplete. But this was a major gap in information. Chapter 209: Cognitive Manipulation Kane''s grip on Neo''s hand grew stronger. Neo could pull his hand away if he was serious but¡­. ''The city is awake.'' He could sense the people inside the buildings waiting to jump out and hold Neo down if Neo nned to leave the city. ''I''ll have to massacre them if I want to leave.'' ''That is exactly opposite to my goal.'' Neo wanted to sigh. ''I''m starting to feel like shit.'' He clicked his tongue. He looked at Kane and nodded. "Got it. I won''t leave the city." "Yes, that''s what you should do. Dangerous monsterse out at night. You''ll be safe only if you are within the city." Kane smiled and let go of his hold over Neo''s hand. Neo followed him back to the temporary residence. The city council members, police, city''s awakeners, and more were waiting for the two of them. They thanked Neo for saving them. The city''s response had been slow in taking down the statue monsters. If not for him, there would''ve been major damage. Neo and Kane were given different temporary residences. They were given jobs in the city''s mayor''s office the next day. Neo noticed something peculiar. ''The mayor''s office is empty.'' ''I guess the man they hanged yesterday was the mayor.'' He questioned a coworker while on the job, "When will the new mayor be elected?" "Elected?" The coworker thought about his words. "We don''t do elections. Instead, we choose the most outstanding citizen as the mayor." The job hours ended in the evening. Neo took a tour of the city in his free time. The bustling city had busy streets, towering buildings, vibrant markets, public parks, and diversemunities living amidst modern conveniences. It was a stark contrast to the image of apocalypse. He noticed the damage left behind by the statue monsters was repairedpletely. "¡­" He massaged the bridge of his nose. "So that''s how the city looked so beautiful. "Anomaly #33 has the ability to restore the damage to the buildings." An idea appeared in Neo''s mind. "I might be able to find the core of Anomaly #33 when ites to repair the damage again. "Should I destroy something intentionally?" Thankfully, he didn''t need to do that. Six statue monsters, stronger than the previous ones, infiltrated the city at night. Three monsters chased Neo. Three went after Kane. Neo took them down with rtive ease. "No one came to help again." He pursed his lips. "This confirms it. The statue monsters and Anomaly #33 are independent." The statue monsters attacked anyone who saw their face. Anomaly #33 didn''t use any citizen to fight the statue monsters, since it would end up painting a target on its own back if any citizen saw the face of the statue monsters. After analysing the situation, Neo got to other work. He waited near the destroyed part of the city. He wanted to see how Anomaly #33 would repair the damage. Hours passed. Nothing changed¡ª Neo blinked, and the repair wasplete. "¡­Fuck." He massaged the bridge of his nose. "There is no way the Anomaly #33 can repair the damage instantly. "To do that, it has to use Time Stop, Time Jump, or something elsebined with the Time element. "I should''ve been able to sense it with my time affinity if it used the Time element. "That means¡­." Neo clicked his tongue. "Cognitive maniption. "It repaired the city in front of my eyes, but I couldn''t see it since it altered my senses." Cognitive maniption was easier than mind control. Even if Anomaly #33 couldn''t exertplete control over Neo''s mind, it seemed capable of altering his senses. "¡­" Neo could analyze Anomaly #33''s abilities thanks to everything he had learned in the academy. If not for it, he would''ve been helpless in the current situation, unable toprehend how Anomaly #33 was doing everything. ... Neo could not find Anomaly #33''s core in his subsequent investigations. Searching for a phenomenon-type monster turned out to be a lot harder than Neo had imagined. The situation with statue monsters repeated. Their numbers increased each day by one, and they grew stronger. Neo''s circumstances worsened. Anomaly #33''s control over his mind was increasing. He had to defeat the anomaly quickly, or his mind resistance would not be able to protect him anymore. "Using citizens in front of statue monsters is useless." During the past few days, Neo confirmed one thing. Anomaly #33 avoided any confrontation with statue monsters, probably because it was weaker. "The statue monsters should''ve targeted the Anomaly #33 if a citizen¡ªunder Anomaly #33''s control¡ªsaw the statue monsters'' face. "But the Anomaly #33 lets go of the citizen''s mind as soon as there is even a slight chance of the citizen looking at the monster''s face." Neo massaged his brows as he sat in thefy chair. Not everything remained the same. He was now hailed as the city''s hero. It was all thanks to him defeating the statue monsters that invaded the city every night. Kane approached Neo while he was busy with his job. "Neo! I have good news!" "¡­?" "You''ve been selected as a mayor candidate! Everyone loves you because of how hard you''ve been working to protect the city!" Kane was ecstatic. He threw a party on Neo''s behalf. The other coworkers congratted Neo¡ª "Congrats on bing the mayor!" Neo''s eyes snapped open. He was on stage, receiving the medal and certificate that signified his position as mayor. His heart thrummed against his chest. ''How am I here?'' The stage was set in the heart of the city square, illuminated by hangingnterns and spotlights. The gathered crowd, a sea of excited faces, cheered and pped as their new mayor ¡ª Neo ¡ªstepped onto the wooden tform. Neo stood at the center, wearing tailored suit. His posture remained both, poised and tense. ''Thest thing I remember is Kane telling me I became a mayor candidate.'' ''Now, I''m suddenly the mayor?'' Memories surged inside Neo''s mind. They showed him what he had been doing in the past few days. Everything was normal in those memories. He spent his time as he usually would. But¡­. ''Mind control.'' ''Anomaly #33 had been controlling my mind for the past few days.'' A single nce at the memories was enough for Neo to understand the situation. His mental resistance had been breached. ''Why did I suddenly break free of mind control?'' The question arose in Neo''s mind. ''From my observations, only a shock to the mind can break the mind control.'' ''So how did I wake up?'' ''Wait¡­.'' Watching the smiling citizens, Neo realized. He hadn''t woken up by himself. Chapter 210 : The Play of Anomaly #33 Anomaly #33 let him wake up. He was a puppet in the y orchestrated by Anomaly #33. The monster wanted to let Neo be aware of this fact¡ª "Mayor! We should eliminate the threats to our city!" Neo woke up from haze again. He was sitting in the mayor''s office. Three people stood before him with furious and anxious gazes. "What do you mean by that?" Neo''s mouth moved on his own. ''Anomaly #33 is controlling my body,'' he realized. ''Seems like it wants me to know what is happening.'' "We can''t let this continue anymore, mayor! Those statue monsters have been attacking the city for two weeks. You have to face thirty of them every night! It won''t be long before those monsters will overwhelm you with their growing numbers!" the oldest person among the trio eximed. "What are you trying to say?" Neo questioned, his body under Anomaly #33''s control. "We should expel Kane Carter from Arzew! He might be your friend, but his presence is a threat to our city!" Neo yed with the pen while thinking over the man''s words. The statue monsters'' targets were Neo and Kane. Those monsters would invade the city each day. No matter how many Neo killed, they would return stronger. "If that is true, I should also leave the city. Kane isn''t the only one being targeted. I''m also a target of those monsters." "No! That isn''t true! Your case is different! You are fighting those monsters, but Kane is just hiding! He doesn''t deserve your grace¡ª" Neo mmed his hand over the desk. He red at the men. "Kane is not going to be expelled. I won''t sacrifice anyone." Neo''s consciousness grew hazy¡ª He woke up in the evening a few dayster. "I can control my body this time." He clenched his fist and opened it. "What is Anomaly #33 trying to do?" Just as he was about to leave his office, he heard murmurs from the outside. "Hey, do you really think mayor¡ª" "Shh! Shut up! Mayor is just one wall away from us! What if he hears us? He is an awakener with high senses!" "Does it really matter? Half of the city is talking about the rumors already." Neo frowned. He dug into his memories, checking what had been happening while he was asleep and his body and mind were under Anomaly #33''s control. In his memory, a group of awakeners stormed into his office. They imed Neo used his position as the mayor to have a girl do ''night shifts.'' Neo threw them out without listening to their allegations. The people were angry. But they couldn''t do much when the girl herself said Neo did not do anything unsavory to her. The rumors of the incident spread. As time passed, more women came out with evidence of Neo''s wrong deeds. "This is a headache." Neo massaged his brows. The city had been divided into two factions due to the current incidents. The first faction believed Neo was innocent. After all, Neo was fighting statue monsters every night, even the ones chasing Kane, without asking forpensation. He was a saint, ording to the first faction. The second faction was against Neo. They believed Neo''s saintly deeds were a cover for his true nefarious self. Neo heard the murmurs from the office next door. "Think about it. Mayor calls himself Divine Ruler. Isn''t this weird? He was a lone wanderer. How can someone like that be called a ''Ruler''? This just means¡­" "It means?" the coworker urged his partner to continue. "Mayor must be the leader of amunity somewhere else. That''s why he calls himself a Ruler!" "Huh? Are you stupid? There is no way someone who rules amunity would be a lone wanderer in these times." "Hahaha, I bet he was exiled from themunity after they caught whiff of his evil deeds. He must havee to Arzew to sink his fangs into our city after being thrown out of his own ce!" Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry when he heard the gossip. Anomaly #33 was using his n of using Divine Ruler against him. ¡­ Valencia, Spain, Memory Shadow World "Urgh¡­ hhhh¡­" Jack doubled over. Blood spilled from his torso. He raised his head slightly to look at the menughing at him. "Hahahah, I can''t believe this fucker was duped so easily!" "Lol! It was thanks to my acting though. ''Please save¡­ Please¡­ they kidnapped my daughter''!" Theyughed heartily. Tears slipped from Jack''s eyes. What had he done wrong? He only tried to help them. Was it wrong for him to show kindness to others? Watching themugh made Jack''s blood boil. He red at them. ''They are hideous.'' The people of this era killed, looted, unleashed their impure desires by saying they were doing their best to survive. ''I want to kill them.'' The pain from his injuries muddled his thoughts. ''Yes, this is fine. They are just shadows in the end. There won''t be any consequences even if I murder them.'' Until now, he had held back because they looked like humans. Jack closed his eyes, and a small chuckle left his lips. "Sorry, Neo. I''m not strong enough to hold onto my morals." The men realized something was wrong. The air around Jack had changed¡ªfrom a wimpy kid who was afraid of dying to one who was afraid to kill or be killed. His eyes were lifeless. Jack chanted. "O Darkness¡ª" The air in the room churned. "H-hey, stop him!" "You do it!" "¡ªConsume my enemies." The shadows beneath Jack stretched. Before the men could react, a jaw of Darkness mped down on their heads and ate everything above their necks in one gulp. The corpses fell with a dull thud. Jack stood up with a stagger. He opened his Shadow Space and consumed a sip of healing potion. His eyes wandered to the corpses, at the blood spilling out from their necks. He formed hand signs. "Darkness¡­ Devour." The darkness beneath him bloomed. As the Darkness chewed the corpses, he felt a throbbing pain in his head. Jack withheld his grunts. [Strength +5] [+Strength Debuff Incantation] [+Partial Memories] The pain increased as knowledge about a new Incantation and memories appeared in his head. Jack ignored the Incantation. He focused on the memories. They showed him the lives of the men he consumed. "Disgusting freaks¡­" Jack bit his lips. They were far worse than he had imagined. "I shouldn''t have let them die so easily." He raised his head and stared at the destroyed city. The men he defeated weren''t alone. There was a group of them that attacked unsuspecting wanderers and took advantage of them. Men were killed or used for manualbor like ves. Women were treated like toys and thrown away after they broke. That wasn''t all. Cannibalism, torture, organ trafficking, illegal human experimentation, human sacrifices. There was no end to what had been happening. "This ce is a paradise¡­" Jack massaged his temples. The voices of Darkness were threatening to overwhelm him. "I can eat all of them without gaining any guilty conscience." His thoughts were incoherent and jarring. There was a reason why people advised against using Darkness. It drove its users insane. But Jack had no intention of stopping. "I''ll conquer Darkness¡­ I can do it¡­" Was it because he hated this ce, or because he wanted to grow stronger? Or was it because Jack was being influenced by Darkness already? Jack wanted to tear everything down. Even if he had to use Darkness for it. ¡­ Neo woke up. He looked around, noticing himself on a rooftop. The moon shined dimly, casting a weak glow on him and Kane. "I should leave the city," Kane muttered. "These rumors are all appearing because they hate you for not kicking me out. "If I leave, they won''t target you anymore." "¡­" Neo didn''t answer Kane. He had no intention of doing so. ''This fucking Anomaly #33.'' Kane was currently under Anomaly #33''s control. The words he spoke were spoken by the monster. ''It''s enjoying controlling us like puppets.'' The Anomaly #33 was weaving a story. It allowed Neo to wake up from its control to show him¡ªthe audience¡ªthe y. Neo shook his head. ''Enjoy it while you can. The y will end soon.'' His consciousness dulled¡ª Neo woke up inside the office. "What are you doing!?" The door burst open, and the city''s police entered swiftly. They were shocked when they found the leader of the Defense Team lying bloodied on the floor. Neo held a sword in his hand and stared at the almost-dead Defense Team leader. "Mayor! Why did you kill him!?" the policeman questioned. "Stop shouting," Neo scoffed, his body under Anomaly #33''s control. "He is alive. I punished him because he ambushed me inside my office." "Yes, I ambushed you!" The Defense Team leader red at Neo. "I''ll kill you! You are not a benevolent Mayor! You are a tyrant!" "¡­" "Even my sister¡­" The Defense Team leader cried. "What did she do to have been targeted by you!?" Chapter 211 : Play Of Anomaly #33 Instead of answering, Neo gave the defense team leader a cold stare. He turned to the policemen. "Take him away." The policemen nodded. They hurried to pick the defense team leader before Neo changed his mind. Just as they stepped out of the room, Neo suddenly spoke. "Announce it to the town. Next time someone does something like this again, I won''t let them go alive." "Y¡­ yes." Neo ced his sword into the scabbard¡ª His consciousness grew hazy, then, with a snap, he woke up on a different day. Neo was used to the disconcerting sensation of losing control over his mind and regaining it by now. He didn''t waste his time and delved into his memory. "This is getting ridiculous," he muttered. Protests had started throughout the city. They rallied against Neo, calling him a tyrant, demanding justice. In the meantime, the hate against Kane took a turn for the worse. Kane was kidnapped a few days ago and nearly killed at the hands of citizens. In their words, they wanted to stop the statue monsters attacking the city. Neo had saved Kane, of course. Recalling the whole incident left a bitter taste in Neo''s mouth. "Anomaly #33 let go of its control over Kane''s mind during the kidnapping. "It wanted to see how Kane would react." Neo pursed his lips. Not just Kane¡ªAnomaly #33 would randomly free citizens from the mind control to enjoy their reactions. "Intelligent monsters really are the worst." Neo sunk into his chair and stared at the ceiling. By now, it was easy to guess Anomaly #33''s goal. "It''s almost one month since I entered this city." In five days, the 233rd Arzew City Festival would take ce. Neo rubbed his neck with one hand. "Five days until I''m hanged, and my soul is eaten by Anomaly #33." He chuckled. Anomaly #33 and he were perfect counters to each other. It made him wonder if Shadow Supreme started his trial near this ce to see Neo and Anomaly #33 sh. Neo''s vision grew hazy, and Anomaly #33 took control. Just then, the door of the mayor''s office was opened. Kane rushed inside. "Neo! How are you¡­" He stopped speaking when he noticed Neo''s muddled gaze. ''He is under the monster''s control.'' Kane bit his lips. The frequency at which Kane could recover his mind was starting to increase. It did not take him long to realize the citizens were under the control of a monster. "Why did you enter my office without any appointment?" Neo asked, under Anomaly #33''s control. Kane''s expression worsened. Awakeners were akin to gods. Neo especially was far stronger than any awakener Kane had seen. That''s why he depended on Neo. On a kid who looked half his age. ''Fuck, what have I been doing until now?'' thought Kane. His gaze grew determined. "Neo, let''s leave the city." "¡­" "You know the statue monsters won''t stoping after you. "Sooner orter, the city will be coteral damage in your battles," Kane said. "There is no need for you to worry about that. I can handle a few monsters on my own." Was it because Kane gave a reasonable reasoning to leave the city, or was it because it was time to end things? Awakeners of the city rushed into the office. They pushed Kane aside and surrounded Neo. "Quite a few people areing to meet me today," Neo said. The head of city police stepped forward. He took out a document. "This is a warrant to take the Mayor, Neo Hargraves, into custody. The city will judge your crimes." "What!? That''s absurd! Nei hasn''t done anything!" Kane reacted. The head of city police turned to Kane and red at him. "Shut up, old man. You are going to jail too." Unsurprisingly, Neo didn''t object to being jailed. He peacefully let himself be cuffed. "Not going to throw a tantrum now, Sir Divine Ruler?" the head of city police questioned sarcastically. "I know that justice will take my side." Neo and Kane were jailed inside the city''s prison. Kane''s mind was in chaos. He continued to try and escape the prison, but it was useless. A normal human like him was powerless. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Again. He couldn''t do anything. Five dayster, Kane was allowed to go. "¡­?" He stared at the prison guard with vacant gaze. The prison guard frowned. Kane hadn''t eaten anything for the past few days. His cheeks had be hollow, and his limbs were thin. It wasn''t a pleasant sight. "Get out. You have been bailed." "How¡­?" "It was the mayor''s wish." Kane''s eyes widened. He understood the prison guard''s words, but he did not understand them at the same time. The prison guard grabbed Kane''s hand, who was too weak to resist, and threw him out of the prison. Outside, Kane noticed the city draped in a festive atmosphere. "They are celebrating the monthly festival?" Kane''s face contorted. He couldn''t understand what was wrong with the monster who was controlling the city. Among the dozens of people talking around him, his mind inexplicably focused on a particr sound. "Mom, I want to go to the city center! I heard they are holding the festival''s main performance there!" The little girl looked at her mom with puppy eyes. The mother smiled bitterly, and caved into her daughter''s demands, taking her to the city center. "City center. Isn''t it the 13th street avenue?" Kane mumbled. He recalled the previous mayor being hanged in the very same ce, and the dozens of corpses hanging on street lights. "No, no, this can''t be happening." He rushed to the city center. Throughout the way, he couldn''t help but recall the prison guard''s words. ''It was the mayor''s wish.'' Not Mayor''s order. But wish. Kane reached the city center just in time for the announcer to end his speech. "-fifty of our city''s brave warriors fought together to put down the mayor!" "Yeah!" "Hang him!" The host of the show pulled the cloth down from the stage, revealing Neo about to be hanged. Unlike the previous mayor, he wasn''t overreacting. He stood just there, as if he had epted his fate. "Death to the tyrant mayor!" "Death to the tyrant mayor!" The city cheered as the tform beneath Neo''s feet vanished and he was hanged. Kane''s mind nked. He couldn''t think orprehend what was happening. His body moved on its own. He pulled the sword out of the waist of the city guard next to him, and dashed forward to rescue Neo. Kane wasn''t under the monster''s control. He knew he would be killed if he tried to rescue Neo. ''What am I doing?'' Kane''s thoughts started to move. ''I''m a coward. Why am I acting like a hero when it''s useless?'' He pushed away the guards who were trying to block his path and jumped onto the stage. ''I ran away when the monsters attacked the previous base. I escaped while my own brother sacrificed his life to save me.'' Awakeners among the citizens reacted quickly. They grabbed Kane. Kane could feel the monster trying to control his mind and stop him before he saved Neo. ''Yeah, I''m a coward. I should stop before I get killed.'' Kane resuated the awakeners. He pulled his sword back and he bent his knees slightly. Unknown to him, an ethereal power materialized around his de. Kane would get killed. He could feel the monster trying to tear apart his mind because it couldn''t control him. But. It was okay. Sometimes there were things one must do no matter the cost. Kane swung the sword towards the rope when suddenly someone grabbed the de. "I thought you weren''t an awakener?" Neo, who should''ve been dead, raised his head and looked at Kane with a grin. Much to Kane''s surprise, his eyes were clear. He wasn''t under the monster''s control. "Wh¡­ what? How are you alive?" "Dumbass, a rope isn''t enough to kill an awakener¡­ Well, this isn''t a normal rope though." Neo winced as the rope tightened around his neck. He shifted his gaze to Kane''s sword. "Anyway, congrattions. You''ve awakened." Neo curled his thumb and pressed it against his middle finger, aiming at Kane''s forehead. "Now, off you go. I''ll return after taking care of this monster." He flicked Kane''s forehead. The simple action contained ginormous force behind it. Kane was blown away. The aftershocks of the attack threw everyone off stage. "Darkness¡­e," Neo chanted. The shadows danced in the night. The Darkness hidden within them bloomed and formed a dome around him. "I guess there is no need to continue this farce anymore." Neo grabbed the rope and snapped it with a simple tug. Hended on the stage lightly. "Come out. I know you are there. It''s not like you can run anymore." As soon as he spoke, he felt a foreign power trying to take over his brain. His eyes grew hazy. Neo, under Anomaly #33 control, took out his sword and held it in reverse, aiming the tip at his heart. Chapter 212: Killing A Conceptual Entity The de pierced his skin. Just as it was about to touch his heart, Neo stopped. "I''m getting tired of faking it." His eyes became clear. "Sorry, but you could never control me since the beginning." Neo felt a foreign power trying to control him. "You want me to kill myself?" He could read the orders Anomaly #33 was giving him. After that, it was his choice to follow the orders or not. "Seems like you are confused why I can resist your control," he said and returned his sword to the sheath, not intimidated in the slightest. "As I said, you could never control my mind. I let you do it." The noose in Neo''s hand started to disappear. He could feel the confusion of Anomaly #33 in his mind. "How, huh." It was normal for the monster to be confused. Neo''s skill was still not strong enough to resist Anomaly #33. However, he had something else. [Age] Thanks to World Core, Demigods gained resistance to elements as they grew older. Both physically and mentally. Neo was physically young, but the same was not true for his mental age. He had lived for eternity. Anomaly #33, who used Mind Element to control others, could not manipte his mind unless he let himself be controlled. Neo''s brows rose. He could feel the emotions of Anomaly #33. "Look at you, your confidence returned as soon as you received the answer." Anomaly #33, a phenomena-type monster, existed as the y of ''Hanged King''s Tragedy.'' How could one kill a ''y''? He shook his head with a sigh. "Seems like you really think you can''t be killed because you are an abstract concept. "Use your head, why would I go through weeks of nonsense unless I could defeat you?" Red lightning manifested around Neo. The Anomaly grew agitated. It dispersed and tried to escape. Unfortunately, the ck dome, Coffin of Darkness, proved to be an unbreakable cage. "You can''t even break a simple Darkness-based trap. Seems like all you can do is control the minds of other people." The thick presence of Death surrounding Neo swirled like a typhoon. It filled the insides of the Coffin of Darknesspletely. The Anomaly #33 had been cornered. "Since I''m in a good mood, I''ll tell you why you are going to die today," Neo said, recalling Kane, who had awakened. He had purposely cornered Kane mentally to put pressure on him and help him awaken. Neo felt content, knowing Kane could now defend himself. He spoke the words he had read. "Case File AZ10CE: Anomaly #33 containment method is as follows: "Anomaly #33 is a phenomena-type monster. "It has no physical or spiritual body. It exists as a conceptual entity. "Anomaly #33 controls its target''s mind and makes them act in the y ''Hanged King''s Tragedy.''" Neo exined. "As the y progresses, Anomaly #33''s presence grows concentrated around the ''protagonist'' of the y. "The Anomaly #33 covers the protagonistpletely when the y ends. It eats the protagonist''s soul after hanging them. "At the exact moment when the y ends, the presence of the Anomaly #33 reaches its peak." Neo''s words were simple technical jargon he read in documents. The words were simple and to the point. They looked like a normal monster information file, information that needed countless sacrifices before it could bepleted. Neo, having lived in the apocalypse for the past weeks, could picture how many people had died and would continue to die at the hands of Anomaly #33. "To defeat Anomaly #33, seal the area around the protagonists of the y as soon as he is hanged. "Using an istion space barrier is rmended." The red lightning thrashed around wildly. Neo could feel Anomaly #33''s presence disappearing. "After Anomaly #33 is sealed inside the barrier along with the protagonist of the y, use Death element to kill everything present inside." Death element could kill everything. Physical body. Soul. Even abstract concepts. Mastery in element needed to be high to kill abstract concepts, of course. But it wasn''t a problem for Neo, who was on the verge of reaching Expert-rank mastery. "I didn''t kill you earlier because your presence was spread throughout the city, and you could escape the city too if you were in danger. "But now? "Now you are trapped with me." The red lightning suddenly returned to Neo''s body. For a moment, nothing happened, like the calm before the storm. Then, the presence of Death erupted from Neo, dozens of times stronger than before, and everything within the Coffin of Darkness was erased. ¡­ Outside Coffin of Darkness "Ugh¡­ he could''ve held back," Kane groaned. Find adventures at m_v l|e-NovelBin His forehead was swollen due to Neo''s flick. He stood up and noticed the citizens were writhing on the ground. "This must be Neo''s doing." A smile was about to appear on Kane''s face when suddenly he sensed something. He snapped his head towards the south side. "Having my senses strengthened because I awakened feels¡­ weird. "It''s like I can see through the walls, taste food that is kept far from me, hear ants walking on the ground." Kane looked at his arms. The influx of information did not overpower his brain. He feltfortable, as if he was a fish who had finally returned to the water. "The statue monsters have returned." Kane could tell the identity of the monsters who appeared within his range. He took a look at the Coffin Of Darkness and rushed towards the approaching statue monsters. "I can''t let them disturb Neo." A few secondster, Kane learned a lesson. Newly awakened awakeners were not superior to humans in terms of physical strength by arge margin. He was breathing heavily by the time he encountered the first statue monster. "Only one¡­." Dozens of statue monsters appeared around Kane, forcing him to mp his mouth shut. Over the building, hiding behind cars, standing next to trees. The statue monsters were everywhere. "I''ll be damned." Kane smiled grimly. He was feeling weak due to not having eaten anything for the past few days. The sprint earlier only made it worse. "You saw my face! I''ll kill you!" The statue monster nearest to him pounced. It moved so fast that its body blurred. The monster was suddenly before Kane, its w heading towards his throat. Only a single thought upied Kane''s head while he faced imminent death. ''I need to stop these monsters here.'' The world lost its color, bing monochrome. Everything started to move in slow motion. Kane saw a red line connecting the tip of his sword to the monster''s neck. He followed the line. His body moved instinctively, as if he had practiced the move hundreds of times. He ducked under the monster''s attack and jumped lightly, before shing towards its neck. The monster''s head fell off, separated from its neck. "Hufff! Huff!" Kane fell to his knees. The world became colorful again, and everything returned to its normal pace. Before he could stand, another monster kicked his abdomen. He was flung away. "Cough! Cough!" Kane puked blood. He could see dozens of monsters rushing at him. They had no intention of giving him a break. ''What was that?'' ''It felt like time slowed, and I could¡­ I could see the sword path to defeat the monster with a single sh.'' ''Is that my trait?'' Kane jumped to his feet and raised his sword to block the iing attack. Although he blocked sessfully, he was thrown away again. He was too weak physically to face the monsters. ''I¡­ need to¡­ use my trait again¡­'' ''The awakeners I met¡­ in the past said using traits is like breathing.'' He rolled on the ground to dodge the attacks. Each bone in his body cried from pain, but Kane did not stop. He had to buy as much time as possible. ''Focus.'' The world lost its color and slowed, only for everything to turn normal the next second. His trait was activating and deactivating randomly. ''I have to do it!'' A monster stomped its foot towards Kane''s head. Just as the attack connected, the world lost its color. In the monster''s eyes, one moment it was about to kill Kane; next moment something shed, and in the next, its leg was chopped into hundreds of pieces. The monster fell, having lost its leg, when Kane''s sword shed again and its body was split into two. "Huff! Blergh!" Kane tried to stop his trembling and stood with the support of his sword. He was bleeding too much. His eyes, however, were calm. He exhaled, gritting his teeth. He forced his broken body to move through pure will and pointed his sword at the monsters. "Come, you naked bastards! I won''t let you take a step towards Neo!" The monsters rushed towards Kane, and he shed with them. ¡­ Inside Coffin Of Darkness, Neo stared at the burnt rope on the ground. "So you survived by manifesting a physical body." The rope wriggled, as if it couldn''t contain its happiness and smugness. Everything around him was erased. Only he and the burnt rope remained. "I guess being able to control others didn''t make you smarter. "Why did you think I went out of my way to talk to you earlier? "I wanted you to fight back and do anything in order to survive." The Anomaly #33 realized something was wrong. It tried to return to its conceptual form, but Neo grabbed it before it could escape. A starry glow covered his hand. A smile appeared on Neo''s face. ''Finally, i can defeat it now.'' Neo had been bluffing until now. He couldn''t kill abstract concepts. Apprentice-rank mastery of Death allowed one to kill physical entities. Adept-rank mastery of Death allowed one to kill soul entities. One had to have Expert-rank mastery to kill a conceptual entity. Neo had nearly reached Expert mastery. However, it didn''t change the fact he had not reached Expert mastery. "Thank you for turning into a physical entity. "I can defeat you now since I can use my blessing on you." ''And I''ll be able to gain a new ability.'' He held the rope tightly and used the second stage of his blessing. [Judgement] Chapter 213: Memories Of Anomaly #33 Memories of Anomaly #33 rushed into Neo''s mind. "I''m sorry, mom! I won''t do it again!" The child cried. His mom continued to spank him. "You almost died!" She increased the force behind her hits. "What would you''ve done if the monster noticed you?!" "But it was going to destroy the bookstore¡ªahh! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I won''t do it again!" Tears slipped down his face as he rubbed his behind after the beating. ''It hurts.'' While the kid was busy soothing his injury, the woman wiped her own tears. Her arms were trembling even now. If they had been unlucky, she would''ve lost her child. The thoughts of the earlier situation sent shivers down her spine. "I''m sorry, mom. I won''t do it again." The child approached her gloomily, hugging her to help her calm down. She bit her lips and patted his head. "Let''s sleep now." The mother-son duo slept on the first floor of the broken bookstore. The ce was inplete ruins. But they had no proper ce to sleep. Their previous base had been destroyed a week ago, and the survivors were scattered as they tried to escape the monsters. While the woman was about to sleep, she noticed her son reading a book. "Are you reading that book again?" "Huh?" The child turned to her. "No, this one is different. I found it in the bookstore''s wreckage." The child flipped through the book¡ª Hanged King''s Tragedy ¡ªin a few seconds and closed it. "You''vepleted it?" the woman asked. "Yup, my trait is only useful for things like this." The child gave a bitter smile. Traits were the most important aspect of an Awakener. He had awakened an F-rank Trait, and his mother was unawakened. "It''s a good trait." "If I had a good trait, we wouldn''t have been used as bait by the base leader to escape the monsters¡­." The child stopped speaking when he noticed his mother was crying because of his joke. Before he could say anything, she turned around and closed her eyes, unwilling to talk anymore. The child sighed. He took out another book¡ªone that was his favorite and the reason he started to love reading. "What''s so good about that book?" the woman suddenly spoke without turning back to him. "Err¡­. It''s written by [The Myth of Wisdom]." The child scratched his cheek. He had a lot more good points about the book. But he doubted his mother would understand. "The B-rank Awakener Athena?" she asked. "Yeah, she was an author before the apocalypse hit decades ago. Failed author, though. "Her only famous book is this one, Son of Zeus: The Lightning Thief ." The child became excited as he talked about his favorite book. "Oh, right. The book is not based on [The Myth of Invincibility]. The Zeus in the book is from mythology of¡­." He stopped speaking when he realized she had fallen asleep. "¡­" The child raised his body and stared at the back of his mother. His gaze moved towards her shoulder. She was missing an arm. She had cut her own arm and used it as bait to save him during the day when the monster almost caught him. The scent of the blood was the only reason he was alive. He could still picture the scene in his mind. She had taken a gamble. The monster could''ve chased her or gone after the arm, both covered in the scent of blood. "I''m sorry." He bit his lips to stop himself from crying. Throughout the day, none of them had spoken about her missing arm. It was a tacit understanding. The woman didn''t want her child to me himself for it, and the child was too stunned to talk about it. "I''m sorry¡­" He closed his eyes and slept. A few minutester, a warm hand patted him and his mother sung him a luby. "It''s not your fault. You are not even eight," she whispered and kissed him on the forehead. Exhaustion took over the boy, and he fell asleep. The next few weeks were hellish. The mother-son duo lived their life on the edge, searching for food, hiding from monsters. They were no longer tormented by the people because they were weak, but it didn''t make life easier. Things changed when they encountered another survivor base. "What should we do?" the child questioned. "If that ce is anything like ourst base, I don''t want to go there." "¡­" The woman stared at the child instead of looking at the gates. Even though she looked unfamished due to the past weeks, her attention was focused on the child''s injuries. Bloody cuts, sunken cheeks, deep dark circles. Life in a survivor''s base might not be easy; however, it would be safer. For her child at least. She made her decision and approached the city gates. The procedure to enter the ce was surprisingly easy. "Ma''am, our city Arzew wees survivors without any bias. Our leader''s goal is to create a haven for everyone," said the man who had opened the gates. "Your leader must be a good person," the woman said, her words empty praise. "I know. I''m just too good." The manughed and shed a grin. "¡­." "¡­." The woman and her son stared at the man, confused. Discover more content at m,v l''e-NovelBin He scratched the back of his neck when he realized they didn''t understand his joke. "¡­I''m the city leader. I was praising myself to¡­ you know, make a joke." Watching their unamused stare, the man''s face turned red from shame. It was a stark contrast to his rugged, bearded appearance. A chuckle escaped the woman''s lips and the child started tough. ... Life was indeed good in Arzew city. The child and the mother were not treated badly for being weak. In fact, quite a few normal humans lived in Arzew city. There was no mandatory prescription, no using non-awakened as bait. "Goodnight," the city leader said and kissed the child on the forehead before tucking him in the bed. "Have sweet dreams." The man turned around to leave the room. Just as he was about to step outside, the child called out to him. "Hey¡­" "Yeah?" "¡­." "Why aren''t you speaking, scared of sleeping alone?" the man teased him. "Our dear-" "The walls are thin." "¡­?" "It''s hard to sleep when youe home at night and make noises." "¡­!?" The man and child stared at each other for a few seconds. The first to break the stare was the man. He coughed. "¡­We''ll keep it quiet." The man closed the door and left. The child sighed. He hadn''t spoken of the issue to his mother. She would ask him where he learned about these things, and he didn''t want to embarrass his mother by telling her he could hear her and her best friend ''working hard'' at night. The man? He could get kicked in the balls and the child wouldn''t spare him a nce. Unable to sleep at night, the child took out a book and started to read it. Time passed. The days spent in Arzew were fulfilling. The man had proposed to his mother and they were officially dating. Everything was good until the expedition. The man and his friends left the city to make a safe passage connecting Arzew City base and Oran city base. "I''ll be back in a few weeks." The man had left with a cheerful smile. The passage of time turned out to be extremely slow. Days that used to pass quickly refused to end. The woman prayed day and night for the man''s safety. They returned a weekter than the scheduled time. ¡­The man didn''t return. Only his corpse came back. It was amon urrence in the world torn apart by the apocalypse. The city and the citizens mourned. But everything returned to normal after a few days and a new city leader was elected. The woman, however, changed. She refused to eat or leave the graveyard where the man was buried. The child continued to bring food to her every day after his work and before his work. He didn''t say anything. He didn''t tell her to stop or return. ''She needs time. I''m sure she will ept his death.'' The mncholic days continued. The child kept bringing her meals. But. Everything changed on the day when he noticed his mother hugging someone in tears. "You''re back¡­. You''re back¡­" She muttered gibberish as an ethereal glow covered herself and the man. The boy was shocked. He couldn''t believe his eyes. The man¡­. He was the previous leader of the city and his mom''s dead boyfriend. His mom revived him. It took the child days toe to terms with the situation. His mother had awakened. Her trait was extraordinary. S-rank Trait: Lifebringer "You''ll be a Myth with your trait! Our family member is going to be famous!" "Stop, it''s embarrassing." The man and woman snuggled in each other''s arms as they sat on the sofa. The city had been plunged into a festive atmosphere. The appearance of an S-rank trait was a cause for celebration. Myths were defenders of humanity. The woman, who had the potential to be a Myth, was a light for the people who were lost in the dark times of the apocalypse. She had be a symbol of hope. But. "Hey, you fucking mute! I told you to bring me something that can be used as a weakness of your mother! "What the fuck do you mean you won''t do it!?" another man, who had be the city leader after the previous city leader died, shouted. The new city leader had lost his position when the dead city leader ¨C now the child''s father ¨C was revived, and the citizens happily elected the revived man as the city leader. "Should I tell everyone that your mother is a whore!? "Hell, she is a monster!" The man hit the child. "She¡­ isn''t a monster¡­." "Hahahah, what do you mean she isn''t a monster? "Dead don''t stand again, kid. Only a Necromancer can bring the dead to life. "I bet your mother is the [Myth of Walking Corpses]! That man, Niles Radcliff, said he would return before he was sealed. "Your mother must be his reincarnation!" The child shuddered. There was no one who did not know about the Necromancer. "My mom¡­ isn''t a¡­ monster!" the child shouted in anger. He tried to hit the man, but the man dodged easily. "Fucking runt, don''t try to fight back. Or did you forget about the photos!" The man grinned and revealed pictures to the child. ¡­The naked picture of his mother. A surge of anger rose from the depths of the child''s heart. Chapter 214: Gaining A New Ability Just as he tried to attack the man, the man used his power. An unknown power wrapped around the child''s mind. He couldn''t control his body anymore. "Hahaha! I have the power to control anyone! What do you think you can do against me!?" The man kicked the child in the chin. He grinned savagely. Truth be told, his mind control ability was weak. He could only insert suggestions into the minds of others. It was why he had only been able to get the mother''s picture. He hadn''t actually done her any harm. Though, the child didn''t need to know about this. The child was smart. Smarter than his age. He would consider the worst-case scenario, seeing his mother''s picture. It was how the man could ckmail the child. "I''ll kill you if you don''t bring me evidence next time!" the man shouted, and then threw the child out of the house. The childnded on the snow piled outside. He stayed there, staring at the ground. "The cold," the child muttered as he stared at the sky. He knew the man was using false evidence to ckmail him. But there was a reason why the child hadn''t reported the man to his parents. ''He and his friends have too much negative karma. They''ll kill Mom and Dad if they feel their lives are in danger.'' The child''s trait had evolved over the years. From reading books, now he could read people. To be precise, he could read their umted negative karma. He could see the crimes they''dmitted. The man and his friends killed the previous city leader ¨C now the child''s father ¨C when they went on an expedition together. The child knew this as he read the new negative karma they umted when they returned aftermitting the murder. ''Those people are dangerous.'' As days passed, the child became torn between choices. Should he keep quiet? Or should he tell his parents that the man and his friends wanted to snatch the control of the city from them? When spring arrived, rumors started to circte in the city. The child''s mother was a witch. As if it was a cue, more rumors started to rise. The child''s mother enjoyed harming people and healing them. The child''s father forced himself on unmarried women. The city was in an uproar. His parents tried to prove their innocence, but it was useless. After all, one person could lie. Ten people could lie. But a hundred? Would a hundred people lie about being harmed by the child''s parents? The child realized what was happening. ''It''s the man''s ability. He is making people believe they were hurt by my parents by inserting suggestions in their minds.'' The child told his parents about it. However. "I know it''s tough, sweetie, but you shouldn''t me innocents. Uncle Sam''s trait can only affect monsters, not humans," the child''s mother said. "She is right. I''ve been with Sam since he awakened, and I know how his trait works. He can''t control humans," the child''s father told him. The child tried to tell them they were wrong. It was useless. The rumors continued to rise. The pressure and abuse from the citizens affected the child''s parents greatly. Until¡­. "Cough! Cough!" The child started to puke blood at the dinner table. "John! Are you okay!? John!" "I''ll bring the doctors! Lay him on the bed!" The child didn''t remember much. The pain had muddled his mind. Surprisingly, he woke uppletely refreshed the next day. He asked his parents what happened yesterday. "Nothing, sweetie. You just ate bad food. Don''t worry though. The doctor healed you perfectly." "¡­" The child nodded and left. ''So I was poisoned, and I died,'' the child thought as he sat on his bed. ''Mom must''ve revived me.'' The child wondered if his mother''s trait had a drawback. He was lost in his thoughts. ''I''ll ask her tonight.'' He ran downstairs when it was time for dinner. And. "Huh?" The child''s body stiffened. "M-mom? Dad?" Two bodies. Tied to a rope. Hung by the ceiling fan. "This isn''t fu-funny. What are you two doing?" The child walked towards their corpses with slow steps. Just then, the child heard a snort. He turned around and noticed the man ¨C Uncle Sam ¨Cughing as he sat on the sofa. The man was reading a letter. "Hahahah, this is nuts! I nned this, but holy shit! I didn''t expect them to agree to the allegations." The man raised his head and met the child''s gaze. He grinned and threw him the letter. "This is your parents'' will. They epted the me for all the rumors. "To appease the anger of citizens, they killed themselves. "Theirst plea was to let you ¨C their child ¨C live and not me you for their crimes since you are innocent." The manughed heartily. "Seems like poisoning you pushed them beyond what they could handle. "They started to worry you would be harmed, and they killed themselves to save you. "Damn, that''s one tough luck." The child continued to cry. However, he didn''t look at the corpses of his parents or the will they left behind. He was staring at the man''s karma. "Finally, the city is mine! Hell yeah! I''m the king!" The man had gained karma of killing two citizens. ''He inserted the suggestion of suicide in their minds.'' The child stood up. He stepped toward the man¡ª Neo woke up. He touched his cheek and noticed he tears streaming down his face. He could feel the pain and loss of the child ¨C of Anomaly #33. "¡­." He wiped his tears. "The level of immersion was too high. This must be the result of my increasing synchronization with the blessing." He looked at the rope in his hands. Anomaly #33 was no longer trying to escape. It had also seen its life while Neo was using his blessing, and it was now lost in nostalgia. "You must''ve gained the ability to manipte people after you died and became a monster." Neo didn''t know how it gained the ability. Was it a simple mutation? Or was it the child''s grudge against the man that led him to gain a simr ability? What Neo did know was¡­ "You''ve been killing only those people who had a lot of negative karma." Anomaly #33 never killed an innocent. All of those it had murdered were heinous criminals. A small smile, slightly bitter, appeared on Neo''s visage. "Did you think I was a criminal too because of the huge amount of negative karma of mine?" Anomaly #33 nodded. After having awakened its memories thanks to Neo, it was willing to converse. It didn''t move, but its thoughts confirmed Neo''s words. "My negative karma isn''t my own. Technically, at least. "I gained it when I killed and devoured others with Darkness." The negative karma of any person or monster Neo devoured was transferred to him. Anomaly #33 was surprised. It didn''t know something like this was possible. The monster became anxious. "Don''t worry. I doubt you killed anyone innocent. People like me, who can use Darkness and maintain sanity, are rare. "If there was someone like me, they would be quite strong and wouldn''t be defeated by you. "So the people you killed before me were all criminals and the negative karma they had was their own." Anomaly #33 rxed after hearing his words. ''I had been thinking it targeted me instead of Kane because I was unlucky. Turns out there was a reason,'' Neo thought. Anomaly #33 hated criminals. Even though it lost its memories after bing a monster, its hate remained. ''Anomaly #33 protected the city because its parents met in this ce, and it killed all those who tried to harm the city.'' The more Neo thought, the more he realized he had been wrong about the monster. However¡­. "Julian Theodore, just because you killed only criminals doesn''t mean you are innocent. "You are a Sinner too." Neo had no other choice. He wanted to let Anomaly #33 go. However, he lost the chance after he used [Judgment]. "You will be punished for your crimes." Once the blessing was activated, the judgment must be passed. Neo bit his lips when he saw Anomaly #33 waiting in his hands. It was content and waiting for its death. Peacefully. "I, Neo Hargraves, sentence you to ten years of imprisonment in the 2ndyer of Hell." Chains erupted from the ground and bound the existence of Anomaly #33. They pulled it into the ground. Just before Anomaly #33 was taken away, Neo heard a voice inside his head. Thank you. "¡­." Neo closed his eyes. "Fuck, why are you thanking me?" He could sense Anomaly #33 appearing on the 2ndyer of Hell within himself. His soul went under qualitative change. [+ Mind Invasion] Neo looked at the screen which described his new ability. A bitter taste appeared in his mouth. "Impartial Death. Those who had sinned must be punished." Neo had to follow the rules even if he hated it. He had to. "Fuck, I feel like shit." ¡­ Fracture Mirror, Second Layer of Neo''s Hell In a world made of broken mirrors, a child appeared. He looked around, staring at the surroundings in fascination. Everything was made of mirrors. Even the sky and the ground. The child walked around the ce when suddenly the mirror next to him changed. The mirror''s surface rippled. It showed the scene where the child was tucked into bed. His mothery on his left, and his father was on his right. "What does our dear Julius think?" "Sweetie, you love Mom more, right?" "Nope, he loves his handsome Dad more." The child stared at the memory ying within the mirror. When the scene ended, the child turned around. The mirrors¡­ They were showing it the happy times it had lived with its family. A smile appeared on the child''s face. It looked above at the sky, knowing Neo was staring at it. "You are too kind," the child said teasingly. The judgment it had been delivered was cruel. Nevertheless. It was the child''s salvation. Chapter 215: New Trait And New Quest Neo confirmed his new ability. "Mind Invasion¡­. I get what it does, but is this a Spell or an Incantation?" Incantation and Spells ¨C even Elemental Maniption ¨C had different working mechanisms. The new ability he gained didn''t follow any of those mechanisms. He could use it without going through the hassle of manipting elements, creating magic Spells, ormanding Elementals. "This is almost like a Skill. It''s like I gained a trait." [Alert!] [User Neo Hargraves has formed a link with Julius Theodore''s ''Seed of Existence'' (Mutated).] [User Neo Hargraves has gained a portion of Julius Theodore''s ''Seed of Existence'' (Mutated) temporarily.] [User Neo Hargraves can now use Trait ''Mind Invasion''.] [Please note, User Neo Hargraves will lose Trait ''Mind Invasion'' when the link breaks.] Neo was surprised to see the rows of screens before his eyes. "I see, so Mind Invasion is a mutated version of Julius'' original trait." He was amazed, knowing his Hell allowed him to gain traits. Just as he thought that, his core churned. A portion of Divine Energy from his core started to flow into the Hell within his soul. The divine energy was being used to amodate a new sinner into the Hell. Neo winced when he noticed the amount of Divine Energy reserve he had lost. "Of course, it wasn''t that easy. Seems like the Hell needs more Divine Energy every time I throw another sinner into it." He shook his head. Divine Energy wasn''t a problem to him, thanks to his absurdly huge reserves. Though, inside the Shadow World where he had no way of recovering Divine Energy, it was troublesome. [Alert!] [Time until User Neo Hargraves loses Trait ''Mind Invasion'': 9 years, 11 months, 30 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes, 12 seconds.] Ding! [Quest: Find a way to inherit Trait ''Mind Invasion'' permanently.] [Reward: Seed of Existence link locks x 3] [ept/Refuse] Neo''s brows rose when he saw the Quest. "The rewards are good." Every person had a Seed of Existence within them. A person awakened their Trait when their Seed of Existence germinated. "Even if I can gain the Trait of someone else, I will still need to level it up. "I have my own unique skill, elements, Spells, and Incantations to master. "Adding training for another Trait will just result in dividing my focus." The problem was headache-inducing. Thankfully, the quest reward would help him out of it. [Quest epted.] As soon as he made the decision, more screens appeared. [It has been detected User Neo Hargraves has two Seeds of Existence.] [Current Akashic Record Interface of User Neo Hargraves has been deemed insufficient.] [Requesting permission from mainframe to upgrade User Neo Hargraves'' Akashic Record Interface...] The screen changed to a loading screensaver wallpaper. "One Seed of Existence should be mine, and the other one is the portion I gained from Julius." Neo had a hard time believing what was happening. Gaining Traits was nearly impossible when using Darkness. One had to have very high mastery in Darkness and equally high luck. With Neo''s luck, he never thought he could gain a Trait. But the Hell solved his problem easily! [Mainframe has granted permission.] [Requesting permission from User Neo Hargraves to upgrade his Akashic Record Interface...] [ept/Deny] Neo stared at the buttons on the screen. There was no reason for him to refuse. He had always nned to find a way to upgrade his System Interface, knowing it was useful. Discover hidden content at m,v l''e-NovelBin He never expected to gain the opportunity for an upgrade so early. [epted.] [Time Remaining until upgrade ispleted: 6 months.] "Huh? 6 months? It is supposed to take only a few seconds..." He frowned. "I remember Sphinx saying my records don''t exist in Akashic Record. Is this rted to it?" Although he was curious, there was no way for him to know the answer. Neo shook his head. He decided to focus on the issue at hand. Just when he was about to remove the Coffin of Darkness, he sensed someone behind him. He turned around with a snap. ''How did someone enter the Coffin of Darkness without alerting me¡ª'' His thoughts froze. "Y-you saw my face! I''ll kill you!" The statue monsters were entering the Coffin of Darkness. ''How¡­?'' ''Every monster is afraid of Darkness; even Anomaly #33 was. How can these monsters enter the Coffin of Darkness so easily?'' ''What happened to Kane?'' He was about to rush outside to look for Kane when suddenly Neo noticed something peculiar. "¡­.?" There was no statue monster outside the Coffin of Darkness. "If there is no monster outside, where did thesee from?" He sensed more statue monsters appearing behind him. Turning around, he saw three more statue monsters within the Coffin of Darkness. Neo noticed another detail at the moment. Every statue monster that appeared within the Coffin of Darkness came inside when he was not looking at them. "I see¡­." His brows furrowed when he realized what was happening. "These monsters aren''t entering the Coffin of Darkness. They are teleporting inside. "Seems like they are capable of teleporting near their targets as long as it''s outside their field of vision." Neo knew his deduction was wrong. He didn''t sense any Space Elementals around him. It was clear the monsters were not teleporting inside the Coffin of Darkness. He used the word ''teleportation'' because it was the closest term to describe their ability, even if it wasn''t entirely urate. "These monsters are worse than I thought them to be," Neo said as he twisted his neck to dodge the iing attack. Before the monster could attack again, his lips parted. "Die." The statue monsters fell to the ground, dead. They were growing in numbers and strength every time they came to kill him. Still, they were nowhere near his current level. Neo removed the Coffin Of Darkness after killing the monsters. A figure ¨C Kane ¨C flew past his eyes and crashed into the building next to him. At that moment, dozens of statue monsters jumped down from the buildings, aiming at Kane. The citizens were about to raise their heads and look at the monsters when suddenly Kane shouted, "Don''t look up!" Kane walked out of the building. A powerful aura erupted from Kane. It forced the citizens to their knees and stopped them from looking at the statue monsters'' faces. Kane wiped the blood flowing out of his temple and took a sword stance. He grabbed the hilt of the sheathed sword. The monsters ignored the citizens and attacked Kane. "Third Stance-" Kane''s figure blurred. A split secondter, he appeared behind the group of monsters and returned the sword to the sheath. "Ryu no Mai." sh marks appeared on the bodies of the statue monsters. They fell apart, their bodies sliced into hundreds of pieces. Neo stood on the side, stunned. Others might not have been able to see it, but he could. Kane had moved at unimaginable speed and killed each monster with physical attacks. His attacks weren''t shy, nor did they use sophisticated Incantations or powerful Spells. They were a simple disy of speed and technique. ''What the fuck?'' Neo had trouble believing his eyes. ''He awakened just minutes ago.'' ''How is he already this powerful?'' Kane turned to Neo. He had tired eyes. His limbs were trembling from having been pushed beyond their limits, and he was bleeding from multiple injuries over his body. Still¡­ "Neo, I made sure those monsters didn''t disturb you." Kane was smiling. He fell, too exhausted to stand anymore. Neo appeared next to him and held him. "Thank you." "Ahahahaha." Kaneughed weakly. Neo didn''t tell him the statue monsters had teleported to attack him. There was no need to dampen Kane''s mood. ¡­! Neo and Kane both sensed more monsters entering the city. Kane tried to stand, but Neo stopped him. "You should rest." "N-no, there are more monsters left." "I''ve dealt with them already." Kane''s eyes widened. He expanded his senses again and noticed the monsters who had just entered the city were not breathing anymore. "You dealt with them from here? I didn''t even sense you attack," Kane said with a smile. His admiration for Neo increased after Kane awakened. Before, being a non-awakened, he didn''t understand how powerful Neo was or the extent of his abilities, but now, having awakened, Kane could see how monstrous Neo was. He didn''t doubt Neo was on par with the Myths of the Awakener Association. Neo, on the other hand, was equally surprised. ''He can sense the city walls from here?'' It seemed Kane was a monstrous genius. ¡­ Chelva, Spain, Memory Shadow World A ghastly howl echoed in the night. "Run! It''s the Necromancer!" "The Necromancer has returned!" The survivors were running without looking back. Even the Awakeners, who were supposed to be thest line of defense, were no different. Far behind them, a sea of bones was encroaching on the city. The bones devoured everything in their path, be it the city, the corpses, or the humans. ¡­ Kayseri, Turkey, Memory Shadow World The red-haired, bulky man sat behind the table, deep in thought. He read the documents with furrowed brows. The door to the office swung open, and a golden-haired kid, seemingly in histe teens, entered the room. "Ares! What''s the meaning of this!?" the kid shouted. "Why haven''t you sent a search expedition for Neo Hargraves!?" "Apollo-" "No, I''m not going to listen to your excuses! I gave you a sketch of Neo Hargraves and even told you he is vital in the search for the Child Of Mana! "I received the Oracle that we need him to find the Child Of Mana! "Why haven''t you-" "Apollo." Ares repeated his words again, this time with suppressed intensity. Chapter 216: Ares and Apollo Ares'' words made Apollo grit his teeth. "What?" "Look at this." Ares threw the documents in his hands towards Apollo. Apollo caught the stack of papers and looked through them. His brows furrowed. "¡­How is this possible?" "Now do you understand why I''m not sending a search party for this¡­ Neo Hargraves?" Ares continued, "I''ve sent his details to Gaia. She used them to read his Fate since it would help us know more about him before we try to recruit him. But¡ª" "Gaia said ''Neo Hargraves'' doesn''t exist." "Yes, she didn''t find the Fate of anyone named Neo Hargraves." Apollo''s lips were pressed together in a thin line. He read the documents multiple times. Their contents, however, remained the same. "In the vision of the future, I saw Neo Hargraves holding the Child of Mana. How can he save the Child of Mana if he doesn''t exist?" Apollo said with uncertainty. "We still don''t understand how your Trait works. "It shows you the future, but the future can be changed if we use the information we have gained from the vision. This is just one example. "Maybe this person, Neo Hargraves, is a symbol of something that will help us find the Child of Mana." Ares exined. "You are saying the vision was a metaphorical vision instead of a literal vision?" "Yes." Apollo pondered over Ares'' words. He had calmed down and realized Ares'' point made sense. He scratched his head. "Sigh, sorry about shouting at you. I''ll leave." "Wait, before you leave, I have a new assignment for you." "¡­?" "An Anomaly has been defeated three weeks ago in Algeria." "¡­!?" Apollo stared at Ares in shock. "How!? Anomaly can''t be defeated, only contained or avoided! This is why we ssified them as Anomalies instead of normal monsters¡ª" "Calm down. I don''t know theplete details myself." Ares continued, "One of the refugees has been saying the Anomaly #33 was in." "Anomaly #33? That''s the Anomaly that controls Arzew. Is this information credible?" "I''m not sure about that. The refugee found out about the information when he was traveling through Egypt." "Huh?" Apollo frowned. Before he could voice his doubts, Ares added, "The rumors of Anomaly #33 have spread as far as Egypt. The refugee heard the rumors on the way here." "So it''s not confirmed information." "That''s why I want you to go to Arzew and scout the ce. If a Myth capable of defeating an Anomaly has appeared, we need to scout him and get him on our side before others." "Fine." Apollo shrugged. "Who ising with me?" "Athena and Nyx." "Oh, Athena and¡­!? Wait, what?!" Apollo was stunned. "Why is Nyx being sent out on a simple mission like this?! She is one of the few S-rank awakeners on our side! "Send her somewhere where she is needed more. I can deal with this mission myself." "Apollo¡­" Ares sighed and removed his sses to clean them. "Someone who defeated an Anomaly isn''t normal. "We need to take precautions. Also, the reason I''m sending Nyx is something else." "Something else?" "Yeah." Ares sighed again. "A Necromancer has appeared in Spain." "¡­!?" Apollo never thought he could be surprised so many times in one day. But it seemed he thought wrong. He opened his mouth and closed it, unable to form words. "Thest time a Necromancer appeared, he razed Russia to the ground. We can''t take risks like that again. "It''s best to nip the bud before it grows." Apollo had no words to retort with. Niles Radcliff, the Myth of Walking Corpses, the Necromancer, had been defeated 17 years ago. Although Niles was strong, if Apollo fought him now, he was sure he could defeat Niles easily. Not just Apollo. All awakeners had grown in thest seventeen years. The apocalypse ¨C Father of Anomalies ¨C had forced them to grow stronger. Now, awakeners as strong as Niles Radcliff were, although notmon, many. But¡­. "¡­." Apollo started to tremble. He was afraid. Ares didn''t say anything when he noticed Apollo''s reaction. The mental scars Niles Radcliff left behind were too deep. They might''ve grown stronger, but just the name of Necromancer was enough to make most awakeners shake in their boots. "Honestly, I wanted to send Zeus on this mission." Ares covered his mouth to divert the topic. "But he is in Brazil." "¡­" Apollo nodded with a subdued expression. Another sigh left Ares'' lips. Normally, Apollo would''ve been surprised, asking what Zeus was doing in the territory of Titans. ¡­ Library, Demigod Academy, True Nexus World Crunch The crunchy noise was low, but loud enough for most to hear. Mars and Arthur ignored the noise and spoke in hushed voices. "You are saying Neo said he would help you get Bones of Old Gods?" "Yeah, and yesterday, this weirddy found me, saying Neo had told her he would take me to somewhere we can get Bones of Old Gods from." "Can Ie too¡ª" "What are you two talking about?" Felix stood behind the two, staring at them with an unamused stare. Crunch "I just heard you two talking about sneaking out with Neo." "A-ahaha, I think you misheard," Arthur stammered, a cold sweat flowing down his back. "We were talking about Nico. The next ss crystal element kid." Crunch Felix nodded. "I see. Sorry, I thought you were talking about something else." Felix turned around and left to pick some books from the shelf. After she left, a sigh of relief escaped Arthur''s lips. "We barely survived," Mars smiled bitterly. "You said it. I don''t want to hear a three-hour lecture again." Arthur slumped. "It was Neo and Jack who sneaked away. Why is she scolding us?" Crunch "Don''t worry. I''m going to whip those two when they return," Felix said. She returned with three books and sat in front of Mars and Arthur, next to ra and Sean. "Do they think Shadow World is a backside garden? They entered it with just two of them!" The more Felix thought about it, the more irritated she became. "If you are going to do something dangerous, then tell us, dammit! We''ll help you! Why go alone?!" Crunch Momentster, Arthur, seeing Felix was not getting angry at the mention of Shadow World, spoke up. "I''ve been curious about something." "What is it?" "Isn''t it dangerous to let people enter Shadow Worlds?" Arthur spoke, confused. "I don''t understand why the Council hasn''t put a ban to stop people from entering Shadow Worlds?" Crunch "Huh?" Felix frowned. "Why would the Council do that? Shadow World is a good way to train for those who have destructive abilities and can''t use them in our world." "But¡­." Arthur''s words trailed. He carefully organized his thoughts and spoke, "If someone ends up in a 100% Synchro Shadow World, they can end up altering the past of our world if something goes wrong." "¡­?" "After all, any change in a 100% Synchro Shadow World affects our world. Be it past or present." "What are you talking about? It doesn''t matter what you do in Shadow World; it doesn''t affect our world. That''s why it''s so useful." Arthur''s brows creased when he realized Felix was serious about what she was saying. He turned to look at Mars, but he had the same expression as Felix. Chapter 217: Time Skip! System Update Complete ''Strange. Is the information about 100% Synchro World not known tomon public?'' ''I shouldn''t talk about it if it''s confidential information.'' "Oh, sorry, I must be wrong. I read it in a book, but it looks like the book was fake." "Don''t read weird books like ra here." While she was looking at Arthur, her hand moved swiftly, and she grabbed the book ra was hiding below the table. "Ah!" Felix ignored ra''s surprised face and read the title of the book. Crunch "God of Death and Sleep, ¡ö, and His Battle Against the Olympian Gods." Some of the words were unintelligible. Felix read what could be read and looked up at ra. Crunch "ra, I''m pretty sure we are here to find out about the weaknesses of Death and Darkness element users so we can fight Neo when he returns." "Y-yes." "Then why are you reading a novel?" Crunch ra turned to Arthur, then Sean for help, but they avoided her gaze. They had no intention of being scolded with her. Crunch A vein popped in Felix''s neck. She could no longer ignore the crunching noise. She looked at the Morrigan, who was eating crusties with no care in the world. "Morrigan, you too! Go back if you aren''t going to study! And stop eating in the library!" ¡­ Arzew City, Algeria, Memory Shadow World Neo sat atop the city walls alone. He was looking at the sea of statue monsters rushing towards the city. "Seems like the information I got from wanderers about these monsters is true." His face contorted. "Fuck, why does my life keep going from shit to shitter?" As if it was not bad enough, he was burning through his Divine Energy elixirs, and his Death element mastery was decreasing, he had to worry about these monsters on top of that. "Anomaly #79: Look At Me Not. They will ignore you as long as you don''t look at their face, but once you do, they won''t stop until they kill you." Neo had tried searching for where these monsters wereing from, but it was useless. In the end, he had to use divine energy elixirs to recover the divine energy he lost fighting these monsters every day. On top of that, his decreasing mastery of Death had dealt a huge blow to hisbat strength. "The only good thing is I was able to train my Spells and Incantations, and this¡­" [Akashic Record Interface upgradeplete.] His status screen finally updated. "Let''s see what changed." "Status." [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 5 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 2 Mythic ] [ Stats ] ¦é Strength: 186 ¦é Speed: 176 ¦é Dexterity: 171 ¦é Constitution: 198 ¦é Luck: 0 [ Affinity ] ¦é Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time [ Magic Spell ] ¦é Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath, Rewind Enchantment [ Incantations ] ¦é O Death, Be My Hands, Crush My Enemies ¦é O Death, Be My de [ Trait ] ¦é Bloodline Trait: Monarch of Death ¦é Fragmented Trait: Mind Invasion [ Quest ] ¦é Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1), Completed 3/5 ¦é Find a way to assimte the Mind Invasion Trait (Fragmented) into yourself permanently He ignored the sea of statue monsters ¨C they were too far and would take a few seconds before reaching him ¨C and focused on the status screen. "Finally, I can see my masteries of my Elements, Spells, and Incantations." [ Death ] Mastery: Adept (Peak) (Sealed) ¡ú Adept (Lowest) Concept progress: 80% Neo''s brows creased. "Looks like I can still build my concept even though my mastery of Death is falling." His mastery had been reduced from the peak of Adept rank to the lowest. Any more, and he would fall back to Apprentice rank. "Dammit, my mastery is decreasing just because I think ''Impartial Death'' is wrong." When he realized Death was the final rest of the dead and they shouldn''t be revived, his mastery of Death had increased. Because Final Death was a concept imbued in Neo''s bloodline. And he had be closer to the concept. But now? He was rejecting the Concept of ''Impartial Death'' imbued in his bloodline. Since his bloodline was the foundation of his Death elemental, rejecting the concepts imbued in his bloodline was harming him. Impartial Death. Sinners or Innocent, Death should judge their life, punishing the sinners and rewarding the Innocent. Personal feelings didn''t matter. The judge must remain Impartial. "¡­" Neo knew it, but his life was shit. The punishment he had given Anomaly #33 was weighing on his mind. Was it correct to punish Anomaly #33 even though it only harmed criminals? "Hahaha, look at me, using Anomaly #33 as a shield, when in truth I hate Impartial Death because of personal reasons." If Neo epted Impartial Death, didn''t it mean he would have to punish his own brother when he went berserk in the future? Not just his brother. Elizabeth, who was a tyrant. Felix, who would be an Apocalypse because she had bonded with a God yer Weapon. Jack, who was a Necromancer. epting Impartial Death meant Neo would have to send each one of them to Hell. Because they were sinners. Because he was supposed to be an Impartial Judge. "Impartial Death can go fuck itself. I''m not epting it." He winced when he sensed his mastery of Death decrease again. After confirming his Death element mastery, he checked Darkness element. [ Darkness ] Mastery: Adept (Peak) Concept progress: 20% "My concept progress in Darkness is 20%?" Neo was surprised. He had not decided what kind of Concept of Darkness he wanted. "This is weird. How is it possible to have built 20% of the Concept without realizing it? "I don''t even know what kind of concept this is." He decided to question Barbatos or Paimon next time he met them. Next, he checked Shadow element. Read thetest on m_v-l''e|-NovelBin [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 1/33 "...." Neo''s face scrunched up. "I''m pretty sure, the awakening progress of Shadow element is supposed to be either 0/1 when it''s not awakened. "And 1/1 when it awakens. "Why the hell do I have 1/33?" One thing was clear. The reason he couldn''t use his Shadow element was rted to this. [ Water ] Mastery: Apprentice (Mid) [ Time ] Mastery: Apprentice (High) Neo was surprised to see he had Mid Apprentice mastery in Water and High Apprentice mastery in Time. He had expected to have Low or Mid at best. "This status interface is a lot better since it shows everything in detail. "Until now, I couldn''t tell if I was making any progress. But this makes it clear that my efforts weren''t in vain." Neo shifted his gaze. "Now...." Chapter 218: New Status Screen Neo''s eyes wandered to other sections in the status. The sub-ranks of mastery were: Lowest, Low, Mid, High, and Peak. He was able to see them after the interface update, and it made things easier. "I should check my Spells and Incantations too." [Necrotic Touch] Element: Death Rank: Tremor Mastery: Apprentice (Peak) [Ocean''s Embrace] Element: Water Rank: Tremor Mastery: Apprentice (High) "It''s as I expected. "My mastery in Ocean''s Embrace is lower than Necrotic Touch mastery, even though I use Ocean''s Embrace more. "This makes it clear. Elemental mastery affects the growth of Spell Mastery too." Neo''s mood became better when he saw his Necrotic Touch mastery. The terror-ranked spell he received from Barbatos was about to rank up. [Essence Breath] Element: None Rank: Tremor Mastery: Apprentice (Peak) "¡­" He wanted to sigh. Essence Breath Spell was only a bit away from ranking up. However, he couldn''t use the Spell inside the Shadow World since there was no pure Divine Energy. It meant he couldn''t rank up the Spell unless he left the Shadow World. "Well, any good news is better than bad news. I should be happy the Spell is near rank up." The gap between each mastery rank for Spells was determined by their Spell rank. A Whisper-ranked Spell, after reaching Adept mastery, would grow 20% stronger. An Echo-ranked Spell, after reaching Adept mastery, would grow 40% stronger. Simrly, a Tremor-ranked Spell would grow 100% stronger. The increase in strength was both quantitative and qualitative. [Rewind Enchantment] Element: Time Rank: Resonance Mastery: Apprentice (Low) "This is as expected," he muttered and picked a piece of rock. He crushed the rock into fine dust with ease. Momentster, a green glow covered his hand. A magic circle appeared above his palm. Neo watched with interest as the time was rewound, and dust glued back to form the rock. "This simple Spell took fucking seven months, dammit." His low talent was a reason behind his slow learning speed. But there was another reason it took him months to learn a Resonance-ranked Spell. Time Manifestation. He had learned about it in the Academy from taking extra sses. There were different manifestations of Time: [River], [Sand], [Clock], [Lightning], [Wheel], and his [Caterpir]. Each manifestation had a drawback and an advantage. Someone with the River manifestation would find it easier to learn Spells that sent them to the past or to the future. However, they would have difficulty in learning Spells that stopped Time or did something simr. After checking his Spells, Neo read the details of his Incantations. [O Death, Be My Hands, Crush My Enemies] Element: Death Harmony: Peak (Sealed) ¡ú Mid [O Death, Be My de] Element: Death Harmony: Peak (Sealed) ¡ú Mid "Mhm, the Incantations are also affected by my elemental mastery of Death." The first Incantation came from the Necromancer he defeated in the Window, while he learned the second one for the final exam of the first semester in the Academy. "Peak Harmony, but it''s sealed." Incantations were more difficult to learn than Spells. What determined the strength of an Incantation were two factors: How much Divine Energy one poured into the Incantation. And how much harmony one had with a certain element. Harmony could not be increased or trained. It remained fixed since birth. Since Neo was the son of Hades, Great God of Death, his harmony with the Death element was at Peak. "The five ranks of Harmony are: Lowest, Low, Mid, High, and Peak. "I''m now Mid harmony in both Incantations." Again, Neo realized how useful the new status screen was. [Bloodline Trait: Monarch of Death] ¦éDeath ¦éImmortal ¦éEternal Since Neo knew the details of his other Unique Skills, he checked only Eternal. [Eternal, Grade 5 Mythic] Progress: 30% Effect: Be Ageless and gain resistance against status ailments (+10%). "10% resistance¡­." Neo pursed his lips. There was something he had noticed about Eternal only a few months ago. Status ailment included everything that hurt him. Not just poison, mental corruption, and debuffs. It included physical attacks, spells, and incantations too. "I seriously chose an overpowered trait." Of course, a part of him still wondered if he should''ve chosen the Transcendence Trait, but he was satisfied with what he had. [Mind Invasion, Grade 5 Awakened] Progress: 60% Effect: Allow you to enter the mind of your targets, look into their memories, and converse with their inner self. While Neo was going through his status screen, Kane called out to him. "Neo, the Anomaly #79 is about to reach our city. Should I deal with it if you are feeling unwell?" His words snapped Neo out of his thoughts. Neo shook his head. "It''s fine. I''ll deal with it." Dark clouds rumbled in the sky. Neo''s Death element-infused Divine Energy seeped into the surroundings. Soon, red lightning crackled through the clouds, and gigantic swords descended. Your adventure continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin Kane sucked in a sharp breath. The sight sent shivers down his spine even after seeing it for months. The Death element swords mmed into the ground and erupted. The earth trembled violently and a deafening roar echoed through the area. Dust and shattered stone shot into the air. Blinding red light covered the area. When the light disappeared, only one-third of the statue monsters were left. Neo''s face hardened, and Kane''s brows creased. The statue monsters had be strong after six months, true. However, Neo should''ve been able to wipe them out with his attack. ''My decreasing elemental mastery is starting to affect my attacks.'' The problem would be solved when Neopleted his Concept. Until then, he was stuck with lowered performance of his Death element. "Neo¡­." Kane muttered in a low voice. "Should I deal with those monsters?" "I told you. It''s fine." The shadows stretched, and the Darkness hidden within them bloomed. The Darkness spread far and wide, transforming into a gigantic maw, and it gulped down the remaining statue monsters. [+4 Vision] Neo chewed, feeling the citric taste in his mouth. "They taste like pickles today." After everything ended, Neo stared at the destruction his attacks had left. Chapter 219: Dios Kingsley Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin Since his mastery had decreased, he couldn''t control Death to affect only the monsters. Some of the buildings had been pulverized. The destruction was absolute¡ªbuildings reduced to jagged rubble. Their towering silhouettes were nothing more than indistinct mounds of dust and twisted metal. Concrete wallsy cracked and splintered, and windows shattered into glittering fragments were scattered across the ground. The air was heavy with choking dust. Neo snapped his fingers, and the red lightning lingering on the wreckages rushed towards him. He began to absorb it. Death elementals couldn''t be converted back into Divine Energy. He could, however, store the Death elementals within himself. It was simr to storing petrol inside tank. Currently, three red rings made of highlypressed Death Elementals were surrounding Neo''s heart. For the past six months, he absorbed all Death elementals he used after the battle ended. He needed to do that, since he did not have a way to recover Divine Energy inside the Shadow World. After absorbing everything, he jumped down from the wall andnded outside the city. Kane, confused, followed behind. "Where are we going?" "Juste with me." A few minutester, Neo and Kane stood in an empty area. "You''ve been training for the past months," Neo suddenly said, startling Kane. "Yeah." "How strong do you think you''ve be?" "Pretty strong, I guess. Why are you asking this?" "Let''s fight. I want to see how your trait works, and it will help you train too." Kane''s smiling face stiffened. He unconsciously took a few steps back. "No," he spoke firmly. "I don''t like to get beaten one-sidedly." Neo rolled his eyes. "Stop being a drama queen." ''You are nearing my level already. I''m sure you know it too.'' Neo didn''t say the thought out loud. Someone who had awakened only six months ago was almost as strong as him. Funnily enough, knowing Kane''s talent made Neo excited. It gave Neo a target to surpass. ''Surpassing a genius. I wonder how that would feel.'' He smiled. Since the day he decided to be the strongest, Neo was prepared to fight geniuses who were hailed as once-in-a-century talents. They were a wall on his path that Neo was determined to conquer. Looking at Kane''s anxious expression, Neo shook his head. ''I think he is as talented as Jack. Maybe slightly less, but near his level.'' It was a big praise,ing from Neo. Jack, when he entered the academy, was quite weak, yet he was now as strong as the students in the top 25. ''A Necromancer thrives on the death and despair of others. Jack could grow that strong without having anything that could help him grow as a Necromancer.'' ''If Jack had ess to the Underworld like me, he would''ve had a chance at surpassing Morrigan.'' The Shadow World was an opportunity for Jack. He could fight monsters and kill criminals in the apocalypse without anyone judging him. The deaths and massacres would help him increase his Death and Darkness element mastery. ''I just hope he doesn''t get overwhelmed by Darkness.'' Talent was important. But without Willpower, it was impossible to train the Darkness element. "Come on. Start already." "...Fine." Kane unsheathed his sword at Neo''s urging. Today was the first time they were going to fight. He was afraid and excited. "Neo, I know this sounds pompous, but¡­." Kane gulped. "Don''t let your guard down. Or you will die." "Got it." Kane raised the sword above his head. "Seventh Stance¡ª" Kane took a deep breath and exhaled. "Tenraizen." His sword shed in a downward motion,nding straight on Neo''s shoulder. ... Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Memory Shadow World Dios Kingsley ¨C Zeus ¨C satnguidly at the beach. His eyes were fixed on the horizon. "How much time until the contact?" "Two weeks ording to our estimates," the man standing behind him answered. Zeus nodded. His lips parted, and he spoke, "He is quite an unlucky fellow. Trying to escape his country by using a ship, only to awaken in the middle of the ocean." "Indeed, the man''s trait made him giganticallyrge. It saved his life and made himrge enough to walk through the ocean but¡­." "Human brain isn''t made to sustain a body of suchrge humans." The man sighed. The Giant would reach Rio in a few weeks. Zeus hade to meet him. Or so was Zeus'' official reason. But the man knew why Zeus was here, in Rio, in Titan''s territory. Just then, the man''s device rang. He opened it and read the message. His brows creased. "What is it?" Zeus questioned. "It''s Apollo''s message. He is moving out on a mission with Athena and Nyx." "Mhm." Zeus nodded. "Where are they going?" "Algeria." "I guess we can meet them if everything follow the schedule." Zeus pursed his lips and probed, trying to look casual. "What happened to the guy Apollo was searching for? I think he said the guy he saw in his visions was needed to locate the Child of Mana." "Ah, Neo Hargraves. Ares has suspended the search mission for him. "Apparently, there is no person named Neo Hargraves. Gaia said she couldn''t find the Fate of anyone named Neo Hargraves." "I see¡­." He grew silent. His gaze returned to the horizon. The words of the bastard Aides Hargraves, the husband of his sister, echoed in his mind. ''We will meet again, Dios.'' Normally, Zeus would''ve thought Aides was spouting bullshit at his death''s doorstep. But the apocalypse made things difficult. ''Aides will return.'' Zeus was sure of it. ''I thought Neo Hargraves was rted to Aides since their surname was the same, but I guess I was looking too much into it.'' Just having a matching surname didn''t make them rted. Zeus had been grasping at straws. But, with Gaia''s confirmation of Neo Hargraves inexistence, the straw disappeared. ... Arzew, Algeria, Memory Shadow World "I- I''m sorry." Kane spoke as he stood beside Neo''s bed. His eyes were red from having cried too much, and he clutched the edge of his clothes with trembling hands. "Don''t stand there like that, old man. It looks weird." Neo smiled. It only made Kane''s expression worsen. He stared at the stump at Neo''s shoulder. His hand was missing. "..." Kane had cut it. He used his strongest attack, believing Neo could block or dodge easily. Instead, Neo stood motionless. He took the attack with his bare body. ''Why?'' Kane wanted to know. ''Why didn''t you dodge?'' Neo knew what he was thinking. ''I finally know how his trait works,'' Neo thought. Losing a hand was nothing big for him. He could regrow it easily when he revived himself. ''I can''t believe his trait was something so simple. I used to think it was something overpowered.'' ''I couldn''t have been more wrong.'' Neo didn''t dodge because he was too busy analyzing Kane''s attack. He had been doing the same for the past few months, and today he couldprehend it finally when he took the attack with his bare body. ''Incantations.'' ''He is using Incantations.'' The realization sent Neo to the moon. He could learn Kane''s sword technique. Until now, he thought it was his Trait, but it turns out Kane was using Incantations unconsciously. Chapter 220: The Author [Author Note: I''ve noticed the auto correct has been changing the rank of Spells to Terror. To avoid confusion, I''ll say it here. The highest rank of Spell is [Tremor]. There is no Terror rank. It is a typo.] ... "Neo¡­" Kane''s nails dug into his palm, drawing blood. The guilt weighed heavily upon him. Neo clicked his tongue. "Fine. How about this? If you are feeling guilty, teach me your sword techniques." "H-huh? But it''s my Trait." "You are wrong. Your Trait allows you to put your Intent into pure Divine Energy. The techniques are your own. If I can learn the technique to put my Intent into Divine Energy, I can use your techniques too." It was easier said than done, of course. Putting Intent into Divine Energy was the next form of Aura Attacks after Aura des. Neo knew it was not going to be easy. After all, creating the Concept of Elements was done by fusing one''s [Intent] into their [Core]. This was needed to reach Expert mastery in any element. Now, he had to do something simr¡ªfuse his [Intent] into pure Divine Energy. "I will help you if I can, but how?" Kane questioned. "It''s simr to Incantations," Neo answered. "Do you know how Incantations work?" Kane shook his head. It was expected. Right now, Incantations were just a budding technique. They had been created decades ago, but there was not much information about them. "Incantation is, simply put, asking the Elementals to help us." "The Elementals are alive?" Kane frowned. "Maybe they are, maybe not," Neo turned his head and stared at the ceiling. "Are robots alive?" "No?" Kane didn''t understand what Neo was trying to exin, but he listened. Everyone knew Neo''s capabilities. Not only was he strong, but he was smart too. Kane still found it absurd a child like Neo could handle the city''s administration all alone without breaking a sweat at that. ''If he is exining this to me, then it must be important,'' thought Kane. "So robots aren''t alive ording to you. What about humans?" "They are alive." "How can you tell that?" "Well, we eat, move, breathe." "A robot can be programmed to do that too." "¡­" Kane became silent after listening to Neo''s words. "Elementals are simr. They are alive, but not at the same time." Neo continued to exin, "When we use Incantations, we are essentially saying, ''Dear Elemental, I need you to do this. Please listen to me and help me.''" There was more nuance behind it, of course. One had to put their [Intent] into their words tomunicate with the Elementals. The Elementals didn''t understand the human tongue, after all. "I see." Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry at Kane''s dazed expression. "I bet you didn''t even realize you were calling out the names of your techniques because they are Incantations." "¡­" Kane''s expression stiffened, and he looked away. "I''ve been curious about this. Since you didn''t know you were using Incantations, why did you call out the names of your attacks?" "¡­an." "Mhm? I couldn''t hear it." Neo had, of course, heard it. He just wanted to tease Kane and lighten the mood. "I''m an anime fan. It felt natural to call out the technique names." The noise of stifledughter came from the other side of the door. Neo and Kane stared at the entrance of the room. They couldn''t sense anyone outside. But the noise made it clear someone was there. "Stop hiding," Neo said. There was no movement. "I see. Maybe you want me to visit your dreams at night since you are doing this." "No, don''t do that again!" The door was mmed open, and three people almost fell inside. Calista, the woman with the lie detection Trait. Alexander, the city defense team leader. Edmund, the city police head and the one who was responsible for erasing their presence earlier. "You won''t do that again, right?" Calista grabbed Neo''s hand, her face red from shame and her eyes on the verge of tears. Kane would''ve normallyughed. But his face was burning from shame too. Alexander and Edmund made no intention of hiding their smirks as they stared at him. An ominous premonition crept into Kane''s heart when he saw Alexander''s smug expression. "No, please no," Kane said. "It''s alright." Alexander grinned and gave him a thumbs up. "I''ll make sure everyone knows about this by tomorrow. Your fan club especially." Kane''s face became a sight to behold. Neo smiled when he watched their antics. Even though they tried to hide it, he could see their puffy eyes and tear-stained faces. They''d been worried to death when Neo came bloodied with his arm missing. Edmund had nearly put a bullet into Kane''s head. They only stopped after Neo forcefully intervened. The atmosphere in the room became normal after a few minutes. The four joked and talked. Neo was exasperated since they were treating him like an old man on his deathbed. Just then, Liliana appeared at the door and knocked. "Come inside," Neo said. Alexander frowned when he saw his sister. She never appeared before Neo, too bashful, unless it was something serious. "A letter from the Awakener''s Association hase," Liliana said. She passed the letter to Calista, who tore it open and read it. Calista''s face contorted. "What is it?" Neo questioned, despite having an idea. ''It took them six months. They were quitete.'' "The Awakener Association wants to meet you. They''ve heard about your exploits and are sending Myths to congratte you." "I see." Calista wasn''t finished. She continued, Your journey continues at m v|l-e''-NovelBin "Awakener Apollo, Athena, and Nyx will be reaching our city in a few days." Neo nodded. While outwardly calm, his thoughts churned at high speed. ''Athena. Anomaly #33''s memory showed me that the novel ¨C Son of Zeus: The Lightning Thief ¨C was written by her.'' ''She is the author of the novel that gave me all the information about the future.'' "Bloody bastards." Calista''s voice snapped Neo out of his thoughts. "They didn''t help us while we were suffering, and theye now. To form a connection with the Mayor because he is strong." She knew ¨C everyone knew ¨C Anomaly #33 had been helping them. But the same wasn''t true for the Awakener Association. In their eyes, the citizens of Arzew were being tortured under the monster''s regime. Yet they never helped, leaving the city to its own devices. Kane, Alexander, Edmund, and the ever-positive Liliana felt the same. They had grave expressions. The day passed without much incident after the letter''s arrival. The statue monsters attacked again at night. Neo wanted to deal with them. But Kane and others weren''t having it. They were ready to bind him to the bed if that was what it took to force Neo to rest. The next morning came. Neo left his residence after having the breakfast. As he walked through the bustling streets, warm smiles and cheerful greetings met him at every turn. Shopkeepers offered their finest treats, and families beckoned him warmly, their invitations to breakfast filled with gratitude and admiration. "Mayor! Would you like these tarts¡­" "Sir Mayor, I''ve prepared something¡­" Their gestures warmed Neo''s heart. Neo could see the worries in their eyes as they peeked at his missing arm. He walked towards his office,ing across the library at 13th Street Avenue on the way. He noticed people around the library being nervous. The air around it felt tense, with nervous whispers and uneasy nces exchanged among the people nearby. The library was built on Neo''s orders in memory of Anomaly #33. Some citizens had supported the library''s creation, while others were against it. Anomaly #33 protected them, true. But being under someone else''s control for years was not good memory, even if it was done to help them. The citizens, although didn''t support the library''s creation, didn''t create much trouble when Neo personally asked them to let him build the library. Stubborn as they were, they felt indebted to him and thus agreed. After taking a short tour of the city, Neo entered the mayor''s office building. He was immediately greeted by Calista, who was tapping the floor with her right foot, her re directed at him. Liliana stood behind Calista. Her head was lowered, too shy to meet Neo''s eyes, but still wanting to stop Neo from entering the office. "Why are you here?" Calista spoke. "Because this is my office." "I see." Calista smiled. "Guards. Please escort Sir Mayor out. He is banned from working for a month." The guards came at her order. They looked at Neo with apologetic expressions. "At least tell me why I''m being thrown out?" "Look at your arm!" "But it''s not really a problem¡ª" Calista snapped at him. "You think we don''t know you sneak out every night to train!? This is why you¡ª" Neo nodded and nodded and nodded, listening to the lecture for another half hour. He regretted asking the question. Leaving the mayor''s office building, he sighed. "They are treating me like a kid." Physically, Neo looked like a teenager. He had tried to tell them he was older than he looked, and they had nodded back then. But seeing Calista''s reaction today, it was clear they thought he was lying about his age. Neo smiled. He could tell Calista was angry on his behalf. It wasn''t a bad feeling. While he was touring the city on his break, three powerful presences entered his senses. "They are here." Neo tipped the coffee and left, walking towards the city gates. He sensed Kane and Alexander meeting Apollo and others at the entrance. Chapter 221: The Arrival Of Myths Neo arrived at the gates. He noticed a tense aura between Kane and Apollo. "You can''t get inside unless you register your traits," Kane said. "Are you guys crazy? Revealing the Traits is as same as revealing our weakness! We won''t¡­" The group became silent when they saw Neo. Kane and Alexander bowed, showing formal respect to him as the Ruler of the City. Apollo, on the other hand, had wide eyes. "Y-you¡­" His lips quivered as if he had seen a ghost. "Neo Hargraves!?" "Yes, I''m Neo Hargraves," Neo answered and thought, ''Did he find my name from wanderers? And why is he so shocked?'' Apollo snapped his neck towards the two women behind him. "He exists! I told you he was real!" The waist-long ck-haired woman chewed the bubblegum as she nodded. Her pale white skin, crimson lips, and tform boots were quite striking. The corner of her lips rose as she scanned Neo with her gaze. The other woman, much younger, perhaps only twenty, maintained a passive expression. She stared at Neo with an uninterested gaze, but he could see the look of interest hidden deep within her eyes. "This is interesting," the ck-haired woman said. She ruffled Apollo''s hair before he could speak and stepped forward. "I''m Emma Carter, an S-ranked Awakener. These two are Charles Edward and¡ª" "Apollo." The golden-haired boy cut off Emma and spoke, "My name is Apollo." "If you say so." Emma shrugged. "He is Apollo, and she is Athena. "We are here on behalf of the Awakener Association. "We heard the news about the Anomaly #33''s defeat. The Association wanted to help the city recover from the damage and sent us here." Kane and Alexander had grave expressions. They had known the [Myths] wereing. But meeting them in the flesh was entirely different. The [Myths] were only standing, and yet they were radiating a powerful aura that threatened to swallow the two whole. Driven by instincts, Kane was about to grab his sword when he and Alexander were suddenly enveloped by Neo''s Aura. The Aura wasforting and helped them rx. "Thank you foring here. Pleasee inside," Neo said. "You are not going to ask us about our Traits?" Emma asked with a smirk. "It''s fine. I know your Traits already." Her smile disappeared instantly. Even Athena, who had been disinterested, became alert. They stared at Neo with sharp gazes. Surprisingly, it was Apollo who broke the tension in the air. "We''llplete the procedure. Of course, we can''t reveal ourplete traits for obvious reasons. But we will disclose some of our abilities." As he spoke, he heard Athena''s voice inside his head. ''Why are you doing this?'' ''He said he knows our Traits. There is no point in hiding them.'' ''He could be bluffing.'' ''Doesn''t matter. I need to recruit Neo Hargraves no matter what. If I need to reveal my abilities to show my goodwill, I will dly do so.'' Before the two bickered, Emma interjected. ''Apollo is correct. This guy is dangerous. It''s best if we have a cordial rtionship with him until we can find the full extent of his abilities.'' ''You are worried. He is that strong?'' Apollo spoke in his mind, surprised. ''He has a very high mastery in Darkness.'' ''How high?'' ''¡­'' Emma became silent for a few seconds before adding, ''Forget it. We should stop talking in our mind, or they will get suspicious.'' Apollo gave a slight nod before he turned to Neo. Just then, Neo opened his mouth. "You can take your time. I have no problem waiting for a few minutes." "¡­You knew we were talking with telepath?" Apollo asked. "It was obvious." Apollo held a strange expression. Alexander passed them a form for registration. They filled it and entered the city. "Woah. This ce is quite good." Emma whistled. "But doesn''t look like they are happy to receive us." The citizens were staring at them with frowning expressions and cold eyes. "This way." Neo led them to his office. He sat on the sofa with Apollo, Emma and Athena sitting on the opposite side. Kane and Alexander stood behind Neo. "So, what''s the real reason the Association approached us?" Neo questioned as he drank the tea being served by Calista. Calista''s movements were slow and deliberate. She activated her Trait to know if Apollo was speaking the truth. "To help the city and congratte you. It''s not every day a [Myth] is born. The Association is always trying to maintain a friendly rtionship with them." "Is that so?" Neo ced the teacup down and turned to Calista. Apollo and the others followed his gaze and saw Calista shaking her head. "It was a lie." "¡­!" Apollo''s face hardened. "Lie detection?" "Lie detection." Neo nodded with a faint smirk. Emma, on the side, couldn''t hold back her chuckle, seeing the troubled expression on Apollo''s face. While he was a Myth, he was a child too. He looked cute with a bitter smile. Only Emma had the leisure tough in the present setting. Apollo ignored her and clicked his tongue, leaning forward. "We had to make sure the Myth who defeated Anomaly #33 wouldn''t be a problem for the Awakener Association. Explore more stories at m,v l''e-NovelBin "We were scouting a potential threat." "It''s the truth," Calista revealed. Neo was a bit surprised. "You answered pretty easily. I thought you would try to hide your objective a bit more." "We don''t have the leisure for that." "¡­?" "Neo Hargraves. I want to recruit you to the Awakener Association. Consider the words I have spoken earlier as a showcase of my goodwill." Kane, Alexander, and Calista were shocked. Being invited to the Awakener Association by Apollo ¨C one of the strongest Myths ¨C at that, was a big benchmark of one''s career sess in today''s time. If it was anyone else in Neo''s shoes, they would''ve been jumping in joy. "Why do you want to recruit me?" "¡­." Apollo chewed his words, carefully organizing his thoughts. His expression was far more serious than what one would expect from a child like him. "I received a prophecy about you." "I see." Neo''s calm words were a bit surprising. He seemed neither shocked nor curious. Apollo hadn''t expected this reaction. "I suppose you won''t tell me about the prophecy unless I agree to join the Association?" "You are correct." Apollo emptied his cup and prepared to retreat for the day. "You can take your time before you give an answer. "It is a difficult decision to leave thefort of your city and join us. "We won''t hold it against you if you refuse the offer." Before Apollo could stand, Neo spoke, "I''ll join you." Apollo froze, taking a few seconds to understand Neo''s words. "What....? Are you an idiot!? "Think carefully before making an important decision like this! "The Awakeners of our Association have a 60% mortality rate. You''ll be sent on dangerous missions regrly! "How can you agree to throw your life so carelessly! You-" "So I should not join the Association. Is that what you are saying?" Apollo opened his mouth and closed it, unable to form words. In the end, he clicked his tongue, irritated, and left after leaving a few words. "We will leave in three days. Pack your luggage, say goodbye, andplete whatever you have to in this city before then." Chapter 222: Coffee Date He mmed the door shut behind him. Emma began tough. "Sorry, it''s just¡­ He would''ve been angry if Iughed in front of him." She wiped her tears and stood up. "Don''t worry about Apollo. He just cares about everyone a bit too much." After Emma and Athena left, Neo leaned back into the sofa and stared at the ceiling. "Do you guys have anything to say to me?" Calista, Kane, and Alexander remained silent. Anyone in their ce would''ve rebuked him, been angry at him for leaving them behind when he got a chance to go to a better stage. Neo wouldn''t have med them if they called him opportunistic. Instead, Calista spoke in a whisper, almost as if she was begging him. "Are you really leaving us?" "Yes." "Can''t you stay here even after you join the Association?" "No." She bit her lips and lowered her head. The past few months had helped Neo be close to everyone in the city, especially Kane, Calista, Alexander, and Edmund. They were like a family. "Y-you wille back to meet us though, right?" ''A bitter truth or a sweet lie?'' Neo thought. Though, the answer was obvious. "I doubt I''ll have time toe back." Alexander clenched his fist, and so did Kane. Neo was about to console them when Calista wiped her eyes with her sleeve and looked at him with a big, bright smile. "Then, we''ll hold a celebration to celebrate your sessful joining of the Awakener Association." "Our budget is tight enough as it is. We can''t spend the resources on a celebration for a single person." "We''ll manage," Alexander spoke. "I''m sure the citizens will be happy to contribute." Neo tried to dissuade them and failed. He clicked his tongue and left the office. Just as he stepped outside, he found Emma waiting for him. "You have free time right now?" "¡­Yes." "Let''s have a coffee." "..." "Juste with me. Think of it as a date. You don''t get a chance with a beautiful girl like me everyday." Neo wanted to roll his eyes. He sighed and agreed. On the way, Neo saw Apollo helping an old woman cross the street. "He can''t sit empty-handed. You''ll keep seeing him moving around the city and helping people. Get used to it," Emma said. They entered the ''Brew Haven'' caf¨¦. The ce exuded warmth, with rustic wooden furniture, soft lighting, and aromatic coffee. Again, Neo noticed another Myth at the far corner seat. Athena was furiously typing on herptop; herzy, disinterested look was nowhere to be seen. Emma smiled when she followed Neo''s gaze and saw Athena. "Seems like she finally got an idea for her new novel." "She is an author?" "Yeah. Terrible upation, I tell you. Making a living as an author was hard as it is before the Apocalypse, and now it''s worse." "I doubt she writes for money, though." Neo and Emma sat near the window and ordered coffee. The orders arrived, and Emma took a sip. "Now this reminds me of something interesting. Want to know about it?" she asked as she shifted in her seat. "I''m all ears," Neo answered casually. Never in a hundred years could he have guessed Emma''s next words. "Athena is a Child of Mana. Turns out all ¡ª majority of ¡ª novels she has written were told to her by the world. "It hurt her pride, and she decided to keep writing until she can publish a book that is written by herself and only herself." "¡­" Neo froze. He had to take a few seconds to digest the information. Emma giggled when she saw his eyes. "So even you can get surprised." "¡­Why did you tell me sensitive information like this?" "I told you. I wanted to see you surprised. I was curious if you had lost your emotions since your mastery in Darkness seems quite high." The light in Emma''s eyes disappeared. For a moment, Neo could see her true self. Her smile, her gestures¡ªthey were carefully calcted. Her true self held no emotions. Neo blinked, and the strange feeling disappeared. The Emma before his eyes became normal, not a sociopath whocked emotions. "Aren''t you worried about leaking such sensitive information to me?" "No." She leaned closer and whispered. "I''ll eat you up if you even think of betraying us." "Sorry, but I have no interest in you." "Is that so?" She smiled and ced the coffee cup down. "Thanks for satiating my curiosity. I''ll see youter." Neo stared at her figure as she left the caf¨¦. ''She dropped quite a bomb just to get a reaction out of me.'' ''I guess it was a big shock for her to see a Darkness user of my level retain normal emotions.'' He leaned back into the fluffy seat. ''So Athena is a Child of Mana.'' There were not just one or two Children of Mana. Athena was one; the Sphinx was another. There were a few more Neo could remember. Unfortunately, he didn''t know how many of them were present in the current era. Since Athena was safe and sound, the Child of Mana Neo had to rescue was different. Neo looked at Athena, who was busy typing, and wondered if he should approach her. Just then, she raised her head and stared at him, frowning, before returning her focus to the screen. ''Seems like she doesn''t want to be disturbed.'' Neo decided to train to pass the time. He sat on the top of the city walls and closed his eyes. ''My goal is currently three¡­ four things when I consider mybat ability.'' ''Learning the Tremor-ranked spell: ck Dawn of Despair.'' ''Learning sword techniques from Kane.'' ''Completing my Concept of Death.'' ''Ranking up.'' Creating a Concept could be done passively. His main focus at the moment was sword techniques. Neo opened his eyes. He sensed Kane appearing beside him. "Should we start training?" "¡­Yes." Kane nodded. The two moved away from the city. They stood far apart. Kane closed his eyes to calm himself. It wouldn''t do either of them good if he was distracted. When he reopened his eyes, they were tranquil. "You will be leaving in three days." "That''s right." "It''s not enough time to learn my techniques." "You can teach me the basics and give me the sword technique manual you''ve written. I''ll learn from them." "Seriously?" Kane was exasperated. "How do you know about that? I didn''t tell anyone I was writing a manual." "What can I say? I''m something of a mind reader myself." Kane chuckled at Neo''s poor attempt at humor. He shook his head with a bitter smile. "Still, learning from me and learning from the manual I''ve written ispletely different. I can''t guarantee the manual will help you a lot. "Receiving direct lessons from me is a hundred times better." "You are awfully confident for a guy who didn''t know he was using Incantations until yesterday." "I''m not confident at all. That''s why I''m worried the manual I''ve written will be inadequate to teach you." Kane bit his lips and clenched the sword tightly. "Can''t you¡­ can''t you just stay with us? Is it that important to leave? You have everything here." "Not everything." Neo smiled and didn''t borate. "Let''s start the training." He unsheathed his sword and pointed at Kane. Kane let out a mncholic smile and dashed towards Neo. Chapter 223: Flow Of Battle The two shed dozens of times in a split second. Neo held back, making sure his physical ability was at Kane''s level. Kane shed towards his neck. Find your next read on m_v l|e-NovelBin Neo raised the sword to block when Kane suddenly twisted the trajectory of his attack. His de shot upward at a sharp angle before taking another sharp turn, descending towards Neo''s head. The attacks were abrupt, yet they flowed like water. There was a harmony in Kane''s attack that Neo had never seen before. Neo didn''t dodge. Kane''s attack was a bluff. The tip of the sword missed his nose by an inch. Kane jumped back to create a gap between them. "Why are you stopping?" Neo questioned. "This is the first thing I need to teach you," Kane said. "Why didn''t you dodge myst attack?" "Because I could tell the attack was a feint." "How? Did you do it by instinct?" "No." Neo answered. "I calcted the trajectory of the sword and the force behind the attack. Since the attack wouldn''tnd, there was no need to dodge it." "¡­" Kane wanted to sigh. "You know what you are doing. But you can''t see what is wrong with that." "¡­?" "Do you understand you said something absurd just now? You calcted the path of the sword. "We were exchanging eleven attacks per second. You were thinking at that speed and countering me at the same time." "What''s wrong with that?" Kane didn''t know whether he shouldugh or cry. "I can''t do anything like you did. I bet there is barely anyone who could do that. "When I''m in a battle, my body moves on its own. I fight while being guided by my instincts." "¡­Are you boasting right now?" "No! I''m saying I don''t waste time on thinking. You, on the other hand, use your precious time to predict your opponent''s attacks. "You need to stop thinking and just attack. It would increase the speed of your attacks byrge margins." "How am I supposed to fight if I don''t predict the opponent''s move?" "Let your body fight. Move as your instincts tell you to move." "¡­" Neo gave Kane an amused stare. "What you said was the same as telling a homeless man to buy a house. "If I had instincts like that, I would''ve been using them." "You are misunderstanding me." Kane shook his head. "It''s not a matter of talent. What I''m telling you is to follow the [Flow]. I can tell you are fighting without following the path of your [Flow]." "Flow? What is that?" "¡­You don''t know [Flow]?" Kane blinked, confused. "No, I don''t even know what that is." "..." Kane covered his face and doubled over. "Haha... ahahahahah, crazy bastard!" "¡­?" "I knew you were a monster, but this is beyond my imagination! Hahahahaha, fuck, how is this even possible?!" "English, please." "Sorry, sorry. It was quite shocking, so I lost control of my emotions." Kane looked at Neo with a smirk. "When you are immersed in battle, you''ll see faint lines connecting you and the enemy. "It''s the [Flow of Battle]¡ªAlexander told me the name¡ªand it''s the shortest path of attack." "¡­It sounds too good to be true." "You are correct. Alexander and the almost every topbatants of our city can use [Flow]. That''s why I thought you could use it too." Kane scratched his head. "[Flow] is a bit simr to precognitive abilities. You''ll be able to predict the attacks of your opponents with it." "So, how do I use [Flow]?" "You just¡­ use it. I don''t know how I use it either. Even the others said they could use it instinctively." Kane found it a bit absurd that Neo was fighting without [Flow] up until now. ''How muchbat experience does he have to predict the opponent''s attacks without using [Flow]?'' Kane thought. Neo was a monster. The difference between using the Flow and not using the Flow was the same as automatic gear cars and manual gear cars. The battles at Neo and Kane''s level happened at high speed. Every split second could be the difference between life and death. It was mind-boggling to think Neo fought while calcting every move of his opponent. "Let''s focus on the sword techniques for now," Kane said. Neo nodded. Both of them began exchanging attacks. Every few minutes, they would stop, and Kane would exin to Neo what he had been doing wrong. Hours passed. ''This doesn''t seem like it is going to work,'' Neo thought as he sat on the ground to rest. Kane was on the side, exhausted. "You suck at using Incantations," Kane muttered. "I have a low Harmony with pure Divine Energy." Neo shrugged. While the two were resting, Emma appeared. She walked towards them and stopped before Neo. "Watched enough?" Neo questioned. "I could tell you have been looking at us for hours." "Yeah. It was quite irritating." Emma looked down on Neo with a slight frown. "Stand up." "¡­?" "It is irritating to see someone as talented as you wasting their potential. Get up. I''ll show you how proper Incantations work." "I didn''t know you liked teaching." "I don''t. The only student I took gave me a headache, and I promised myself I wouldn''t take another student. But you¡­" The Darkness surrounded her. "You are wasting your talents. It''s frustrating." "You taught someone before?" Neo questioned. He could tell he was getting on her nerves since he had yet to get up despite her constant urging. "I did. He is named Dios. You wouldn''t know him." "Oh, I do. Everyone knows Zeus." "¡­You know Zeus''s original name?" "Seems like it, yeah." "Who are you? You even knew what a Child of Mana is." "I am Neo Hargraves." Neo stood up and patted his clothes. He turned to Kane. "You can go back. I''ll returnter after taking care of monsters." "Got it." Kane wanted to say he would fight the statue monster that would soon arrive. But talking back in front of an outsider like Emma would hurt Neo''s image. After Kane left, Neo opened his mouth. "So what did you mean by talent? That''s the first time someone said I''m talented." "¡­?" Emma''s brows creased. "First time? You are a Myth. How can someone say you are untalented?" "Well, you know. There are all sorts of monstrous geniuses out there." "That''s true too. Even I was surprised when the kid I taught surpassed me." "Congrats, I guess?" "¡­" Emma walked back, creating some distance between them. "You are weird." "Why?" "You''ve been talking so casually with me." "What''s wrong with that?" "I''m a Myth, one of the strongest ones even among them. And, I''m a user of Darkness. People hate Darkness users since..." "We are evil?" "Yeah. Because we are evil." "Quite an extreme way of categorizing Darkness users, no?" Neo spoke as he unsheathed his sword. "I wouldn''t say it''s wrong. Every Darkness user I''ve met was deranged and bloodthirsty." "You are calling yourself deranged too." "I never said I''m normal. I doubt you are either." "That''s quite rude." Emma chuckled. The Darkness and Death surrounded her after a short chant. Six giant ck hands appeared behind her. They floated close to her back. "Am I wrong though? The stronger a Death or Darkness user is, the worse their personality. "Niles was a megalomaniac. Even the new Necromancer who appeared in Spain is going berserk right now." ...? Neo reacted to her words. ''Necromancer?'' The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 224: News About Jack ''Is that Jack?'' ''If that''s true, that means Jack lost control over Darkness and¡­'' Emma noticed his inner turmoil. "You know that Necromancer in Spain?" she asked. "¡­" Neo remained silent before he spoke, "When did that Necromancer appear?" "Seven¡ªsix months ago." Neo closed his eyes. ''The timing matches with when I arrived in.this world.'' ''It''s Jack.'' He clenched his fists. ''Fuck.'' "The Necromancer is alive, for now at least." Emma''s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "What is happening right now in Spain?" Neo asked. "I told you. The Necromancer is going berserk there. I''ve sent my clone to stop the situation from worsening. "But my clone is being overpowered. The Necromancer is growing stronger at an rming pace. "After we leave the city with you, we are going to Spain to take care of the Necromancer." "You will kill him?" "Him?" Emma noticed the nuance behind Neo''s words. "You know the Necromancer?" "I do." "That''s unfortunate. We will subdue the Necromancer. If we can take him alive, we will do that. Though he will be punished for the crimes he hasmitted." Neo didn''t need to ask what crimes she was talking about. "I wouldn''t rmend going rogue," Emma suddenly spoke. "I don''t know your trait. But going by physical stats, you are B-rank at best. You''ll die a needless death if you try to protect your friend." "¡­" Neo remained silent. Emma frowned and spoke, "Anyway, let''s focus on training for now." "You are still going to teach me? Aren''t you worried about me going rogue?" "Why would I be worried?" Emma smirked. "I''m teaching you Incantations only. Even Zeus hasn''t surpassed me in Incantations." "¡­" Neo became silent again. He didn''t want to talk. Not now, after he received the news about Jack. "Aren''t you going to ask why I''m confident in my Incantation skills?" Emma initiated the talk. Find more to read at mvl She was trying to lighten the mood. Neo shook his head. "Not really." His tone was monotonous, and his gaze remained unfocused. "Neo Hargraves." A powerful aura erupted from Emma. "I''m using my precious time to help you train. If you have no intention of paying attention, say so. I don''t want to waste my time either." "¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "I''ll focus on training." He pushed the brooding thoughts to the back of his head and looked Emma in the eye. "What are you going to teach me?" "True Incantations." "True¡­ Incantations?" "Yes, the Incantations you are using are based on the Harmony pathway. They were created for normal awakeners. "But True Incantations work on the Willpower pathway." "Pathway?" "Yes, pathways. I used that word since it sounds fancy." "¡­" Neo nodded with a weirded-out expression. Maybe it was because the anime industry had hit its peak before the apocalypse, the names of techniques of awakeners were often grand and not rted to techniques at all. Then again, Neo himself had been an anime fan and avid gamer. He had no right to point fingers at others. "Get ready," Emma spoke. She dashed at him. The hands behind her back moved as if they had thoughts of their own and attacked Neo. He dodged skillfully. "O Darkness, entwine and consume, let all be cast into eternal gloom. "O Darkness, echoes of the abyss, obey; rend their spirit, lead them astray." She chanted multiple Incantations in quick session. Two giant ck hands attacked Neo from opposite sides. He blocked them, but they phased through his guard and swept past his body. His vision dimmed, and a pounding headache assaulted him. "O Darkness, bind their essence, let them fall." Wisps of Darkness rose from the ground. They bound Neo''s limbs and melted into his body. Neo''s movements slowed, and he felt his vitality being sucked away. He jumped back. "Those are quite strong Incantations." "¡­" Emma stared at him with a frown. ''How can he see and move? The Incantations should''ve incapacitated him.'' ''Does he have a trait that increases his defenses?'' The two continued to sh for dozens of minutes. Neither of them went all out. A few minutester, Emma stopped attacking and spoke, "Did you notice something different about my Incantations?" "Yes." Neo nodded. "You weren''t asking the Elementals to help you." "That''s surprising. I thought it would take you longer to notice that. You have good senses," Emma said. "You are right. The Harmony pathway involves asking the Elementals to help us. "Most awakeners use this pathway. "The advantage of the Harmony pathway is that anyone can use it as long as they are able to chant proper Incantations. "But in exchange, the strength of their Incantations is limited by their Harmony with the Elemental," she exined. "And the Willpower Pathway is different?" Neo asked. "Yes. Instead of asking Elementals to help me, I ''order'' them to follow my words." "What¡­?" Neo frowned. "You order them, and they listen to you?" "It''s not easy, of course. You need to have very strong Willpower to impose your will ¨C Intent ¨C forcefully on the Elementals." Neo understood her words after thinking about them a bit. Harmony Pathway = You use Intent to order Elementals ¡ú If you have sufficient Harmony with the Elementals, they will listen to you. Willpower Pathway = You use a ''strong'' Intent to order Elementals ¡ú If you use a powerful Intent, the Elementals will have no choice but to listen to you. "Won''t the Elementals rebel if we make them follow our orders forcefully?" "They would. That''s why you would need to appease them at regr intervals." "Appease them, how?" "I don''t know. You will need to ask the Elementals themselves." Neo frowned. The Willpower pathway was perfect for him since he had exceptionally high Willpower. However¡­ ''Appeasing Elementals sounds troublesome.'' "Is this why you said I am talented?" he asked. "Yes, you have a high Willpower. It''s quite easy to notice since you have a good grasp on the Darkness element. "You would''ve gone crazy without a high Willpower," she said and thought, ''Just like how every Darkness user does.'' Emma canceled her Incantations and removed the debuffs on Neo. "Train in True Incantations. It suits you." "I wouldn''t say I like to force others to work for me." "I doubt that," Emma smirked. "Someone who calls himself the Divine Ruler can''t possibly not like giving orders to others." *** Author''s note: There is a character voting event going on in Webnovel. Please help Neo win by going to character tab (the ce where you can see Neo''s image) and give him points! Chapter 225: Anomaly #55: Timeless Sun "What''s wrong with being called Divine Ruler?" "It sounds like a name a narcissistic tyrant would give himself." Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry. He had used the title to find Jack. And he was being mistaken as narcissistic because of it. Emma was about to return to the city when she sensed monsters approaching them. "It''s Anomaly #79," Neo muttered. He left to take care of the monsters. Emma was frozen stiff. She doubted her ears. "Anomaly #79...?" A few minutester, Neo was fighting monsters when Apollo rushed out of the city. He looked like a star flying in the night sky, his body wrapped in golden light. Before Apollo could join Neo, a giant wall of darkness erupted from Emma and stopped Apollo. Apollo frowned. "What are you doing?" Hended next to her. "Why did you stop me? We¡ª" "Neo Hargraves is fighting Anomaly #79." "¡­!?" Apollo''s eyes constricted to the size of needles. "Are you sure he has been marked by Anomaly #79?" "He said it himself, and you should be able to sense him fighting multiple simr-looking monsters." Apollo nodded with furrowed brows. The two of them waited for Neo to return. He came back after a few dozen minutes, his clothes covered in dust and blood. He noticed the heavy atmosphere around Apollo and Emma. "¡­?" "Was that Anomaly #79?" Apollo asked, hoping Neo would say otherwise. "Yes." "¡­" Apollo closed his eyes, covering his face with both hands, and sighed. "Dammit." "What''s wrong?" Neo asked as he used water created by the Water element to clean his body of blood and dust. "Before that, are you the only one who has been marked by Anomaly #79?" "No," Neo said. "There is one more." "Who?" "Kane. The old man who carries the katana." Apollo became silent. When Neo thought he wouldn''t speak, Emma opened her mouth. "Kane will have toe with us. "Since both of you have been marked by Anomaly #79, you need toe to the Awakener Association''s headquarters, "Or else you both will be killed by the Anomaly #79." "The way both of you are acting¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "Has someone been killed by Anomaly #79?" Emma nodded. "The reason our association doesn''t patrol the north of Africa much is due to Anomaly #79. "It is one of the oldest Anomalies," she exined. "The risk rating of Anomaly #79 is still unmeasurable. Experience new stories on mvl "If you see its face, the Anomaly #79 will kill you. There is no defeating it or running from it. "We''ve tried everything for the past fifty years, but we''ve always failed. "The only way out is prevention. "Do not look at Anomaly #79''s face." Her tone became somber as she added, "Benjamin¡ªTrue Name ''Uranus''¡ªthe first and the strongest S-ranker, went on an expedition with other high-ranking members of the Association. "The expedition''s goal was to eliminate Anomaly #79. "Do you know what happened to the expedition?" she asked. Her tone and expression answered plenty. Neo''s lips parted. "They were defeated?" "Annihted. Our association lost its leader¡ªUranus¡ªand 30% of its high-ranking members." ''I could tell Anomaly #79 was trouble, but this is far worse than I predicted,'' Neo thought. "Is there no way to defeat Anomaly #79?" he asked. "No," Apollo suddenly spoke up. "We can only avoid being marked. The Association has recently found a few ways to save the ones who have been marked, but¡­ "Those methods are less than ideal. I''m sure no one would want to use them unless it''s theirst choice." Apollo''s gaze was listless. The methods Apollo talked about came at the sacrifice of the expedition. Uranus and others gave up their lives to make sure the association could get a way to save anyone else who was marked by Anomaly #79 after them. "I see¡­" Neo nodded. "Let''s return to the city for now. We can talk about Anomaly #79ter." "Are you crazy¡­? Did you understand what I told you? You are going to die!" "I heard you already." Apollo stared at Neo, confused. He couldn''t understand why Neo was nonchnt. The trio returned to the city. On the way, Emma walked next to him and spoke in a whisper, "How long has it been since you were marked by Anomaly #79?" "Over 7 months." "¡­" She stared at him in the eye before turning her head towards the city walls. "You don''t have much time left. "For the first eight months, Anomaly #79''s number grows by 1 and its strength grows by 1% every day." She continued, "After eight months, its numbers and strength will grow exponentially." "There is no data for the ninth month?" Neo asked. "No one survived the ninth month. We couldn''t get proper statistics. "All we know is that Anomaly #79''s strength will see explosive changes in the ninth month." Neo nodded, listening to her. ''Yeah, I''m fucked,'' he thought. After entering the city, he exined everything to Kane. Kane was worried, but he was more happy he could follow Neo to the Association. A huge feast took ce in Arzew for the next three days. Apollo and Emma were surprised to see how much the city loved Neo. The group ¨C Neo, Kane, Emma, Apollo, and Athena ¨C left the city after the celebration ended and they said their farewells. They traveled towards Moro. Their n was to move directly to Moro''s edge and cross the strait connecting the Antic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. The journey was far more difficult than Neo had imagined. Despite the party consisting of four Myths and one Pseudo-Myth, they had to change their path multiple times to avoid facing powerful monsters. Fighting monsters was dangerous as they risked attracting more of them if the battles became too eye-catching or loud. Even their party would be helpless if they had to fight dozens of A-rank monsters. It was night when they stepped into Moro. Neo blinked and suddenly it was day. ''¡­!?'' Neo and Kane became alert. The sudden appearance of the sun and disappearance of the moon was rming. "You can rx. It''s Anomaly #55: Sunshine," Apollo spoke up and pointed at the sun in the sky. "It''s a timeless sun. "All the areas infected by Anomaly #55 will always have the sun shining above them." "How does that work?" Kane was surprised. "We took one step into the border of Moro and it was suddenly daylight. "Is the area infected by Anomaly #55 spatially separated?" "Yes and no. The area is spatially separated but there is no barrier between the spaces." Kane nodded and stared at the sun. It burned fiercely, casting a powerful radiance on the earth below. "How much area has been infected by Anomaly #55?" Kane questioned. "Quite a bit." Apollo answered. "The exact measurements are hidden by the Association." "Huh? This sounds like¡­" "Association is ''friends'' with Anomaly #55. We have a contract with it. It helps us and we help it." "You have a contract with a monster!?" "Don''t shout," Apollo said. Despite his tone being nonchnt, there was a sense of smugness behind it. "Anomaly #55 is a [Spirit], not a monster. "Before you ask why it is called Anomaly, it''s because any entity we ¨C or other awakeners ¨C aren''t capable of defeating are titled as Anomalies." Chapter 226: Tsundere Apollo added, "Timeless Sun is a Spirit, but we didn''t know it at first. It was named Anomaly #55 and its name remained even after we formed a contract." Kane was amazed and horrified. He struggled to fathom the strength of Association that was able to form a contract with a living sun. ''And the strongest awakener of that association was defeated by Anomaly #79, which is currently targeting Neo and me,'' he thought bitterly, his mood taking a turn for the worse. Although it was unnerving to be looked down upon by a living sun ¨C especially because they could feel its gaze ¨C Kane and Neo became used to the presence of Anomaly #55 after a few days. They moved towards Gibraltar Strait at a swift pace. ording to Emma, the situation was worsening in Spain. If they didn''t hurry, the Necromancer would invade Portugal. They reached Fnideq in three weeks. "We are only a day away from Gibraltar Strait. After that, we just need to cross the sea and we will reach Spain," Emma said as she sat beside Neo. "Wouldn''t we need to enter deeper into Spain to meet¡­ him?" Neo said. He did not want to call Jack a Necromancer because the title was given to him as a stigma. ''Only a few days more and I can meet Jack,'' he thought. ''I was the one who brought him to this world and I wasn''t there for him when he lost control to the Darkness.'' The air of mncholy around him was clear to Emma. "Don''t do anything you will regret when we reach Spain," she said. "I won''t." Neo had already made up his choice on whether he would help Apollo and Emma defeat Jack or not. He was gazing at the night sky ¨C they had left the area of Anomaly #55 a few days ago ¨C when Emma stood up and patted the dust off her clothes. "The Anomaly #79 will be arriving in a few minutes. "Today is the first day of the ninth month. The Anomaly will bepletely different from the one you''ve been facing until now. Be careful." She left after giving him the advice. ''She is really a sociopath,'' he thought as he watched her fading back. He could understand they didn''t help him fight Anomaly #79 because it was dangerous. But leaving him without feeling any guilt showed him how she was. ''Apollo might be annoying, but he is better than her at least.'' Neo looked at the re in his hands. ''He told me to use it if Anomaly #79 was too much for me to handle alone.'' Neo had no intention of asking for Apollo''s help. Still, Apollo''s action brought a smile to Neo''s face. He could tell Apollo was treating him nicely as Neo was a kind hero in his eyes. ''Apollo is like a tsundere.'' While Neo was examining the re, a high-speed projectile entered his range of senses. A split secondter, the ''projectile'' was in front of his face already. The statue monster pulled back its de and shed towards Neo''s back. ''It''s fast¨C'' As if the monster had been baiting Neo, its speed suddenly became a dozen times faster, catching Neo by surprise. He flew back, smashing through the buildings and crashed into an abandoned hotel. "Cough! Cough!" Neo grabbed his sides. He felt a wet sensation, and his hand was covered in blood. ''It breached my Ocean''s Embrace Spell easily.'' Just as Neopleted his thoughts, the statue monster broke through the walls and attacked. Neo side-stepped to dodge the attack. The monster predicted his move and changed the trajectory of the de. Again, the speed of Anomaly #79''s attack suddenly became faster, catching Neo by surprise. ''Shit! This fucker is purposefully using slow attacks first to throw me off rhythm.'' Neo pulled Obitus out of the sheath to block the monster. Thunderous shockwaves erupted, shattering the ss panels of the hotel, and webbed cracks formed on the ground. Neo was about to use his Aura de when¡­ "....!?" Dozens of statue monsters broke through the walls and ambushed him. All of them were as strong as the statue monster Neo was currently fighting. ''This is bad.'' ¡­ "Will he be able to handle it?" Apollo asked. They were at a safe distance from Neo''s battle. "Yeah. For today at least," Emma said. "We''ve made sure the town was empty, so he has to fight against only Anomaly #79. "It should be manageable ¨C barely ¨C with the strength he has revealed," she lied with a straight face. ording to her estimate, if Neo was only as strong as he showed, he would be defeated today. Emma had no intention of helping him. She knew about the re Apollo had given to Neo secretly, and she nned to stop Apollo if he decided to help Neo. Find adventures on mvl ''He might try to help the Necromancer. I need to use all chances to find out how strong he is.'' "You think he has been hiding his strength?" Apollo asked, snapping Emma out of her thoughts. "I''m not sure. But he is too normal for someone who took down an Anomaly," Emma said. "There is nothing noteworthy about him except his mastery of Darkness." "I hope he is okay," Apollo said. Despite being out of visible range, he could sense Neo''s position. Neo was having a hard time. Just then, a groan sounded behind Apollo. He turned around and looked at Kane, who was unconscious but writhing on the ground. "I still think Neo should''ve done it like Kane. He wouldn''t have to worry about injuries from Anomaly #79 if he fought it in dreams," Apollo said. "They can die in dreams too," Emma interjected. "Still, he would''ve been able to fight without restraints since injuries in dreams don''t carry over to real life." Anomaly #79 would chase its target everywhere. Even in dreams. At Apollo''s suggestion, Kane was made to fall asleep with sleeping pills to fight the monsters in dreams. Apollo and Emma shifted their focus to Neo''s battle. Neo used a chant and summoned giant bone hands from the ground. The giant bone hands decayed anything ¨C even statue monsters ¨C when they touched it. Still, it was nothing against the overwhelming numbers of statue monsters. Neo jumped and ran on the wall of the skyscraper to escape the encirclement. The hundreds of statue monsters fused into each other and formed a giant hand. They attacked Neo and smashed him into the ground. ¡­ "It feels like shit." Neo muttered, lying in the bottom of a deep crater. His body creaked when he tried to move, and he bled from multiple injuries. "I''m going to be defeated if I keep fighting like this." He stared at the countless stars in the night sky as he sensed the ocean of statue monsters rushing in to drown him. Instead of standing back, Neo put his hand into his pocket. "Oi,e out. It''s time you do some work." The caterpir in his jacket resisted his pull and refused to leave thefort of his pocket. Kyuuu! Kyu! Kyu! Kyu! It refused, protesting because Neo only fed it shadow elementals for the past eight months. Kyu! Kyuu! Neo was exasperated. "Does this look like a time to make demands to you?" Chapter 227: Devouring Their Time [Author''s Note: Anomaly #79: ''Look At Me Not'' bes exponentially stronger in the ninth month. Not the eighth month.] ¡­ Kyuuuuuu! "Fine," Neo clicked his tongue with annoyance. "I''ll give you one vial of pure divine energy elixirter. Happy?" As soon as he said that, the caterpir rolled out of his pocket. It had grown plump after doing nothing but eating for months. The statue monsters jumped inside the crater to attack Neo. "Devour their time." Kyuuu! The caterpir opened its mouth and started to suck all time elementals present in the surroundings. A beatter, the statue monsters froze, having lost their time. Neo stood up before they could move. He jumped out of the crater and looked at the statue monsters. "They got themselves trapped in quite a nice ce." The caterpir suddenly gagged, having consumed mimicked Time elementals of the Shadow World, and time started to move again. The statue monsters turned around and noticed Neo standing outside of the crater. Neo crouched and touched the ground. "The eternal is not gaining any progress from sustaining physical attacks. "I don''t want to waste my time fighting you guys anymore." Necrotic Touch The Divine Energy in his core churned. The ground beneath his fingers began to decay, and the decay quickly spread. The Tremor-ranked Spell Necrotic Touch reached Adept Mastery a few days ago. It allowed Neo to use [Link] ¨C a qualitative upgrade to the Spell. Now, he could decay any one object that was indirectly in contact with him. He, however, wasn''t using the Link at the moment. "Fall, and be buried along with this town." The ground began to sink. Neo carefully controlled the radius of Necrotic Touch to not harm the ground around him. He decayed the town''s earth. The plot ofnd cracked and started to sink. Having reached Adept Mastery rank in the Spell, the Spell''s range and power had drastically increased. He used arge amount of Divine Energy and sank the town, burying the Anomalies along with it. "Urgh, I feel like shit." Neo stood up with a wince. His core was drained. The Tremor ranked Spell at Adept mastery was a major strain on his Divine Energy reserves. Kyu! Kyu! "Yes, yes, I will give you the elixirs in a moment. Let me get to them." Having defeated the Anomalies for today, Neo went toward Apollo and the others. He found them staring at him with stunned expressions. "Y-you¡­" Apollo stuttered, unable to form words. "¡­?" Neo didn''t understand what he was trying to say. While waiting for Apollo to talk, he picked the backpack lying next to the sleeping Kane and took out two Divine Energy elixirs. He ced one inside his pocket and cocked open the other, drinking its contents to refresh himself. The caterpir bit away the top of the vial and jumped into it. Neo could hear it enjoying its swim inside the elixir vial. Kyuuuuu~ "Neo¡­.." Apollo called out to him. "Yes?" "You can stop time?" he asked, worried and expectant. ''Why are they so shocked¡­ ah!'' Neo realized a forgotten detail. ''Time control abilities are pretty rare at this time. Barely any information is avable about controlling Time users, so everyone thinks Time users are overpowered.'' Neo wondered if this was how a modern man felt when the caveman was surprised at the sight of fire. "I can''t stop time," Neo answered. "I can devour it. It''s simr, somewhat, but only simr." "Ok-okay?" Their conversation was cut short due to Kane''s groan. He sat up, blood leaking from his nostrils. Apollo rushed to Kane''s side and checked his pulse. "How are you feeling right now? What happened with your battle with Anomaly #79?" "Barely survived," Kane answered grimly. His eyes swam around, searching for Neo. ''Please, Neo, be safe.'' He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed Neo a bit far from him, perfectly fine and dandy. Apollo gave a short emergency treatment to Kane and left the matters to Athena. She used an incantation to summon a giant water bubble fused with Holy Elemental energy. It purified Kane and lightened his mental stress caused by the battle inside his dreams. Stay updated with mvl Although Kane was physically fine, his spirit had suffered a great deal of damage due to Anomaly #79''s invasion. He needed a few days'' rest before he could fight again. "He won''t survive tomorrow''s attack," Emma said. "Nyx¡ª" "Emma." "Fine, Emma," Apollo spoke through clenched teeth. "There is no need to say he will die tomorrow." "That''s the truth, though. We haven''t reached Spain yet, let alone returned to the Association headquarters. "How is he going to hold out until then if he was almost defeated on the first day?" "He can survive if¡ª" "If what? Are you going to help him?" Apollo''s mouth mped shut. He couldn''t think of a retort. Kane sat on the side with his head lowered. Until yesterday, Anomaly #79 didn''t look dangerous to him. Today, though¡­ ''I will die tomorrow. I can''t win against Anomaly #79,'' he thought. He raised his head and stared at the shining stars. There was no despair in Kane''s eyes. ''It''s fine if I die. I''ve lived long enough. But¡­'' Kane shifted his gaze and stared at Neo, finding him looking back at him. ''I need to repay Neo at least. He has given me so much.'' ''Dying with a debt¡­ I don''t want to go out like this.'' His thoughts churned. ''The technique still needs a few weeks toplete. But if I only focus on the main points, I should be able to finish it today.'' ''As for the minor details, Neo will have to figure them out himself.'' Kane had been creating a new technique for Neo for the past weeks. Unlike the other seven techniques of his, he didn''t create this on a whim. Of course, his seven sword techniques were powerful even though he took only a few moments to create them. Creating a technique suited to Neo was challenging. Kane would''ve loved more time, but it didn''t seem possible¡ª "I''ll take care of it." Neo''s voice cut through Kane''s despondent thoughts. "There is no need to make Kane sleep from tomorrow. I''ll fight the Anomalies alone thate to kill us." Kane blinked. It took him a few seconds to understand the meaning of Neo''s words. Before Kane couldin and convince Neo otherwise, Neo spoke, "I''m not doing this to help you. "My skill¡ªTrait¡ªgrants me resistance against all types of damage. "To train the trait, I need to get hit by different kinds of forces. I''m going to fight Anomaly #79 alone to level up my trait." "¡­" "It''s not to help you. I''m doing this for myself," Neo spoke again, as if to assert his words. Kane lowered his head, hiding his face behind his sleeves. He wiped the tears and looked at Neo while trying his best to give a teasing grin. "Sure, if you say so." Neo made an annoyed look. He didn''t hate being thanked, but something about Kane''s expression ticked him off. He left before Apollo joined Kane''s parade. After Neo left, Apollo patted Kane''s back. "Don''t worry. He will manage." Chapter 228: A Plan To Defeat Jack "Weren''t you saying he would find it difficult to win today''s battle? Why are you suddenly saying he can fight the Anomaly on my behalf?" Readtest stories on §Þ?? "Well, because I misjudged his strength. Severely." "¡­?" "Let me tell you what happened while you were fighting the Anomaly #79." ¡­ V Real de Santo Ant¨®nio, Portuga, Memory Shadow World. "Not¡­ yet¡­" Emma''s clone tried to maintain the barrier. But it turned out to be futile. The sea of bones swallowed the clone and shattered the barrier. The clone, moments away from being crushed under the weight of the bone sea, self-destructed. A brilliant surge of crimson light erupted beneath the grotesque sea of bones. The creaking silence was shattered with a deafening roar. Shockwaves rippled outwards. Bones rattled and shifted, some melting while others turned to dust. Nevertheless, only a small portion of the bone sea was destroyed. The endless sea moved and filled the gap created by the explosion. Cities away, a towering mass of bones and flesh stood motionless. The towering mass looked like the silhouette of a grim reaper beneath the dark clouds. It suddenly moved, digesting the memories of Emma''s clone. "Stronger¡­ Enemies¡­ Food¡­ Coming¡­" The voice echoing in the air was a mix of jarring cacophony, sounding like the mix of thousands of voices. The towering mass moved. It raised its foot and stepped towards the Strait of Gibraltar where the Antic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea met. Portugal had a lot of ''food.'' But something much better wasing its way. ¡­ Ksar, Moro, Memory Shadow World. Emma whistled. "Guys, I have news. Bad news and good news." The group turned towards her. Neo was drinking the Divine Energy Elixir after defeating the Anomaly #79. Today was the fifth day in the ninth month, and the Anomaly had gotten multiple times stronger. Apollo was away, scouting the city. Athena was writing on herptop while Kane was meditating, running hundreds of simtions to create the perfect sword technique for Neo. He opened his eyes and turned to Emma. "Apollo,e back," Emma said into her device. The pale gold-haired awakener returned. "What happened?" he asked. "My clone was defeated." "Isn''t this earlier than you predicted?" Apollo asked with a terrifying calm. "It should''ve taken a few more days." "The Necromancer''s growth rate was too explosive." Even Emma was surprised. The Necromancer was devouring everything on its path. It was wonder how he hadn''t self destructed. Though, bing a monster - which the Necromancer had be - was certainly worse. Apollo bit his lips when he heard her. ''If he didn''t be a monster, we could''ve gained a powerful ally,'' he thought with clenched fists. "The good news is, we don''t need to cross the Antic and enter Portugal anymore. "The Necromancer ising towards us. "If we wait two days, he will reach the strait." Emma looked each of them in the eye before adding, "We can set up an ambush and take him out in one full sweep." "Yeah." Apollo''s thoughts churned. He had been thinking of a method to defeat the Necromancer for weeks. "Isn''t defeating a Necromancer impossible?" Kane interjected. "They can store their souls within phcteries and revive themselves endlessly. "Since the Necromancer is covering the entire Spain, there is no way we can find out every phctery he had prepared and hidden." "There is a limit to how much one can divide their soul," Emma answered. "There are exceptions to this rule. But I doubt the Necromancer is one of the exceptions." She added, "Five phcteries. Seven at best. That''s the limit." "She is right," Apollo said and thought, ''The only exception to the soul-splitting rule is Emma. It is her trait''s ability. The Necromancer shouldn''t be able to do anything simr.'' He reassured himself. Nevertheless, a nagging feeling remained in his heart. What if the Necromancer had a simr trait to Emma? ''No, that''s impossible. Why am I having these thoughts?'' For a moment, Apollo wondered if these were warningsing from his Trait about the future. ''No, that''s impossible. Every Trait is unique.'' He forcefully ignored the thoughts and focused on the issue at hand. "So, what''s the n?" Emma asked. "I can fight, but I doubt you want me to." "That''s right. You are ourst choice." Kane frowned, unable to understand Apollo''s choice of words. Apollo noticed his confusion. "Emma and the Necromancer are both Dark element users. If they sh, their residual energies will corrupt thend. "Spain will be barren for years¡ªdecades¡ªif the Necromancer is strong enough to force Emma to use her full strength." He took a breath and continued, "I''ll summon Sunshine. Sunshine''s holy light will weaken the Necromancer and the monsters greatly." "What after that?" Emma questioned. "Don''t tell me you are nning to attack with Sunshine. We aren''t here to pulverize the ce." "I''ll weaken the Necromancer as much as possible and hold him down with Sunshine. It will buy enough time for Athena. "She can prepare her strongest attack and defeat the Necromancer with one shot," Apollo exined. "What about the phctery?" "Sunshine can use Holy Wave to take care of it." "Hmmm¡­. Not a bad n. It''s simple and direct," Emma held her chin, deep in thought. Apollo turned to the group. "The n is good. However, the fact remains that if I summon Sunshine above Spain, the ce will be permanently affected by the Spirit." "Isn''t that a good thing?" Kane asked. "If the Spirit can radiate holy light passively, it will purify the dark energies that have corrupted Spain." "Not everyone will think the same. People wouldn''t like to live underneath a living sun. "It''s like having a nuclear warhead dangling above you at all times." "Yeah, I would also be worried if I had to live in those conditions," Kane nodded. "That''s normal." After exining his n, Apollo drew the battle strategy on the ground with a stick. "Aren''t we and Neo going to help?" "You won''t participate in this battle. "This is the job of the Association; we can''t ask for your help. "Besides, you two are already busy with Anomaly #79." Kane nodded with a downcast expression. He had been doing nothing. Even the technique was yet to bepleted since he wanted to create something that would be Neo''s trump card. "Let''s do a vote. Should we fight with Sunshine or not?" Apollo said. "I''m in," Emma pitched. "No," Athena said and didn''t borate any further. Apollo didn''t ask why she said so. If she wanted to exin, she would''ve done it already. It was no use hounding Athena for an answer. "What about you two?" he stared at Neo and Kane. Kane turned to Neo, his face saying he would choose whatever Neo said. "I have a different proposal." "I see." Apollo wasn''t surprised. Neo had been silent since the start. It was clear he had a different n. "Let me take care of the Necromancer." "Alone?" "Yes." "Rejected." "Why?" "You aren''t strong enough." Apollo looked at Neo with a firm gaze. It was clear he wasn''t going to take no for an answer. Emma''s gaze became cold. ''Is he nning to help the Necromancer?'' she thought. She tightened her fist, making the bones pop. ''Neo, I''ve warned you already. I will kill you if you make the wrong choice.'' Chapter 229: Apollo And Athena V/S Jack Her gaze made Neo''s skin prickle. Find more chapters on §Þ?? ''It''s a good thing I''ve been acting friendly with him. If he is going to help the Necromancer, he would expect us to stop him, but his guard against me will be the lowest.'' ''He wouldn''t expect me to attack him.'' Her thoughts were cut off when Neo opened his mouth. "Fine, how about we do this? You can use Sunshine. "If you aren''t able to defeat the Necromancer with the first attack, you will let me fight him instead of Emma." "¡­" Apollo thought about his words. "¡­Okay," Apollo said and thought, ''It shouldn''t matter since Athena can take care of the Necromancer with one attack.'' "Are you sure about this?" Emma spoke, making it clear she was against the decision. "Yes." Emma shook her head inwardly. Apollo was being lenient on Neo, probably because Neo looked like a hero to him. The group hammered out the minor details of the n for the next two days. Apollo and Athena mainly meditated to make sure they were in perfect condition for the battle. Nyx patrolled the ce and took care of surrounding monsters. She cleared the area to make sure they weren''t surrounded by monsters when they started fighting the Necromancer. Neo trained with the seven sword techniques of Kane. Time passed like a blur. "The Necromancer is here," Apollo muttered. They could sense a dark presence approaching through the sea. The sky darkened, and the sea boiled. A towering mass of darkness and bones appeared on the horizon. It walked through the sea. The Necromancer''s steps sent waves of dark energy pulsating through the surroundings. Soon, it appeared fully, revealing its giant size, and the sea of bones moving around it became visible. Mist rose from the sea, and it began to turn ck. Apollo and the others could feel the powerful pressure of the Necromancer. When the Necromancerid its eyes on them, it raised its hand and pointed its finger at them. "Graaahahahahah!" The sea of bones churned, making sickening noises of cries,ughter, and shouts. "It will be fine." Emma ruffled Apollo''s hair. Only then did he realize he was trembling from fear. "The history won''t repeat itself again." "¡­Yes." Apollo took a deep breath to calm himself. He forcefully suppressed the surging memories of their battles with Niles Radcliff. "The Necromancer is in range! I''ll start!" Apollo sped his hands and rotated his palms in opposite directions. He chanted multiple Incantations. Athena, on the side, summoned a shield and a spear. She hit the beach with the butt of the spear. An ethereal glow covered thend. The radius of the glow increased, and dozens of transparent dome-shaped shields appeared around the group. The sea of bones shed with the shields. Athena''s brows creased. A drop of sweat flowed down her nape as she struggled to hold back the bone sea. "¡­How much more time do you need, Apollo?" she asked through her clenched jaw. "¡­" Instead of answering, Apollo continued to chant. A golden fire burned in his palms, and his eyes glowed. The Necromancer felt the rising presence of Holy and Light elementals in the surroundings. But it was too close to the ''food'' to run away. It decided to push forward before Apollo couldplete the Incantations. "AS@!$ASDSASDSA!" The Necromancer roared. Three giant magic circles appeared behind the towering mass of darkness and bones. Bone spears came out of the magic circles and shot forward. Athena''s eyes widened. "How!? That''s not Incantations¡ª" The spears tore through her shields before she couldplete her sentence and nearly hit her if not for Kane''s intervention. "Fifth stance: Seigetsu." Kane shed and diverted the bone spear. Itnded a bit far from them, and the ground exploded. Corrupting Darkness sprang forth. Unfortunately, Kane couldn''t move again and protect Athena. His hand had nearly broken from the previous sh, and he was afflicted with a stun debuff. Just as the Darkness was about to touch Athena, Apollopleted his chant. "O Great Spirit of Mine¡­." The noise of cracking ss echoed. Instantly, the Darkness next to Athena turned was vaporized. The group gulped, their throats parched. The temperature rose, making their lips dry and cracked. The sea started to sizzle due to the intense heat. "Grararahagaga!" The towering mass of darkness and bones roared. It shook as if it was being hurt, and it looked at the sky. There, a small crack had appeared. The crack erged. Pieces of the sky fell into the ocean. A blinding light pierced through from the gaps in the cracks. "Descend." The sky shattered into a brilliance of light. The gigantic sun descended from the heavens, its radiance overpowering the true sun and forcing it to hide behind it. "AFAfjaFAJFNAJSFN!" Magic circles materialized around the Necromancer. Spirals of darkness shot upward and attacked the sun. Unfortunately, they sizzled out of existence before they could cover half of the distance. "O Great Spirit of Mine¡­" Apollo, in a trance, gave the nextmand. "Purify all that is Evil." The Necromancer let out a wailing howl as the sea of bones started to burn away. Golden-white mes danced in the air, burning even the slightest trace of darkness. The pressure on Athena decreased. She let go of her shield and pulled her spear back. The ''mana'' around her flowed into the spear. The air trembled, and the Necromancer attacked. Apollo used Sunshine to destroy the Necromancer''s attack. Blood flowed out of his nostrils and eyes due to the immense power of the Spirit. Neo, despite not being the target of Sunshine, found it hard to breathe. The huge amount of Holy and Light in the surroundings was burning him. Without Death to shield him, he could only use Darkness and Ocean''s Embrace. Athena''s chants were almostplete when the Necromancer suddenly opened its mouth. A giant circle appeared before him. The souls of the dead he had eaten poured around. Their grudges and despair howled, making the group''s soul shudder. The Necromancer created a shield from the souls. "¡­!?" Apollo was forced to weaken the power of Sunshine, or he would end up damaging the souls of the unfortunate. He red at the Necromancer and at the despicable method it was using. He felt as if the Necromancer was smiling. "¡­for all that is Holy." Athenapleted her chants. A golden-white me danced around her spear. "Don''t!" Apollo shouted when he saw her. "You''ll harm the souls too¡ª" The spear flew out of Athena''s hand. It turned into a white streak as it flew through the air. "They are already dead," Athena spoke while preparing for more Incantations. "If you hold back, you will be putting the living at risk for the dead." She chanted more Incantations. The speed of the spear increased. It broke through the sonic barriers and shattered the shield of souls protecting the Necromancer. The Necromancer roared as the attacknded on its body. A beatter, the spear exploded, turning into a giant pir of light that swallowed its massive body. "Apollo! This isn''t the time to be sentimental." Apollo''s expression worsened when he heard Athena. Against his wishes, he increased the output of Sunshine to kill the Necromancer. Chapter 230: Meeting Jack The pir of light fed on the Holy Light of Sunshine and it grew hotter. Its temperature increased to the limit before it exploded, turning the sea into mist and pulverizing everything around it. The shockwaves hit the group on the beach. The mist, along with a slight dribble of rain and small bones, followed. "It ended," Apollo spoke, heaving. He sensed the Necromancer''s presence disappear. "Yes, this went better than I expected," Athena said. Her eyes dropped from exhaustion. "I''ll deal with the phctery now." Apollo increased his [Synchronization] with Sunshine. Cracks appeared on his skin, and his eyes became hazy. His senses merged with Sunshine, and he could feel everything the Spirit could. He used the Spirit to locate the areas with a sudden surge of Darkness. Those ces would be where the Necromancer had ced its phctery. The surge of Darkness and Death around the phctery after a Necromancer''s ¡ª or a lich''s ¡ªdeath was a natural phenomenon. Unfortunately, the surge was minute, and phcteries would normally be ced far from each other. A normal awakener wouldn''t be able to use the window of opportunity to locate the phctery due to their limited range. Sunshine solved the problem for Apollo. "I''ve found the phcteries. There are¡­." "Why did you go silent?" Athena questioned. "How many phcteries are there, and what is their location?" "¡­.The phcteries are around us." "How many?" "All of them." "¡­.?" "Every piece of bone around us is a phctery." "¡­.!?" Darkness erupted from the small pieces of bones. It jumped into the sky, flowing and merging at the center of the sea. Athena stared at the scene with grim eyes. She had used arge portion of her mana for thest attack. Even if she wanted, she couldn''t use another attack at the moment. Apollo forced his tired body to move and raised his hand, pointing his palm towards the giant orb of Darkness. "O Great Spirit of Mine¡­" Apollo''s heart pumped blood furiously through his veins. He could feel it. His heart was about to burst due to the huge amount of stress. His skin and veins ruptured, but he forced himself to continue the chanting. "Burn¡ª" "Stop." Neo ced his hand over Apollo''s shoulder. "You will kill yourself." "I can handle this much." "You can''t," Neo said, seeing the Death covering Apollo, ready to pull him into her embrace. "Remember the n. You''ve failed your first attack. Now, it''s my turn." Neo patted Apollo''s shoulder once and stepped towards the sea. He used his Water affinity to walk over the water. "You can''t defeat him either! Stop this madness, Neo¡ª" Before Apollo couldplete his sentence, Emma ced her hand over his head. He turned to her and saw her shaking her head. "Don''t stop him. It''s his choice." "But¡­ but you said he knew the Necromancer. He is his friend!" "Yes, that''s why he has to be the one to put this thing to an end." Apollo was trying to protect Neo. He didn''t want Neo to stain his hands with his friend''s blood. He bit his lips while drowning in regret. ''Finally,'' Emma thought as she watched Neo approach the orb of Darkness. ''It would''ve been dangerous if he remained here.'' Unknown to Apollo and Athena, Neo had been ready to attack them if the Necromancer''s life was in danger. Emma was surprised when she sensed his bloodlust. She, however, couldn''t attack Neo as she risked disturbing Athena and Apollo while they were fighting the Necromancer, and Neo was too close to them. There was a chance Emma wouldn''t be able to protect them in time if Neo attacked. ''I can take him out and the Necromancer together from this ce.'' Unknown to Emma, Neo knew what she was thinking. He had purposefully leaked his bloodlust to tie her hands by making her focus on protecting Apollo and Athena. If he hadn''t, she would''ve entered the battle long ago and killed Jack. Neo erased those thoughts from his mind. He stared at the giant orb of Darkness which housed pieces of Jack''s soul. "Hey, Jack." The surrounding Darkness attacked Neo, but he used his own Darkness to overpower Jack''s Darkness. The bone sea reappeared and rushed towards Neo. Kyuuu! The caterpir devoured the time of the bones, and they froze. "You''ve grown strong." He unsheathed his sword and kept walking forward. The three rings of Death he had stored around his heart started to vibrate. They hummed, as if singing the luby of death. Flickers of red lightning crackled around Obitus. "Even the Myths are having trouble defeating you." Neo''s Death mastery had decreased to Mid Apprentice Level. However, this only affected the Death he created now. The rings of Death stored in his heart were different. They were created when he was at Peak Adept Mastery. "Everyone would be happy when they see how much you''ve grown. Mars, Felix, Arthur, Sean, Morrigan, ra, your parents. I bet they would be surprised." The caterpir couldn''t devour more time. The sea of bones started to move again. It rushed towards Neo from all sides. "I''m happy too to see how strong you''ve be. So¡­" Neo raised his sword. Darkness and Death surrounded his de. Hebined his elements with the only sword technique he could use. Seventh Stance: Tenraizan. "Stop crying ande out." His sword descended. The front of the orb of Darkness, floating in the sky, was split apart. Red lightning crackled around the newly made entrance. No one saw Neo''s attacknd. Not because it was fast, but because he had manipted Death to kill a portion of the orb of Darkness. The orb of Darkness quivered. It began to heal itself. Before it closed, Neo jumped and entered it. Wails of souls assailed Neo. They tried to corrupt his mind. Grotesque figures stitched from bone and rotting flesh appeared in Neo''s path. Shadowy tendrilsshed at him. "Do it." Kyuu! The caterpir, sitting on his shoulder, devoured their time, allowing Neo a smooth passage ahead. At the center, Neo found ''Jack.'' His bones and flesh were visible. Half of his face was melted. His limbs were tied by a mass of flesh, and he let out feral growls. "There is no way I can talk to you like ''this,''" Neo muttered. "Let''s go somewhere more private." He ced his hand over Jack''s head and used his second Trait. Mind Invasion. Neo''s gaze became vacant, and he woke up inside Jack''s soul space. The dark void was filled with distorted souls. Countless voices entered into Neo''s head. YouAreHIsfrIEndYoUKiLLedUSDIEDIEDIEwewiLLnevERfOrgIveyOU Neo ignored the voices. He closed his eyes and spread out his senses to find Jack. *** Author''s Note: Golden Ticket Event For every 50 Golden Tickets received this month, I''ll release 1 extra chapter ! ?(^?^ )? ¡ä- The first mass release is scheduled for 10th December . We''ve already reached 150 Golden Tickets, so 3 extra chapters are confirmed for that day! Keep gifting those Golden Tickets for even more bonus chapters! Let''s make this month unforgettable! ????(? ?? ? - ? ) ? Enjoy exclusive content from §Þ?? Thank you for your amazing support! Chapter 231: Choosing the Path of No Regrets He opened his eyes when he located Jack. Jack was far from him. Thousands of vengeful souls flew in circles around him. The souls pounced on Neo when he approached the area. Go died. Die. Die. Monsters like you two should not live. Why did I die? You should be the one to die. Kill yourself. You are disgusting. You do not deserve to live. The souls could do nothing but shout. They were not harmful to Neo. He stopped before Jack, who was crouching on the ground, holding his knees with his back facing Neo. "¡­" "¡­" Both of them remained silent. The wails of souls echoed between them. Finally, after a dozen long seconds, Jack opened his mouth. "¡­Why are you here?" "Make a guess." Jack remained silent for a few seconds before he answered. "I''m noting back." "Why?" "Look around you. I don''t deserve to live." The souls shouted when they heard him. That is right! You do not deserve anything! Rot here for eternity! Give us your body! Compensate for killing us! "You are listening to them?" Neo said. "Those souls have been corrupted. They are just spouting bullshit." "But they are not wrong." "So, is this where you stop?" Instead of answering, Jack turned around. His eye sockets were empty and tears of blood and pieces of flesh poured out of them. "I can''t go back anymore. I''ve be a monster." "Monsters don''t talk like you do." "This is thest remaining piece of my soul. It won''t be long before I''m corruptedpletely." "You know¡­" Neo raised his head and stared at the thousands of vengeful souls flying about. "The corruption will slow down considerably if you stop feeling guilty." ".....Why aren''t you ming me?" "For what?" "I''ve¡­ I''ve killed tens of thousands! Even if they were shadows, they looked like humans, they talked like humans, "They lived like humans!" A powerful wave spread out from Jack. Neo''s clothes fluttered wildly. ''This isn''t going to work.'' Neo closed his eyes. ''He is drowning in guilt. I can''t help him if this continues.'' He clicked his tongue. "Then, should I kill you?" "¡­?" "If you don''t want to live, then the next best thing is to die. The souls you''ve devoured will only continue to suffer if you are alive." Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! He will live! He needs to feel our anger! He needs to give up his body¡ª "Next time you interrupt me, be ready to be devoured." The souls shrunk back when they heard Neo''s cold voice. "Get lost." Darkness bloomed beneath Neo and created a Coffin of Darkness around him and Jack. The dome made of darkness stopped the voices temporarily. Jack remained silent. He stared at Neo with hollow eyes. "Sigh," Neo massaged the back of his neck with one hand. "I wasn''t nning on telling you this, but¡­ "If this helps you make up your mind about whether you should live or die, then I''ll do so. "The world we''vee to isn''t a normal Shadow World." Jack reacted when he heard the word ''Shadow World.'' "Haven''t you noticed something weird? Everything here is too simr to the real world. "Shadow Worlds are visibly different in normal cases. It''s easy to tell them apart from our world. "But this world is different. The level of mimicry is too high," Neo said. "Why are¡­ you exining this¡­ to me?" "Jack, when do you think a ''Shadow'' bes a real person? When it devours the original body?" Jack didn''t answer. His mind had been weakened, and he was unable to think. He could only listen. "No, a Shadow bes real when there is no difference between itself and the original. They do it by devouring the original." "¡­?" "This world is... Everything here is the same as the real world. "There is no difference. That''s why, this world is ''real'' too." "No¡­ This world is different¡­ This ce isn''t our world." Jack denied Neo''s words instinctively. He could feel what Neo was going to say, and the consequences of those words horrified him. "[Resonance]. When the World Core and a demigod''s Core resonate, the demigod gains pseudo-elemental affinity. "What do you think will happen when two different worlds, simr to each other, resonate? "The Worlds won''t share pseudo-elemental affinity. "Something else happens. You should able to guess it." "No! No! No! No! No! No! No!" "They be one." "Stop talking!" "The entities living in the Shadow World don''t know they are Shadows. "They think they are real and that they have their own will. "And still, everything they do is what has happened in the real world already. Why do you think this happens, Jack?" "I said stop!" "Because the worlds resonate. They''ve be one even if they are two." "Please¡­ Stop¡­ hic hic¡­" "What happens in the real world happens here, and what happens here happens in the real world." "No¡­ hic hic¡­ I''ve killed them¡­ hic¡­" "Shadow Worlds like this one are called 100% Synchronized Worlds. The Shadow Sovereign doesn''t open this ce to many as any change you do here¡­ "It will affect reality." Neo continued mercilessly, "You''ve killed thousands of real people, not Shadows." Jack''s nails dug into his skin as he held his head. He shouted. He cried. He banged his head against the ground. Watching his pain and suffering, Neo''s blessing nodded. The blessing told Neo it was right for a Sinner¡ªespecially one who tormented the dead¡ªto suffer. ''My mastery of Death is returning,'' Neo noticed. Impartiality As if teaching him this was how he should behave, Neo''s bloodline began to return his Death to him. ''Don''t make meugh.'' ''This isn''t my Death.'' ''Impartial Death belongs to my Father.'' ''It was never mine.'' ''That was why you could take it back when I refused to follow your teachings.'' Neo''s blessing realized something was wrong. He ignored its confusion and crouched, staring into Jack''s eyes. "Should I kill you?" "Yes. Do it. Kill me. Please. I beg¡ª" "Got it. But first¡­" Neo canceled his Coffin of Darkness. The wails of vengeful souls returned. Jack shuddered. His breath hitched, and he curled, as if trying to hide. Neo opened his palm and¡­ He began to devour the souls. They tried to escape, but it was futile. "Wh¡­ what are you doing¡­?" Jack raised his head and looked at Neo with wide eyes. He suddenly broke into a sprint and pushed Neo down before he could devour more souls. "Don''t! Why are you taking my sins!?" "Because you are my friend." Neo''s mastery of Death began to fall. "Why does it matter?! If you devour these souls, you will be taking the negative karma I''ve umted! You¡ª" "It''s fine." His control over Death was disappearing. Still, he spoke with a calm voice. "The least I can do for a friend is make sure he doesn''t get sent to Hell." "¡­" "I''ll kill you. Because you want that." "¡­" "In exchange, let me do this." "But¡­" Jack''s voice cracked. "You will have to hold the weight of my sins. You will have to go to Hell in my ce!" "I''m Immortal. I won''t be sent to Hell if I won''t die." Neo let out a small smile. "This is wrong." "It is." "You will regret making a choice like this." "I won''t." Chapter 232: Choosing the Path of No Regrets [2] "Not everyone deserves to be saved." "I want to save all my friends." ck tears streaked down Jack''s cheeks. He gripped Neo''s hand with force. Through his hands, Neo could feel the tremors Jack was trying to hide. "You have the bloodline of Death''s Monarch. The God of the Underworld is known for his impartiality. Your bloodline won''t let you go unpunished if you do this." "Well, what can they do? Kill me? That won''t work." Neo grinned. As if to mock his small smile, his mastery of Death hit rock bottom. He lost Death. "This isn''t the time to joke!" Jack red at him. "Do you think I can''t feel your weakening Death? Even now, you are being punished!" "Jack." Neo''s calm voice cut through Jack''s despair. "This time, I won''t make a choice I would regret in the future." When Neo had seen Elizabeth in the hospital bed, his heart had been squeezed by fear. He regretted sending her to fight the Temple of Void. "What¡­?" Jack muttered. Seeing Elizabeth in danger made him realize what was more important to him. Jack had done irreversible evil. But¡­ "We are in this together," Neo said. For Neo, his friends and family were more important than right and wrong. Even if that choice would cost him dearly. "If you are going to die, I will make sure you don''t have to carry any sin¡ª" "Fine! I won''t kill myself! Happy!?" Jack stood up and red at Neo. "What do you even get out of ckmailing me out of suicide?! It won''t solve anything! My¡­" "Your body and soul are still corrupted. I know." Neo maintained a small smile. "But your Will has recovered, no? It''s baby steps at least." Jack snorted. "Fine. How are you going to solve this mess?" "By doing this." A starry glow covered Neo''s arm. Even if the blessing detested him, it would still purify the souls. "Come." Neo stared at the vengeful souls. "Scream, shout. Pour your grudges into me." The souls rushed towards him. "And I will give you the salvation you thirst for." Neo used [Judgment]. The souls melted into his body. Tens of thousands of memories appeared inside his head. Their emotions, their anger, and their pain threatened to drown Neo. But. Their regrets were too shallowpared to the Darkness Neo had seen before. Snap. The souls were sucked into Neo. He delivered their Judgment and opened his eyes. [??? grunts.] [??? tells you to stop being stubborn.] [The Lady of Spring frowns.] [The Lady of Spring tells ??? to stop forcing his ideals on you.] [??? crosses his arms and tells her she is spoiling you.] Neo smiled bitterly. The messages were enough for him to know the identity of ''???'' and ''The Lady of Spring.'' ''Can you two not do this inside my head?'' [??? clicks his tongue.] [The Lady of Spring smiles bitterly as ??? leaves.] The screens disappeared for a few seconds before appearing again. [The seal on the Third stage of Blessing has been partially lifted.] [The Lady of Spring hopes you can walk down the path you''ve started to tread.] Neo felt the presences disappear. His eyes became normal, and he saw Jack staring at him. "How much time passed while I was purifying the souls?" Neo asked as he massaged his temples. "In here? A lot. Outside? I don''t know." "Why are you talking grumpily?" "If you could purify the souls, why did you try to devour them earlier? Purifying them wouldn''t transfer my negative karma to you." "It was to ckmail you out of suicide." Jack gave Neo an unamused stare when Neo used Jack''s words on Jack. Nheless, Jack was relieved. Since Neo did not devour the souls, the negative karma remained with Jack. If the negative karma had been transferred to Neo, Jack wouldn''t have been able to forgive himself. Jack felt intense disgust towards himself. He, however, didn''t hate Neo for saving him. He was thankful to Neo. He could see how much Neo sacrificed to save him. "There is good news at least," Neo said and patted Jack''s back. "Your eyes are back, and you don''t look like a third-grade horror movie ghost." Jack rolled his eyes, annoyed. Still, a smile yed on his lips. "I look better than you, Mr. One-armed Swordsman." Both of themughed. Despite the inner turmoil, Jack was feeling refreshed. Neo''s purification had purified him too¡ªsomewhat, at least. Momentster, Neo became serious. "Since the corrupted souls have been purified, your corruption won''t worsen anymore." "But my body and soul are still corrupted." Jack smiled ruefully. "I''m a monster now. A sentient monster. But a monster nheless." "I wouldn''t be so sure about that." Neo snapped his fingers, and Jack''s mental world copsed. "Let''s talk outside." The two of them fell into the void¡ª Jack''s eyes opened with a snap. He groaned from pain. He could feel his exposed organs and bones. His face felt like it had been skinned. Neo looked at him with a small smile. "Yup, you definitely look better than me." "Seriously?" Jack sighed. He had not known what was happening outside while his body was being controlled by the vengeful spirits. His appearance was beyond horrible. Worse, Neo hadn''t passed the chance to take the jab. Before Jack could say something, Neo bit off the pinky finger of his hand and threw it toward Jack. "What are you doing!?" "Devour it." "¡­What?" "My flesh can stop the progress of Darkness corruption. "Since I purified the souls and stopped the corruption already, the flesh should now¡ªtheoretically¡ªreverse the remaining corruption." There was a high chance Neo was wrong. However, this was the only method he could think of. "The blood in the finger should increase the chances of reversing the corruption." "¡­" "Go on. Devour it." "¡­" "Why the fuck are you staring at me and not devouring it?" "Thank you." "Yeah? That''s right, be thankful¡ª" Neo was about to say ''bitch'' until he realized he was talking like his brother. He closed his mouth. Jack chuckled, knowing why Neo stopped. Chapter 233: Lost Death "Alright, but devouring human flesh is a bit¡­." "Toote to cry about it," Neo said. "Both of us are going to Hell either way." "Yeah¡­" Jack was unconvinced. Nevertheless, he relented under Neo''s intense gaze. He convinced himself that devouring the finger with Darkness was not earing it and used Darkness. An intense power surged within Jack''s core. He felt something bubble inside him. The new power started to devour the corruption. Neo, on the side, stared at Jack''s transformation. ''Seems like my guess was true.'' He was relieved. While Jack was being purified, Neo checked his status. He wanted to see how much his abilities were affected by losing Death. [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 5 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 2 Mythic ] [ Stats ] [ Affinity ] [ Magic Spell ] ¦é Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath, Rewind Enchantment, ck Dawn of Despair [ Incantations ] [ Trait ] [ Quest ] He noticed the new addition of the Tremor-ranked Spell ''ck Dawn of Despair'' at a nce. The spell, although Tremor-ranked, took only a few months to learn. It was thanks to Neo''s high mastery in the Darkness element. "Let''s check the main thing." [ Death ] Mastery: Adept (Peak) (Sealed) ¡ú None Concept progress: 80% Not even Apprentice rank mastery. His mastery was None. He tried to control and create Death. Nothing happened. It was as if he was trying to move the third arm he never had. "This is weird." Neo could feel the two rings of Death around his heart. The third one was used to attack Jack, leaving these two behind. "I can control this Death." The rings of Death hummed under his control. "I guess I can''t control or create new Death, but I can manipte what I created already." It was a stroke of luck he had some Death elementals left under his control. Back when he was creating these rings, he never expected this to happen. "Two rings. Two attacks." Neo shook his head. It was barely anything. [ Darkness ] Mastery: Adept (Peak) Concept progress: 40% "The concept progress increased from 20% to 40%." Neo''s brows creased. He was sure the concept progress was only 20% before he fought Jack. ''Helping Jack increased the concept''s progress.'' Neo had no idea what the concept was. He struggled to understand how helping Jack was linked to his concept. ''Let''s check other things.'' [ Time ] Mastery: Apprentice (Peak) "The mastery reached Peak." Neo shifted his gaze to other sections. [Necrotic Touch] Element: Death Rank: Tremor Mastery: Adept (Lowest) (Sealed) ¡ú None "The Spell got fucked too." [O Death, Be My Hands, Crush My Enemies] Element: Death Harmony: Peak (Sealed) ¡ú None [O Death, Be My de] Element: Death Harmony: Peak (Sealed) ¡ú None "¡­." Neo clicked his tongue. ''Well, I can use the Willpower Pathway for Death element Incantations.'' [Eternal, Grade 5 Mythic] Progress: 20% ¡ú 34% Effect: Be ageless and gain resistance against status ailments (+10%). [Mind Invasion, Grade 5 Awakened] Progress: 50% ¡ú 96% Effect: Allow you to enter the mind of your targets, look into their memories, and converse with their inner self. The traits'' progress was as Neo expected. Eternal''s progress increased when he was receiving different types of damage. The harsh conditions inside Jack''s Soul Space ¨C the mental attacks of thousands of vengeful souls and Darkness ¨C boosted Eternal by a huge margin. "Mind Invasion is about to rank up and reach Grade 4." By Neo''s calction, the trait would rank up in four days to two weeks. "I guess this counts as good news." Neo smiled ruefully. He knew his situation better than anyone else. Death''s loss affected his damage-dealing ability. If not for Kane''s Sword stances and Willpower pathway Incantations, Neo would have lost all of his damage-dealing techniques. "Look at the bright side. It was high time I focused on other elements. "My current situation will give me a great boost of motivation." The Age of Gods was merciless. If he didn''t find a way to recover his strength and go further beyond, he wouldn''t know which monster or Anomaly killed him. "It''s been quite a while since I felt¡­ weak." Despite hisints, Neo did not feel a shred of regret. He felt liberated. Neo closed his status screen and stared at Jack. His body was healing. The power of Darkness that had been scattered around was fusing back into Jack. Suddenly, Neo felt a tug within him. His blessing called out to him. ''¡­?'' ''I thought you were angry with me?'' The blessing ignored him and shook its head at the same time. Seeing it do two different actions confused Neo. ''It''s almost like it''s not one blessing.'' ''But two different blessings¡­.'' Neo''s brows shot up. ''Two different blessings?'' Neo recalled the time when he visited the Underworld for the first time, and his blessing had yet to be sealed. Back then, the blessing healed his injuries. ''No way¡­'' ''Why can the blessing of the God of Death heal injuries?'' Neo, suppressing the surging emotions, activated the third stage of the blessing he had unlocked partially. The power ¨C refreshing, yet sharp ¨C coursed within his body. It had always been there. Just asleep. The power flowed towards the injuries on his body. Neo felt it. As soon as he fused his Divine Energy with the power, his injuries would heal. He would regenerate the lost finger and the shoulder. ''What in the bloody fuck?'' The sheer absurdity of the situation gave Neo a pause. His missing hand aside, the pinky finger was devoured by Jack. It should never have been able to heal or regenerate unless Neo ranked up. Even then, it was supposed to be a gamble. "Ranking up is a rebirth of sorts. "That''s why we can recover the body parts we lost to Darkness. Because we are creating new body parts when we rank up." Regeneration of parts lost to Darkness was impossible. They could only be reced by new parts. "But my blessing can do that?'' Peak-level regeneration ability. It used an absurd amount of Divine Energy, of course. But it was useful nheless. "This can''t be the blessing of a God who rules over Death. It''s¡­ "Mother''s blessing." Hades and Persephone. Two gods. Two blessings. While Neo was buried in his thoughts, Jack coughed uncontrobly. The pieces of flesh tying his limbs melted away, and he crashed on the ground, healed. "Who were you talking to?" Jack questioned. "Nothing. Just wondering about some things," Neo answered as he helped Jack stand. "Thank you," Jack said. "I''ll open this ce." Jack controlled the orb of Darkness they were inside. He stopped just as he was about to open it. "What happened?" "What about your friends? Will they attack us?" Jack asked as he stood with his hand over Neo''s shoulder and used Neo''s support. "You can sense them?" "Yeah, two holy and light element users and one Darkness element user. "The Darkness element user seems ready to attack us." "Don''t worry about it. I''ll talk with them." "You sure they will listen?" "I hope they do. Or your neck is gone." Jack was exasperated at Neo''s bad joke. He was wondering if Neo was forcing himself to be funny to help uplift Jack''s mood or if Neo was naturally, seriously unfunny. Jack hoped it was the former. "Since you''ve received your answer, open this ce," neo said Jack hesitated. "What?" Neo asked, seeing his expression. "Can you give me some clothes first?" Chapter 234: Beyond Point Of No Return He blushed. "I''m using a Shadow Robe right now. "But the holy elemental Spirit in the sky will burn my Shadow Robe as soon as I step out. "I will be naked." Neo nodded. He removed Jack''s hand from his shoulder and gave him his long coat. Jack wore it. The coat''s buttons were closed tightly, and his legs below the knees were out in the open. The long coatlooked normal on Neo since he wore more clothes underneath, but Jack, wearing only it and being naked underneath, looked funny, to put it nicely. "I''ll open it." The Darkness surrounding them disappeared. Both of them appeared in the air above the sea. Neo used his Water affinity and hardened the water surface enough for them to walk. The two, Jack walking with Neo''s support, stepped towards the beach. ¡­ 5 minutes earlier. "Am I seeing things?" Apollo muttered. "No," Athena answered. "I can sense the same thing as you. The Darkness is disappearing. But it''s not just that." She stared at the giant orb of Darkness floating in the sky. The vile presence of Darkness was weakening. ''It''s almost as if the Necromancer is dead. And yet, I can sense the Necromancer,'' she thought. "The monster is no more," Emma spoke up. "But the Necromancer is alive." Her words made no sense. Only the three, who could sense what was happening, knew what Emma was talking about. A few minutester, the orb of Darkness opened. Neo and another person appeared from inside it. Apollo and the others'' faces hardened. Shock, disbelief, hope, and displeasure appeared within their gaze. ''This just made things go from bad to worse,'' Emma thought. ''Neo can heal all humanized monsters, or can he do that with only those corrupted by Darkness?'' It was huge news. A happy news. However¡­ ''A monster, who had been massacring as he had lost his reason, is now sane again.'' ''He has be a human.'' ''The public won''t forgive such a person, but we can''t kill him either because weck justification.'' Her brows furrowed. Neo and Jack appeared before them. The two stood a bit far from Apollo and the others. Silence hung between them. Kane broke the stillness as he opened his mouth. "Neo, who is¡­ that?" "The Necromancer we were fighting a few minutes ago." "He was a human?" "He is one now." Kane closed his mouth. The situation was too confusing for him to understand. And. Kane could feel the tension in the air. One wrong move, and a battle would break out. "Since we are done here, get some rest before we return to the Association," Emma said. Her words diffused the tension. She looked at Jack and Neo. "We can''t make a decision about what to do with him since he is a human. "He will have to return to the Association with us." When Neo remained silent, Emma added, "I''m being lenient since I know about the corruption of Darkness. "But if you two try to escape, I won''t think twice before burying you two seven feet deep." She turned around and left. Athena followed behind her. Apollo looked at Emma and Neo with alternating gazes and spoke before he left, "Sunshine''s presence will only grow stronger with each passing moment. "You two should rest and recover so that we can leave this ce before Sunshine does permanent damage to you." "Got it." After Apollo left, Neo turned to Kane. "Can you get me my backpack? I need the elixirs." "Okay." Kane left, and Neo shifted his gaze to Jack. "How are you feeling¡­" He stopped speaking when he noticed Jack''s dazed expression. Following his gaze, he found Jack was staring at Emma''s departing back. "Who is she?" "Why are you asking that?" Neo frowned. "No, it''s¡­ she is beautiful." Jack didn''t mince his words and made it clear what he meant. Neo looked at Jack, then at Emma. "Give up," he told Jack. "She isn''t someone you would want to go after." "¡­okay." It was not okay. Jack''s expression made it clear that Neo''s words were going in one ear anding out of the other without having any effect. "Don''t say I didn''t warn you." "¡­okay." Neo clicked his tongue and removed his support, letting Jack fall. "H-hey, that hurt!" "It''s fine. You are healed plenty if you have time to have a crush." While the two were bickering, Kane returned. "Neo, here." "Thanks." Neo grabbed the bag. "I''ll go meditate and recover. There are only two hours left before Anomaly #79 returns." Jack and Kane understood the underlying message behind his words. ''Don''t disturb me.'' Neo left Jack and Kane together and sat in a secluded area. He opened the bag and looked inside. "Only 5 elixirs are left." He had overpacked elixirs beforeing to this world. The supply should''vested him over three months. It was enough time toplete the trial of Shadow Sovereign. Or so Neo had thought. "Come out. Take the elixir." The caterpir peeked out of his pocket. It stared at the elixir with a salivating gaze and crawled toward it. "Good job today. I would''ve had a hard time without you." Kyuuu~ Neo rubbed its head with his finger. Just as the caterpir was about to eat the elixir, it stopped. It turned to Neo. Then, it looked back at the elixir. The caterpir had a regrettable look in its eyes. It shook its head and started to crawl back to Neo''s pocket. "¡­?" Neo was surprised. "You aren''t going to eat that?" Kyu¡­ "What? You''re worried about me?" A smile appeared on Neo''s lips. He picked the caterpir and ced it next to the elixir. "You can take it. You don''t need to hold yourself back because of me." Chapter Read: Kyu! The caterpir shook its head. "I told you. It''s fine. There are only five elixirs left." "It doesn''t matter if the elixirs disappear today or tomorrow at this stage." Neo had long crossed the line of no return. If he was going to run out of Divine Energy within a few days, he might as well splurge a bit. Kyu¡­ Kyu¡­ "You deserve this. Just take it." After giving the elixir to the caterpir, Neo popped open another and drank it. Divine Energy surged within his body. He closed his eyes and meditated, making sure he absorbed all the Divine Energy from the elixir. Hourster, Neo opened his eyes when he sensed Jack. "What happened?" "I heard about Anomaly #79." "No." "I didn''t even say anything." "I can guess what you are going to say and my answer is no. I don''t need your help." Chapter 235: Will You Fail? "I don''t need your help. If Anomaly #79 sees your face, it will bring more trouble than it''s worth." "Even I know that. I''m not that stupid," Jack said. "But I have a n." "Sure you do." Jack scratched the back of his head at Neo''s sarcastic tone. "Believe me on this¡­ Well, you know what? Forget it." Jack turned around to leave. "I''ll do it myself¡ª" "Sit." "¡­?" "There is something we need to talk about." "Yeah?" Jack sat next to Neo. Both of them felt prickling sensations all over their skin due to Sunshine. "What is it?" Chapter Find: "Do you know about the trial?" "It was something about saving the Child of Mana, I think." Jack thought hard and answered. "I did search for it when I first appeared here, but I never found any clue rted to the trial." "That''s normal. Information about Child of Mana is protected. "A Child of Mana is a [Connector]. The people of this era don''t understand how the abilities of a Child of Mana work, so they gave a grandiose name to them." "Connector? What is that?" Neo blinked, confused. He turned his head towards Jack slowly and stared at him in the eye. "You don''t know what a Connector is?" "Is that something I should know about?" "Jack¡­" Neo grabbed Jack''s shoulders with a serious expression. "I''m pretty sure you said you were going to pass all exams." "Exams?" "The Academy''s first semester''s finals." "Oh, yeah. I''ll pass. Why are you asking about it suddenly though?" "There was a question about [Connectors] in the History-I paper." "That was the easiest question." Neo continued, "How the fuck are you going to pass when you didn''t know the easiest question''s answer?" "¡­!?" Jack''s smiling face froze stiff. He broke the eye contact and looked away. "I just realized, but I wanted to introduce myself to the blonde guy and the other awakeners¡ª" "Are you going to pass or not?" "¡­." "Jack." "¡­no." Neo let go of his shoulders and massaged his brows. "You could get held back or expelled if you fail. You do know that, right? Hell, you acted like you aced the exam. What was that all about?" "¡­em." "What? I didn''t hear you." "I''m nning to use my credits and buy passing grades with them." "¡­." Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry. He shook his head. "That should work. Don''te to me when you get scolded by Sean or Felix though." "Hahahaha." "You wouldn''t beughing when Felix finds out about this." A cold sweat flowed down Jack''s back. "I-I''ll manage, probably." Before Neo could scold him further, Jack stood up and escaped. "That idiot. Listen about Connectors at least." Neo clicked his tongue and focused on meditation. It didn''t take long before a foreign presence entered his sensory range. "Anomaly #79 is here." Neo picked up the caterpir and ced it in his pocket. Just then, the hair at his nape stood on end. Anomaly #79 appeared behind him, swinging the sword towards his neck. Neo ducked. He unsheathed his sword and used a wide sh. The monster moved towards him instead of blocking. It grabbed his wrist and swept Neo''s leg to throw him off bnce. ''Shit¡ª'' A powerful kick hit Neo''s side before his falling bodynded on the ground. He flew back, destroying several buildings along the path. ''Dammit!'' Neo twisted in the air and plunged his sword into the ground. He stopped rolling away. His senses red rms. Multiple monsters attacked from different directions. ''Should I use my spells? Or should I go to the sea too?'' Neo''s mind worked at high speed while he fought the monsters. ''If I use the water in the sea with my water affinity, it will lighten the burden on my divine energy core.'' He twisted his sword and tried to use Kane''s sword technique. "Seventh Stance¡ª" Just then, the presence of Death, Darkness, and Shadow red around Neo. Confused, he saw his Shadow quiver, and Jack jumped out of it. "Surprise! I told you I have a n¡ª" Neo grabbed Jack''s face¡ªclosing his eyes in the process¡ªand bolted away from the area. While he escaped the monsters, he growled, "Give me one reason why I should not bash your face in." "Mmmhm!" Jack struggled to talk. Neo''s hand covered his entire face and kept his mouth shut. Neo used Necrotic Touch to decay the ground in arge area. Dust and gravel covered the ce. He used the opportunity to hide inside a toy store. "You fucking asshole, do you realize how dangerous Anomaly #79 is!?" Neo red at him. Jack stopped struggling. Seeing Neo angry for the first time, he realized the situation was dire, and Neo didn''t want to get him involved. He tapped Neo''s hand calmly. Neo clicked his tongue and removed his hand. "Sorry about that," Jack said with a bitter smile. "I did have a n. I didn''t exined it earlier because I wanted to surprise you, but I guess I should''ve done that differently." "You have five seconds before I''m throwing you outside." The Darkness beneath Neo stretched. It wrapped the shop in a Coffin of Darkness to stop the monsters from attacking them. "One is enough." Jack grabbed Neo''s hand. "Don''t resist." Jack''s shadow overflowed like ink and swallowed them whole. Neo frowned as he followed Jack''s advice. He felt a ''shift.'' He blinked, and they were standing on the top of a tower miles away from theirst position. "I hope running away is not your n. "The monsters can locate me at every moment, and they will reach us in a few seconds." "My n is ''Kaboom.''" Jack grinned and stepped forward before he turned around. "Can you sense it, Neo?" "¡­?" "Death." Neo frowned. He spread his senses. For a moment, he didn''t find anything weird. ''Huh?'' Neo''s brows creased tightly. ''It makes sense that corpses are everywhere in an apocalypse. But why are they spread out so evenly?'' He realized it was Jack''s doing. "Don''t even think about Necromancy. The Anomaly #79 will target you if your corpses see it." "That was never my intention." Jack spread his arms and grinned. "It''s¡­." Neo''s eyes widened when he sensed the shadow elements spark around the corpses. The shadow elements mimicked the fire element, and the temperature of the surroundings red. "Kaboom." The corpses exploded. One after another. It didn''t take long before the city was engulfed in a giant explosion, burning away everything. The shockwaves of the explosion hit Neo and Jack, and their clothes fluttered. "There. I took care of the monsters with a snap." Jack grinned, hiding his exhaustion. He had been going around the city for hours, setting things up for his Unique Skill activation. If not for his rank and stat boost from when he went berserk, he wouldn''t have been able to use an attack of this level. Jack stepped closer and hit Neo''s shoulder with a fist. "I''ll take care of those monsters from tomorrow." Neo looked at the city and back at Jack. "Crazy bastard. Are you nning to blow up one city per night?" "Yup," Jack said. "Don''t worry about it. I won''t use explosion in too many cities." Chapter 236: Information About Child Of Mana "After all, it shouldn''t take us long to reach the association. "I heard they had a way to help you. "As for how we will reach there quickly, I will use my Shadow Jump skill to carry us towards the association at a swift speed." Neo shook his head instead of answering. ''I was wondering how did he be normal so quickly since he was acting goofy earlier.'' ''I guess I was wrong. This guy lost his screws thanks to Darkness.'' Jack sat on the wall. "What are you doing?" Neo questioned. "Appreciating the view?" Jack''s expression said why Neo was asking something so obvious. ''...He lost more than a few screws.'' Neo clicked his tongue and sat next to Jack. "I need to tell you about the Connectors. I couldn''t tell you what they were earlier since you ran away." "Oh, them. I totally forgot about it." Jack pulled a candy packet ¨C that he might or might not have stolen from a destroyed shop ¨C from his pocket and offered it to Neo. "No thanks. I can''t eat it." "Fine." Jack stuffed the candy into his mouth. "So, what is a Connector?" "Someone who can connect to the Akashic Record and ess the Records (information) stored in it." "Huh? Isn''t our trial here to save the Child of Mana, err, the Connector?" Jack questioned. "Yes, it is." "Then the mission is impossible toplete. "The Akashic Records haven''t been created yet in this era. That means a Child of Mana doesn''t exist," he noted. "About that¡­" Neo pursed his lips. "The Records stored inside the Akashic Record are ''eternal''." "And?" Jack stopped munching on the candies while he appreciated the great bonfire. "The Records can''t be destroyed. I know that." "¡­" Neo wanted to sigh. ''This is going to be hard to exin.'' "Eternal isn''t simple. Eternal means having resistance to anything and everything." "That''s why the Records can''t be destroyed, no?" "You are right." Neo nodded and exined. "Eternal''s resistance resists everything. Destruction, death, time, and anything else you can think of. "Any type of harmful change is resisted." "¡­?" Neo massaged his brows. It didn''t seem like Jack was following Neo''s exnation. He continued. "Now, what do you think will happen if someone goes to the past and destroys the Akashic Record before they were created?" "Err¡­ they will be destroyed." "Logically, you are correct. But wrong at the same time. "Destroying the Akashic Record before they are created is a ''change'' and-" "Records are immune to harmful change¡­" Jack''s eyes slowly widened. "Holy mother of lord¡­ Are you serious right now?! Is that even possible?!" "Yes, the Records ¨C the information stored inside the Akashic Record ¨C exist beyond time. It is present everywhere: past, present, and future. "This is an adaptive ability the Records gained when too many people tried to destroy it by going back in time." Jack finally understood what Neo wanted to exin. Since the Records were omnipresent, it was normal for a Child of Mana to exist in the current era. While the Akashic Records didn''t exist yet, the information did, thanks to it being Eternal. "So, where is the Child of Mana we need to rescue?" Jack asked, excited, and thought, ''If Neo has collected so much information while he was here, I''m sure he must''ve gained the clues to the Child of Mana''s location.'' "I don''t know." "Seriously?" "Sadly, yes," Neo said. "That''s why I am joining the Awakener Association. I want to use their resources to locate the Child of Mana." "I wonder if they already know the location of the Child of Mana." "I hope they do, and I hope they don''t." The two became silent. The scorching heat burned their lungs. A few secondster, Jack opened his mouth. "How many elixirs do you have left?" "I have enough." "Four are enough?" "¡­" Jack sighed. "You can ask for help, you know. Why didn''t you request those association guys and Kane to help you with the Anomaly #79? "You needlessly wasted your Divine Energy." "It helped me train. It wasn''t a waste." "No, it was your stubbornness. Fighting against something that can kill you isn''t how someone is supposed to train." "It works the best for me." "Sigh¡­" Jack stared at his dangling legs. Both of them were sitting on the roof of a high-rise building, and the view was nice. "I would''ve called you crazy if you weren''t my team leader." "I get a free pass?" "Yes." The two became silent again. Jack stared at the ground with varying expressions. It was as if he wanted to say something. "What are you thinking¡ª" "I have a way to help you regain your Divine Energy reserves." Neo turned his head and looked at him. "What is it?" "Devour a part of mine." "¡­" "You don''t look surprised." "I expected it." "The suggestion?" "A stupid suggestion, yes." Neo became quiet. Jack broke the silence as he asked, "So. Are you going to do it?" "No." "It''s a good suggestion though. I can recover my Divine Energy, unlike you. There is nothing wrong with this method." "You can''t recover your lost body parts." "I can''t, but there are a dime a dozen methods to circumvent the issue¡ª" "No. I won''t do it." "Why!?" Jack exploded. He had been trying to talk normally, but Neo''s careless attitude was too much. "You are going to die if we go on like this! And didn''t you make me devour your finger!?" He red at Neo. "It''s fine you tell me to do it, but it''s wrong if it''s the other way around!?" Neo''s brows creased when Jack used logic against him. He put his hand on Jack''s shoulder and¡ª "Don''t even try to talk me out of this¡ª" ¡ªpushed Jack down from the building. The abrupt action caught Jack by surprise, and he wasn''t able to react on time. Jack used Shadow Jump to return to the top of the building as soon as he hit the ground. The rooftop was empty. "He ran away¡­?" Jack wasn''t angry since a fall of that level barely tickled him. However, he was exasperated. "That team leader of mine ran away because he didn''t have a retort...? Is he a child!?" Chapter 237: Divine Transformation Technique Kayseri, Turkey, Memory Shadow World "You''re back," Ares muttered as the man teleported inside the office. "What happened with the Giant Awakener?" "We couldn''t recruit him." "I see," Ares nodded and closed his documents, shifting his focus to Liam. "Where is Zeus? I don''t see him with you." "He went somewhere else." Ares frowned. "Where?" "Arzew City. Zeus left to meet Neo Hargraves," Liam answered. "Neo Hargraves?" Ares repeated. The news about Neo''s existence had be known already. It created quite a stir, especially because Neo wasn''t supposed to exist. Even Gaia, an S-rank awakener, wasing back from China to meet with Neo. Ares did not ask why Zeus wanted to meet Neo Hargraves. He knew Zeus'' past and had an idea of what was happening. "Neo Hargraves has left Arzew a few weeks ago. It would''ve been better if Zeus came straight back to the Association." "I know that. I didn''t tell it to Zeus purposefully." Liam grinned and sank into the sofa. He threw his head back. He let out a chuckle when he thought Zeus was wasting his time by going to Arzew.Serves him right. Ares shook his head when he saw the twisted grin on Liam''s face. "Was that necessary? You could''ve at least used your portals to shorten the time of Zeus'' travel." "Hell no!" Liam sat straight back up and shouted with a flushed face. "Do you know how much headache I got because of him!? "That crazy lunatic attacked the city lords in Titan''s territory! Fucking shit! We have a ceasefire treaty going on with Titans, and that lunatic still attacked them!" "I got theints from Titans already. Don''t worry about it. I''ll handle thepensation." "Argh! This¡­! This is why Zeus is getting out of hand! Why do you always cover his actions!?" "Zeus'' report said he attacked only corrupted city lords. I can''t berate him for doing good." A vein popped on Liam''s forehead. He opened his mouth to shout and closed it. He took deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. It took a few moments. "Sigh, those city lords belonged to Titans. We can''t attack them willy-nilly like this," Liam said. "It''s like America''s army invading Brazil to help them kill their corrupted politician." A bitter smile appeared on Ares'' face. He knew better than anyone else how Zeus was. "Anyway," Ares said, picking another document. "How were the battles? Last month Zeus said he was close to a breakthrough. It might be why he attacked those city lords ¨C to push himself beyond the limits." "He fought Perses." "The Titan of Destruction?" "That one." "¡­." Ares closed the documents and took off his sses. He rubbed his face with both hands and covered his face. "Perses is an S-rank awakener. I''m pretty sure I told Zeus to not fight those guys. Battles between S-rankers cause too much coteral damage." "There was no battle," Liam said. "It ended quickly." "I guess Perses retreated. He might be called Titan of Destruction, but he is a pretty amicable guy¨C" "Zeus defeated him with a single attack." The meaning behind those words dawned upon Ares, making him blink in stupefaction. "Zeus broke through to SS rank?" "Yes and no. He can use the [Divine Transformation] technique to be SS-rank temporarily." "I thought no one could use [Divine Transformation] yet?" Ares knew about the Divine Transformation technique. Much like other techniques of Association, it was created by Gaia. Divine Transformation could give a huge temporary boost without any long-term consequences. The only downside was the learning curve of the technique. Until now, no one had been able to use Divine Transformation. "Well, Zeus just became the first guy." Liam shrugged. "That''s a big news. Why didn''t you tell me about it sooner?" "Because fuck Zeus." Liam stood up to leave. He stopped at the door and turned around. "By the way, Zeus had a weird look when he took off to meet Neo Hargraves." "¡­''I''m going to fight that guy'' type of weird look?" "That one." Liam smirked when he saw Ares'' crumpling expression. "Good luck!" He left before Ares could tell him to go and bring Neo Hargraves to the association. Ares shook his head. While the situation did look bad ¨C very bad ¨C it was fine. Arzew city''s people would send Zeus to Spain, since the Necromancer was there. Zeus would end up going to Spain, not knowing the Necromancer was already taken care of and Neo Hargraves was on his way to the Association. "Neo will reach Association without meeting Zeus. Neo must have one hell of a luck to have missed Zeus by coincidence." Since the issue was not an issue, Ares focused on work. Only a few moments had passed when someone knocked on the door urgently. "Come in." His secretary entered along with a young boy. The boy had a lifeless look in his eyes and his secretary, while she was smiling, had a sweaty forehead. Ares frowned when he noticed her nervous. "Sit," he told the child. "You are?" "Daniel Caelum." "That''s a nice name, Daniel. Please have water before you speak." Ares had no idea why the child was brought to him. But knowing his secretary, it must be an important matter. "T-thank you." The child drank water. "Daniel, is there something you have to say to me?" Ares questioned, trying to sound as nice as possible. Daniel nodded. Tears dripped down from his eyes as he opened his mouth. "Please, s-save my sister." "Your sister?" Ares turned to his secretary. "Daniel was rescued by an independentmunity. Thatmunity was destroyed a few weeks ago and we rescued the survivors. Daniel was among them." "¡­?" Ares didn''t understand what she was trying to say. While it was a heartbreaking news, simr stories were a dime a dozen in the apocalypse. "His sister was kidnapped before he met the independentmunity." "Who kidnapped her?" The child answered instead of the secretary. "T-the tree. The huge tree took her away." "¡­!?" Ares stiffened. "His sister was kidnapped by Typhaon?" Ares asked the secretary. "We don''t have concentrated evidence, but the location where Daniel was kidnapped was near the forests of ''Savage Expanse,'' which is¡­" "The base of Typhaon." Ares massaged his brows. Typhaon was called [Father of Anomalies]. Most of the Anomalies were created by it. If Typhaon itself moved to kidnap a little girl, then that girl wouldn''t be normal. "It might be a normal monster who kidnapped his sister," Ares mumbled. The child didn''t hear it, but the secretary did. "It is Typhaon," she asserted. "How are you so sure?" "Because his sister is the Child of Mana Apollo saw in his visions. It should be obvious why Typhaon wants someone as precious as her." "¡­.Can you prove that?" The secretary nodded. She crouched next to the child and patted his back before giving him a paper and pen. "Can you write about the abilities of the uncle sitting in front of you?" "I''m not an uncle," Aresined grumpily. Daniel passed the paper to Ares after he was done. [Name: William Grant] [Rank: Grade ??? Mythic] [Divine Energy Purity: Grade ??? Mythic] [Stats: ???, ???, ???, ???, 129] [Affinity: Destruction, Fire, Force, Cosmos, Aetherfire, Rage, Weapons, Stormlight, sma, Holy, Light, Life, Dawn, Willpower, Blood, Despair, Metal, Aura, Hope] [Trait: Berserk War Saint] Ares read the information Daniel wrote. "It has my name. As for the contents... They are simr to what Athena told me I asked her for my abilities," he said. "Athena calls it Status," the secretary said. "ording to her, the world has Records about all of us and she can ess them as the Child of Mana." Before Ares could ask if Daniel was the Child of Mana, Daniel spoke. "N-no, I didn''t write this myself. My sister is the one who told me about your information." Chapter 238: Location Of Child of Mana & New Quest "How did she tell you?" "That¡­" Daniel answered while breaking into hups and tears. His words were barely intelligible. The secretary patted his head and spoke in his ce. "He is telepathically connected to his sister. She is asking him to save her." "¡­" "ording to her, Typhaon is nning to either extract all information from her or trying to modify her into one of its Four Sovereigns." Ares almost cursed. There was no need to say how bad it was if Typhaon could extract the information stored inside a Child of Mana''s head. The Children of Mana knew of the future. Although their knowledge of the future was limited and iplete, they knew enough to make anyone a supreme powerhouse. Turning a Child of Mana into one of the Four Sovereigns was worse. If Typhaon extracted all information from the child of Mana''s head, he couldn''t gain more information, since the burden of extraction would kill the child. It was a one-time method. By turning her into one of the Four Sovereigns, she would be corrupted and be Typhaon''s servant willingly. Typhaon could then ask for information from her without killing her. The information he could gain at once was limited with this method; however, he could keep asking for the information for years. Or decades if the Association and Titans failed to y Typhaon. The secretary took away Daniel. Ares, alone in the room, stared at the door. His mind churned, thinking of possible scenarios. ''Rescuing the Child of Mana is impossible.'' ''The world is damned enough while Typhaon is in a pseudo-sleep. If we tried to save her and anger him, he might wake uppletely and¡­'' Ares shook his head to stop the train of thoughts. The world would end if Typhaon woke up. It was that strong. ''I hate to think like this, but it should be fine even if we don''t save the Child of Mana.'' ''Athena is also a Child of Mana, but she can ess the Records only through dreams.'' ''Her ability can''t be activated at will, and she never knows if she saw a simple dream or the Records.'' ''What if Daniel''s sister is simr?'' The Children of Mana were far from omniscient. Typhaon gaining information of the future was bad, but the Association had a simr trump card ¨C Athena. The worst-case scenario was Typhaon waking up if the Association entered its territory to save Daniel''s sister. Not Daniel''s sister death or corruption. "But¡­" Ares chewed his lips. "Daniel''s sister told us my information the moment we asked. It''s almost like she can ess the Records at will." "Her high talent might be the reason why Typhaon moved to kidnap her." He sighed. "Dammit. I can''t make a decision of this level myself. I need to call the council." ¡­. Essen, Germany, Memory Shadow World. Neo was practicing his sword techniques. It had been days since he started their travel towards Turkey, where the Association headquarters was. They were taking the north route, going through European countries to take care of wild monsters. Kane was busy meditating. Days passed since he spoke to Neo, probably because he was ashamed of himself for not being able toplete the technique even now. Athena spent her time scouring the cities for books. Neo would often go along with her. He had been trying to talk about her abilities as a Connector, but had been unsessful so far. If he had to take a honest guess, Athena was purposely avoiding the topic while acting oblivious. Apollo had stayed behind in Spain to take care of the remaining dark energies. Jack was spent, using Shadow Jump to carry the group whenever possible and helping Neo take care of statue monsters that attacked at night. Nyx¡­. "Where is Emma?" Neo asked Athena, who was sitting on a nearby rooftop. "With Jack." "Is she still following him to find how he can create multiple phcteries?" "Yes." Neo smirked. Jack''s wish came true, and Emma became interested in him. It was good until he found Emma was Nyx, his ancestor. ''Poor guy has been trying to avoid her like a gue.'' Neo wasughing at Jack''s misery when a screen appeared before him. [Quest: Fate Of the World] [Objective: Protect Child of Mana (future name Sphinx) from Typhaon] [Quest Hint: You can find the location of Child of Mana if you visit Awakener Association Headquarters.] [Reward: Location of Inteary Waypoint x 1, Level up {Eternal} x 1, Level up {Mind Invasion} x3] [Failure: Questline {End of the World} will begin.] [ept/Refuse?] [Warning!] [Refusal to ept the Quest will activate the Failure condition.] Neo frowned. "So if I refuse, the Questline {End of the World} will start?" His eyes moved upwards. "Inteary travel¡­ "It can be useful, but I don''t see how it is possible with ''those guys'' waiting outside." Neo shook his head. He would think about it when he received the rewards. His eyes finally turned to the quest objective. "¡­Fuck." The Child of Mana they had to save would be Sphinx in the future. And it was going to be targeted by Typhaon, or maybe the Child of Mana was already caught by Typhaon. "Just when I thought it couldn''t get worse than Jack losing control to Darkness, it got much more fucked up." He decided to exin what he found out to Jack when he had time. Throughout the day, Neo''s mind kept revolving around his new quest. ''The Shadow Supreme trial''s is the rescue of the Child of Mana, while the Quest is to protect the Child of Mana.'' ''Am I thinking about it too much, or are these twopletely different?'' His thoughts stopped when he found a chance to talk with Jack alone. He dragged Jack away and used Coffin of Darkness to make sure no one could eavesdrop on them. "What happened?" Jack asked, faking irritation. He had been trying to feed Neo his body parts, but Neo had been adamant in his refusal. "I have good news, bad news, and very bad news." "¡­start with the bad news." "I found who the Child of Mana is. It''s Sphinx." Jack''s eyes widened. "That''s good news dude! Our search will be much easier since we know who we aresearching for!" "Yeah, you are wrong. It''s bad news. Sphinx will be or is already caught by Typhaon." "Typhaon?" Neo exined about Typhaon. The reason Typhaon had not been attacked was because of its overwhelming strength. It was currently estimated Typhaon would wake up in 28 years. The Awakener Association and Titans'' n was to grow stronger as much as possible in those 28 years before their inevitable battle with Typhaon. After all, if Typhaon woke up now, they had no chance at victory. They could only train and hope to defeat Typhaonter. "Typhaon is currently stronger than all of the Awakenersbined. We have to save the Child of Mana from a monster of that level." "¡­okay, that is bad news. What''s the good news then?" "I told you about the Typhaon and how it is sleeping, right?" "Yeah, and?" "The Awakener Association and anyone else won''t risk saving the Child of Mana since it might wake up Typhaon." "This means we have almost nopetition. The only problem is the time limit since we don''t know when Typhaon might do in the Child of Mana." Jack nodded and suddenly stopped. It was as if a light bulb was switched on inside his head. A bright smile appeared on his face. "Neo, I just thought about it, but ording to you, only we are nning to save the Sphinx?" "That''s correct." "Secondly, our actions in this Shadow World affect reality?" "Yes, you are right." "Third andstly, the Sphinx exists in our world, which is the future for this world?" The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 239: Awakener Association Headquaters "Yeah." "Hurray!" Jack jumped, overjoyed. "This means we will finish this trial! Nobody is nning to save the Sphinx, but Sphinx exists in the future. It has to be because we rescued it!" He was happy until he noticed Neo''s expression. "Why are you frowning?" "This isn''t good news. It''s very bad news." "Huh, how?" "Because the future can be changed, obviously," Neo started to exin. "Think about it. If saving the Sphinx was guaranteed, would Shadow Supreme choose it as a trial for us? "Also, there is no guarantee we won''t fail and someone else in the future won''t get the same trial and save the Sphinx. "Hell, even the people here could save the Sphinx. I did say they might not save the Sphinx, but there is always a ''what if.''" Jack''s expression crumpled when he listened to Neo. Sadly for him, Neo wasn''t done. "This is why this trial is bad news. We can''t be sure if we are guaranteed to save the Sphinx, and we have no choice but to do our best. "Because if it was us who were meant to save the Sphinx but we failed, thinking someone else would do it, then¡­" Neo left his words hanging in the air. Jack covered his face with both hands, sighing, andpleted Neo''s words. "If we fail, the future will change. There is a chance that the Sphinx might never exist and instead there would be a Sovereign serving under Typhaon." There was more to it, but Neo kept himself from exining. If Typhaon gained control over the Sphinx, there was a chance the Father of Anomalies could defeat the Awakener Association. The world would end if that happened. ''The Questline was named {End of the World}. It''s almost guaranteed that failing here will destroy everything.'' After knowing about the time limit, Jack increased his speed. They reached the Awakener Association in thirteen days. Jack and Neo were wrung dry due to their daily battles with Anomaly #79. Although exhausted and injured, Neo found good news. His Death still warned him of iing attacks. ''It''s weird how I can''t use it to fight anymore, but it alerts me of iing attacks.'' Death protected him like a parent who wanted to punish their child but couldn''t see their child getting hurt. "This is the Awakener Association?" Jack muttered. They stood before a giant 18th-century-style castle. The ce was filled with people moving around busily. They greeted Emma and Athena when they saw them and resumed their activities. "What''s wrong? You expected something grander?" Emma questioned. "No, no, it''s perfectly fine." Even though he said otherwise, it was clear Jack expected a more grand location. This was supposed to be the headquarters of Awakeners who would be gods. Just as the group entered the castle, Athena turned to them. "Since we are here, I''ll be leaving." "Wait a second," Neo called out to her. "I have something to talk to you about in private. Can we meetter?" Athena stared at him, scanning him with an indescribable gaze. She nodded. "My room is on the east side building, fourth room. The door has my name written beside it." "Got it." Jack whistled when Athena left. He stared at Neo with a teasing grin. Neo rolled his eyes and ignored Jack. "Where to now?" Neo asked Emma. "Someone should being any minute now¡­ Ah, there she is." Emma turned to the ginger woman in a long ck pencil skirt and a full-sleeved white crop top. "She is Hanna, Ares'' secretary¡ª" "And the one who will be guiding you two around the Association headquarters," Hanna said. "Come on. Don''t interrupt me when I''m introducing you." Emma pouted, only for Hanna to ignore her. "Nice to meet you, I''m Hanna Mercer." "Neo Hargraves." "Jack Hanma." "Kane." She shook hands with Jack and Kane. Her eyes glowed for a moment imperceptibly. Only Neo noticed it. She then shook hands with Neo, and her eyes glowed again. Neo felt a foreign presence invading his mind. It was barely perceptible, but he detected it¡ª "Kyaa!" Hanna let out a yelp and snatched her hand away from Neo. Her eyes trembled as she stared at Neo in shock and horror. "What happened!? You okay!?" Emma stood behind Hanna. Instead of answering her, Hanna was breathing heavily. She ced her hands on her knees to support herself. Emma tried to help her stand when suddenly Hanna puked. Someone came a few secondster and took Hanna to the medical care area. Emma turned to Neo. "What did you do?" "Nothing. She just saw my memories." Emma flinched slightly when she realized Neo knew what Hanna had tried to do. Her brows furrowed. ''Hanna can see only surface-level memories. Why is she so shocked from them?'' Her gaze turned to Jack. Darkness users had chaotic minds. If anyone used mind reading or something simr on them, there was a high chance their insanity would affect the caster of mind reading. However, Hanna was a professional. It was easy to see her strong mental fortitude when she peeked into Jack''s mind¡ªwho devoured half of Spain¡ªand barely flinched. "Sorry for Hanna''s actions. It''s her job to look through people''s backgrounds when theye to the association," Emma said. Neo shrugged. With Hanna gone, the job of taking care of Neo, Kane, and Jack fell on Emma. She was about to say something when a message arrived on her device. She looked through it. "Ares is in a Council meeting with Titans. He wants Neo to join the meeting. Though, before that, he has asked me to help you with the Anomaly #79 issue." Emma took them to a door towards the basement. The door opened, and they walked down the stairs. After a few minutes of silent steps, they came out into arge corridor. "Each door you see here is connected to a different ce through Spatial maniption." She guided them towards a particr door. ''Fixer'' was written in bold words over the door. They entered the door and appeared inside a rustic shop filled with smoke. The shopkeeper, old and hunched, smoked a cigar. He smiled when he saw Emma. "Nyx, it''s been long since we met." "It''s Emma." "The name you''ve been given is Nyx." "Stop it, Richard. You know I hate ying gods." Emma''s brows furrowed. Watching her irritated made Richard, the shopkeeper,ugh. "Okay, okay, I won''t do it again¡ªfor now," Richard chuckled. "Why are you here, littledy?" "These two are marked by Anomaly #79." "Oh, that''s quite terrible." Richard jumped down from his chair, his height only reaching Neo''s waist. He circled Neo and Kane and examined them. "How long since they were marked?" "Their ninth month is almostplete." Richard''s brows jumped. He nodded approvingly and went behind his desk, plunging his hand into the desk''s drawer, then his entire upper half of his body into the drawer. He pulled out a broken sword. The de was chipped, and it was blue in color. "This baby here is one of the seven fragments of Uranus'' sword. This one is called ''Time Desecrator,''" Richard exined. "It can cut across time." "This is Time Desecrator?" Neo questioned, amazed. Obitus'' emotions red when he appreciated the sword, though the sword spirit of his tried to hide it. "You know about it?" "I''ve heard the name." "Hahaha, of course you have. This baby was famous for it''s ability to cut past." Richard ced the sword on the table. Chapter 240 The Methods To Save Someone from Anomaly #79 Chapter 240 The Methods To Save Someone from Anomaly #79 "You have two ways to save yourself from Anomaly #79." He tapped the sword. "Your first option¡ªand the easier one¡ªis to cut your eyes with this sword and make yourself blind. "Since Time Desecrator can cut past, the injuries inflicted by it are gained by your past self too. "You''ll be blind by birth in this case, which also happens to be our goal," Richard exined. "Blind from birth means you never saw Anomaly #79''s face. It will stop chasing you." "Can the injury be healedter?" Neo asked. "It can''t be healed. Any wound caused by the Time Desecrator bes part of your existence, as if you were born with it. You can''t heal something that was never considered an injury in the first ce." Neo nodded. He doubted his Immortal skill could heal the injury. "What''s the second method?" "You go next door to that ntdy. She will trap you in an eternal dream and keep you alive by supplying your body and soul with nutrition. "You will keep fighting the Anomaly #79 in those dreams until you die," Richard said. "That doesn''t sound like a way to solve our problem." "It isn''t. But it makes sure we don''t have to dirty our hands, and the Anomaly #79 doesn''t pose any danger to anyone else other than the marked." After the exnation, they left the ce and visited the next door. Thedy there gave the same exnation as Richard''s. The group of Neo, Emma, Jack, and Kane left the room after listening to thedy. "What will you choose?" Emma asked as they stepped outside the door. "What will happen if we try to use Resurrection to escape Anomaly #79?" Neo questioned instead of answering. "I don''t know. We never tried it. Why are you asking about it?" "No reason." Neo pondered over the Resurrection method. There was a slight chance Anomaly #79 would not chase him if he killed and revived himself. However¡­ ''Where will I go if I die?'' ''My world''s Underworld or this world''s Underworld?'' ''Would the Shadow Supreme even allow my soul to go to my Underworld? Or rather, would he let me revive and return to this Shadow world? Or does my death count as trial failure?'' He had too many doubts. Using Resurrection was a gamble, and the risks were too great for him to try it. ''I can only choose between eternal sleep or permanent blindness.'' While Neo was deep in thought, Kane spoke up. "I will sleep." "Are you sure? You will still have to fight Anomaly #79 in your dreams. "We will make sure your soul doesn''t copse from the battles, but we can''t do anything if Anomaly #79 kills you in your dreams. "You will die. This method will just prolong your life by a few days. Bing blind is¡ª" "I''ve made my choice," Kane interrupted her. "Can I talk to Neo before I go to sleep?" Emma frowned, unable to understand Kane''s choice. She nodded and left with Jack. Instead of questioning Kane, Neo stared at him. "Aren''t you going to ask me why I chose the second method?" "You must have your own reasons." Kane smiled. His warm smile couldn''t hide the exhaustion behind his gaze. "I''m afraid and tired," he said. "Living every day in fear of monsters is exhausting. I used to think my problems would be solved if I awakened, but¡­" Kane sighed. "Nothing changed. I don''t need to fear weak monsters anymore, but the stronger ones. If I grow more stronger? Then I''ll need to fight even stronger monsters." "You still would have to fight Anomaly #79 if you go to sleep. If you don''t want to fight, then bing blind sounds better," Neo said. "No, ugh, I guess I didn''t exin it properly." Kane tapped his foot on the ground and crossed his arms. He cocked his head, thinking hard, and chose his next words carefully. "I''m not afraid of monsters, but the idea of facing stronger monsters I''ve never seen before. It''s the unknown that gives me nightmares. "Not knowing what kind of monster I would have to fight tomorrow, or what kind of monster would attack me tomorrow is¡­ exhausting. I just can''t stop thinking about it. "But if I go to sleep? I don''t have to worry about anything anymore. Sure, I have to fight Anomaly #79, but I know its abilities. In dreams, no other monster other than it will attack me. There is no unknown there." "¡­" Neo remained silent. Kaneughed when he saw Neo''s mncholic gaze. "Hahaha, I bet you are thinking I''m a weak-willed person." He smiled bitterly. "You are right. "I''m old. I don''t have any ambition or passion. The only thing that kept me going waspleting your technique, but now that I''ve done it, I''m fine with dying on my terms." "¡­" Seeing Neo''s silence, Kane smiled and touched Neo''s forehead with his finger. "Transfer." Neo had no time to react. A great amount of information was forced into his head. It contained Kane''s knowledge about sword techniques. Everything he knew ¨C his understanding, his enlightenment ¨C he gave it to Neo. Neo blinked when the transfer ended. "I thought you would lose consciousness. But you aren''t even disoriented," Kane said, amazed. "Where did you find the knowledge transfer technique?" Neo frowned. The technique Kane used was simr to the technique Elizabeth used to teach him Ocean''s Embrace. The only difference was Kane''s technique was of a higher level. Neo instantly mastered the sword techniques thanks to it. His current level in swordsmanship was the same as Kane. However, there was one drawback. Kane''s technique passed down everything to Neo, leaving nothing with Kane. "Where the fuck did you pick up this useless transfer technique, and why did you use it?" Neo red at Kane. "You gave everything to me, without leaving anything for yourself." "It''s fine. It''s fine." Kane repeated his words, as if to prove it was actually okay. "This is better than my techniques dying with me. As for where I found this technique¡­ I created it myself when I realized I couldn''t teach you my sword techniques directly." Kane knew he was going to die at Anomaly #79''s hand. He didn''t want to leave without teaching everything he knew to Neo. It led him to create the transfer technique. "You don''t need to worry about me," Kane spoke up when Neo''s frown didn''t disappear. "I''m a genius. "It wouldn''t take me long to reach my current level even if I''m starting from scratch again." Chapter 241 Kanes Last Gift Chapter 241 Kane''s Last Gift Neo opened his mouth to convince Kane otherwise. Kane raised his hands. "Stop right there. Your talk-no-jutsu is too strong. I don''t want to hear you trying to convince me against my choice. I''m worried you will manage to sway me." He smiled helplessly as he looked at Neo''s expression. "I''ve told you. I''m weak-willed. Talk-no-jutsu is especially potent against me." He patted Neo''s shoulder with augh. "Anyway, I''ve given youplete mastery of the seven sword techniques. As for the eighth one¡­" He dragged out his words, hoping Neo would say something. Neo clicked his tongue and obliged. "What is the eighth technique? It wasn''t in the knowledge you''ve given me." "I''ve sealed it. You won''t know what the technique is until you master the [Flow]." "Sealed¡­ it?" "Yeah, to be honest, I wanted to create a technique with your Death element, but I failed. While I was struggling with it, I saw your Time element, and it gave me enlightenment¡­ "Err, long story short, the eighth technique uses [Flow] and [Time] element as the foundation. Unless you''ve mastered both, you can''t use it." "That''s why you sealed the eighth technique? To make sure I was ready to use it?" "Yeah." The technique was too dangerous for anyone who hadn''t mastered [Flow]. "Hehe, the eighth technique is my masterpiece. Look forward to it." Kane continued to boast about the swordsmanship. A few minutester, Neo interrupted him. "¡­What is the name of your swordsmanship?" "Divine Swordsmanship," Kane spoke immediately as if he had been waiting for the question. Neo stiffened. "¡­Why Divine?" "You know the answer," Kane said. "It''s because you are called the Divine Ruler. Now the swordsmanship belongs to you, so its name should be based on you." "¡­Why?" Kane gave up his enlightenments to Neo. Now, he was giving his identity to Neo too. "I know I''ve helped you awaken, but it doesn''t mean you need to¡ª" "It''s not that." Kane pursed his lips. "I respect you, Neo. You have ambition. You never give up no matter how hard it gets. Even now, I bet you are thinking of a third way to deal with Anomaly #79. "I''m not giving you the identity of my swordsmanship." His voice grew resolute as he continued. "I''m naming my swordsmanship after you because I hope it bes as great as you." Kane smiled. He was essentially asking Neo to take his swordsmanship and help it reach greater heights. It was a heavy burden. And yet, Kane knew Neo could carry the burden easily. Because it was Neo. ''Because you are the most amazing person I''ve met.'' He respected Neo for his talents or his strength, but he respected Neo''s willpower even more. The ambition and passion to keep moving forward, no matter how difficult it was to continue, were not easy to have. Kane had unparalleled talent. But he was giving up. Maybe because Kane was aware of his shorings, he saw Neo as a shining star. Someone who never gave up. Someone who willingly gave up. They werepletely opposite. They met by a coincidence of fate. "Thanks, Neo." Kane moved towards the door where he would start hisst dream. ''You will never wake from the eternal dream. Shouldn''t you think about your choice again?'' Neo wanted to say it to Kane. However, he didn''t. He clenched his fists. Just as Kane had stepped into the room, Neo shouted, "Hey, fucker!" Kane stopped. "You want to die because you don''t have ambition? Then I''ll give you one!" "Neo, I told you I won''t change my choice¡ª" "I''m from the future." Kane stiffened. "I''m not joking," Neo said. He wasn''t afraid of revealing his origin. Hanna, the secretary of Ares, had peeked into Jack and his memories when they came to the Association. They would know Neo and Jack were from the future. "Three thousand yearster, let''s meet then. I''ll show you how great your swordsmanship has be." Kane blinked, confused and in disbelief. His confusion gave way to a rueful smile. "I''d love to do that, but I don''t think I can fight Anomaly #79 for three thousand years." "Why can''t you do it? You are a genius, fucker! If I can do it, then you can too." Neo calmed down and smirked. "Aren''t you an anime fan? This is your chance. Try to do ''I fought the strongest anomaly for 3000 years and became the strongest.''" "What the hell?" Kaneughed. Heughed hard. Wiping his tears, he turned around and waved his hand as he entered the room. "See youter," Kane said. Neo was left alone in the corridor. He stood there for a few minutes before he shook his head. "I should go visit Ares. I need the location of the Child of Mana." Neo had no intention of bing blind or entering an eternal dream. Kane was right. He was looking for a third method. ''I will leave today after I get the location.'' Since there was no knowing when Typhaon might eliminate the Child of Mana, he nned to go out to save the Child of Mana as soon as he got the location. ''After I get the location, it shouldn''t take me more than a few days to finish the trial.'' The trial would end before the week¡ªif everything went ording to n. Neo would leave the Shadow World after that, and he wouldn''t be chased by Anomaly #79 outside. This was Neo''s third method of dealing with Anomaly #79. ¡­ Spain, Shadow World "Divine Transfor¡ª" Apollo stopped speaking and blinked. Sharp pain tore through his body. He looked around, confused. "Where am I?" Thest thing he remembered was taking a nap after the day''s hard work. Now, he was in an eerie jungle. Bright, familiar sunlight peeked through the dark clouds. Apollo lowered his hand and touched his abdomen. A hole had been blown into his stomach. ''I''m.... dying?'' It took a few moments for him to realize what was happening. ''This is a vision.'' ''My trait activated, and it is showing me the future.'' Apollo''s thoughts came to a halt when he sensed a presence. "You tanked that attack?" Neo asked as hended near Apollo. His sword was coated in blood. Chapter 242: Apollos Vision "I wouldn''t say I tanked the attack," Apollo muttered while coughing blood. He tried to hide he was in a vision and collect information at the same time. "Where is that guy?" Apollo asked, trying not to give himself away. "He used such a powerful attack to damage me. It must''ve weakened him. We can use this chance to¡ª" "It was me." Neo cut off Apollo''s words and ced his sword at his neck. "I was the one who attacked you." "¡­!?" His confusion was clear to Neo. "So this is a vision." Instead of beheading Apollo, he sheathed his sword. Apollo was shocked when Neo realized they were in Apollo''s vision. It proved Neo always knew his trait. "Why are you attacking me!? Why?" Apollo shouted, aghast. "Because you wanted me to stop from saving the Child of Mana¡ª" Neo suddenly stopped speaking. He raised his head and looked at the sky. The noise of thunderps echoed faintly. It grew in volume with each passing second. Giant condensed bolts of golden lightning crackled in between the dark clouds. An unfathomable pressure exploded in the sky. The clouds parted, revealing a man d in golden lightning. "You¡ª" Zeus red at Neo, and Neo unleashed his own pressure in return. "How dare you betray the Association!?" He descended from the sky at breakneck speed and¡ª Apollo woke up from the vision, breathing heavily. He clutched his chest. "Neo betrayed the Association?" He recalled Zeus'' words and the wrath behind them. Zeus had been out for blood. "No, Neo isn''t the type of person to betray others." Apollo had spent over a month with Neo. He had seen Neo''s kindness andpassion. Neo had been prepared to fight him, Athena, and Emma to protect his friends. "There is no way a person like that will betray us." Apollo repeated the words as if to convince himself. But. The vision could not be wrong. He scrambled around, searching for his device. "I need to warn the Association of Neo''s betrayal¡­." He entered the number. However, his finger refused to press the dial button. "Dammit!" He opened the message app and started to type. [Apollo (sender): Neo wants to save Child of Mana at all costs. Convince him properly or he might try to save the Child of Mana alone.] [(Message delivered to Emma)] [(Message delivered to Ares)] [(Message delivered to Gaia)] "Should I send it to Zeus too?" Apollo thought and shook his head. "Forget it. It would justplicate things unnecessarily." The message he sent contained vital information, but it didn''t explicitly state Neo''s betrayal. Apollo had been informed about the Child of Mana being in Typhaon''s captivity. Coupled with the fact Neo talked about the Child of Mana and they were present in a forest¡ªprobably Savage Expanse¡ªApollo could easily figure out Neo''s goal. After sending the message, Apollo stood up and left the tent. "I can''t reach Association Headquarters, but I should be able to reach the Savage Expanse if I move now. "If Neo''s goal is Typhaon, he will definitelye to Savage Expanse. I have to stop him from reaching Typhaon." Apollo respected Neo. However, he was prepared to fight Neo if Neo chose the wrong path. Despite having the firm conviction, Apollo clenched his fists. "But¡­ It should be fine if I try to convince him first, right? Just because he wille to the Savage Expanse doesn''t mean we have to fight," he murmured. "There is also a chance Neo might not betray us." ¡­ Palkebo Caf¨¦, 6th floor, Association Headquarters Emma and Jack were drinking coffee while waiting for Neo. "When will you stop hiding in Neo''s shadow?" Emma asked. "This again?" Jack sighed. "I''ve told you many times, I''m not hiding in anyone''s shadow." "Stop lying. There is no way you are weaker than Neo. Your talent is iparably higher than his. I can see that easily." "Blind idiot," he muttered under his breath. "What?" "Nothing." Jack shrugged. "Anyway, I''m not holding back or anything." "You are. You just don''t want to hurt Neo''s ego by revealing you are stronger." Jack sighed again. They had had the same conversation dozens of times when they were alone. Emma clearly didn''t like Neo. "Emma, your highest mastery element is Darkness, am I correct?" Jack asked, interrupting her. "Yes?" "Can you devour physical objects?" "I can." "What about abstract concepts?" "Yes, I can devour emotions." "Can you devour darkness?" "Huh? Of course, I can''t. It''s impossible to do so." Jack shrugged. He was taught the same. But inside his Soul Space, Neo had devoured Jack''s corruption (Darkness) and sins. It was not supposed to be possible. ''At this point, I''m not even surprised when Neo does something absurd,'' he thought. ''He can achieve these impossible feats like nothing.'' He stared at Emma. ''I don''t understand how she thinks Neo is weaker than me.'' "Why are you asking about this?" Emma asked. "No reason." He didn''t reveal Neo''s actual abilities. Neo had warned Jack that the association might try to stop them from rescuing the Child of Mana. It was best if they misjudged their strength and thought of them as weak. ''We need all the advantage we can get.'' Jack was drowned in thoughts when Neo approached their table. "Where is Kane?" Emma asked. "Sleeping." The group became silent. Neo sat with them and ordered a drink. "What will you do?" "I''ll think about it for a few days. It''s not an easy decision to make," Neo lied without batting an eye. The trio talked for a few minutes. Emma checked her watch. "It''s time. Let''s go." She guided them to the meeting room. Before opening the door, she turned to Neo and Jack. "The Titans are present in the meeting too. You are soon to be members of our Association, so don''t do anything that can embarrass us." Jack''s brows creased. As far as he was taught, Titans and Gods were enemies. It was weird to see them working together to maintain thew and order in Apocalypse. "Got it." Neo and Jack entered the meeting hall. Emma was about to follow them when suddenly her phone rang. "This is the emergency notification sound." She frowned and took out her device and saw a message. [Apollo (sender): Neo wants to save the Child of Mana at all costs. Convince him properly or he might try to save the Child of Mana alone.] Chapter 243: Meeting Kronos Emma read the message. Her eyes became cold. She returned the device to her pocket and followed into the meeting hall with Neo and Jack. She sat next to Neo and Jack. The two were going through the documents ced on the table. Just then, Ares'' device rang. It was the emergency ringtone, but the Titans, Neo, and Jack didn''t know the signal''s importance. "Gentlemen, please excuse me," Ares said and took out his device. He read the message and looked at Neo and Jack before shifting his gaze to Emma. The message behind his eyes was clear. ''Don''t create amotion before the Titans. We can''t show weakness in front of them.'' Emma nodded imperceptibly. She introduced Jack and Neo. "These are Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma. "As you all know, Neo defeated anomaly #33 eight months ago, and Jack is the Necromancer who¡­." Ignoring her introduction, Neo scanned the meeting hall. Fifteen chairs were ced around arge circr table. Ares, the chairman of the Awakener Association, and two more members of the Association sat on one side. On the other side, holograms of four Titans were present. The first Titan had brown hair and green eyes. He had an amicable smile while his head was covered in bandages. As the meeting continued, he introduced himself as Perses, the Titan of Destruction. The second Titan was someone whom Neo was familiar with. "I''m Francis," the Titan introduced himself. "You might know me as Kronos, the Titan of Time." Francis smiled and patted the empty seat next to him. "As for this empty seat, As was supposed to sit here, but as you can see, I have no idea where he is." Francis chuckled. He navigated the conversations with ease and kept the atmosphere friendly. Neo smiled. ''This bastard has always been good at talking.'' The meeting continued. The first topic was about Jack. Jack hadmitted irreversible atrocities in Spain. It was obvious he would be punished. However¡­ "Since we can''t decide how to punish Jack Hanma, let''s discuss this issue on ater date," Ares said after a lengthy discussion. Neo and Jack weren''t surprised by the oue. ''It''s obvious why they aren''t punishing Jack.'' ''They need as many powerful Awakeners as possible to fight Typhaon when he wakes up.'' Interrupting Neo''s thoughts, Ares continued. "Now, onto the reason for this Council, we need to discuss whether we should rescue the Child of Mana or not." Another lengthy discussion took ce. Ares would''ve loved to not reveal the Child of Mana''s location to Neo, not after reading Apollo''s message of Neo''s possible betrayal. Unfortunately, the information was written in the documents ced on the table. And Neo and Jack had read them before Emma and Ares read Apollo''s message. ''They are just usingplicated reasons to say why they shouldn''t rescue the Child of Mana.'' Neo continued to read the documents while listening to everyone. ''So they found the location of the Child of Mana ¨C Sphinx ¨C through her brother who¡­.'' Neo froze. ''Daniel Caelum?'' ''Daniel Caelum is Sphinx''s brother?'' The professor who taught Neo about the Time element. Someone who was rough around the edges and found it difficult to express his emotions. Daniel Caelum. ''¡­.'' Neo shook his head. ''I shouldn''t be surprised. This is the past. I was bound to meet famous figures of the history.'' ''Instead of being sidetracked, I should focus on the task at hand.'' He closed the document. His goal ofing to the Association waspleted. He found the location of the Child of Mana. However¡­ ''I need to try at least. If I''m going to go rescue Sphinx from Typhaon, I would need all the help I can get.'' Neo knew the possibility of them following his words was close to zero. Still, he decided to do so. Because failure was not an option. It meant the end of the world. ''I need something that can create an impact.'' Neo stood up. The attention of the meeting shifted to him. "Neo Hargraves, is there something you have to say?" "I do." Neo looked them each in the eye before he continued. "Jack and I are from the future." The air in the meeting hall froze. Rhea, the Titan of Nature,ughed and broke the stillness. However, she stopped when Neo remained serious. "¡­you aren''t joking." "I''m afraid I''m not," Neo said. "Jack and I are here to save the Child of Mana. If we fail to do so, the world would end." Neo could almost hear the gears turning in everyone''s mind. His words had been no less than a nuclear bomb being dropped at their heads. "Can you prove you are from the future?" Ares asked. "He isn''t lying," Iapetus, the Titan of Justice, answered Ares as he used his lie detection ability. "Though there is a possibility he has been brainwashed, hypnotized, or fake memories have been imnted in his head. "That way, he will believe his words are true, and anything he says would be truth, even if they are objectively false." Iapetus'' words revealed the drawback of lie detection abilities. Lie detection worked on subjective truth. A person could wholeheartedly believe their neighbor was a murderer, even if it was false. In this case, if they said ''My neighbor is a murderer'' in front of a lie detector, it would be counted as a truth. "I''m a Darkness user," Neo said. "I have high mental defense. There is zero possibility of me being under someone else''s mind control or hypnotism." "There is low possibility, not zero," Iapetus interrupted Neo. "It''s fine, Iapetus. Let''s hear him first before we jump to conclusions." Francis stared Neo in the eye as he asked, "Are you sure that if we don''t save the Child of Mana, the world would end?" "Yes." "He is lying," Iapetus spoke up. Neo clicked his tongue and corrected his words. "I have evidence I gained from trusted sources. These evidences suggest that the world would end if the Child of Mana falls." "That''s the truth." "Thank you, Iapetus," Francis said. "Neo, I hope you won''t lie to us again. I want to trust you, but it won''t be possible if you are not truthful with us." Chapter 244: Neos Meeting With Titans & Awakener Association "¡­.fine." "How much time do we have until we can save the Child of Mana?" Ares asked. "I don''t know." A lengthy discussion took ce. Jack remained silent unless Neo spoke to him to support his ims. He was trying to recover from the shock of having their identity revealed. Never in his wildest dreams had he thought Neo would reveal they were from the future. ''Wouldn''t this mess up the future?'' Jack thought, worriedly. As the meeting progressed, Ares asked the question everyone had been thinking of. "Neo Hargraves, you said we have no choice but to rescue the Child of Mana," "I did." "But if we try to rescue the Child of Mana, we would wake up Typhaon," Ares said. "Last time we did something simr, the Father of Anomalies almost woke up. We can''t take such risks again." The time Ares talked about was when they had tried to seal the Savage Expanse ¨C the forest where Typhaon lived ¨C into a separate dimension. Back then, Typhaon destroyed everyone who came to seal him and nearly woke up. "Neo Hargraves, we aren''t capable of defeating Typhaon if he wakes up today. "If you want us to follow your n, tell me, do you have a method of ying Typhaon?" Ares continued. "Can you say with certainty that you would stop Typhaon before he razes the world to the ground?" "I can." Neo''s words made Ares stiffen. "My Death. It''s on the verge of reaching the next stage. I can deal with Typhaon after that." "Pffft!" Rhea, the Titan of Nature, couldn''t hold back herughter. More people chuckled. "If you can reach the next stage? When will that happen? Today? Tomorrow? A yearter? A decadeter? "There are dozens of Awakeners who can never reach the next stage despite being on the verge of a breakthrough. How are you sure you are different?" Rhea stoppedughing and spat thorny words. "Even if you break through sessfully, what guarantee do you have that you can defeat Typhaon? Or are you asking us to gamble on you?" Her sharp re bore holes into Neo. "The entire world fears Typhaon. It''s not without reason. Stop acting like you are better than us when you have done nothing to prove your ims." "Iapetus can confirm I''m not lying." "And I can confirm you are delusional." Before Neo could retort, Emma opened her mouth. "Neo, can you use Death now?" "¡­.no." "Hahaha, look at this," Rhea spoke up. "He can''t use his Death element, and he is saying he will defeat Typhaon with it¡ª" Jack mmed his hand onto the table, cutting off Rhea mid-sentence. He stared at Rhea and spoke in a cold tone. "It''s amon urrence for demigods to lose their elemental affinity mastery when they refuse the Concepts imbued in their bloodline. "The elemental mastery returnster when the demigod sessfully builds their own Concept. Neo is going through the same urrence," he exined. "First time I''m hearing about it," Rhea said. "Not my fault that monkeys aren''t taught to wipe their butts." "What¡­.!?" Rhea''s face became beet red. Iapteus couldn''t hold back and let out a chuckle. Rhea, being a hologram, couldn''t hurt Jack, and directed her anger to Iapteus. "Is this funny to you!?" "No, it''s no- pfft." Rhea seemed ready to pounce on Iapteus and swallow him whole. Peses, the Titan of Destruction, had to intervene to stop them from fighting. He was almost punched by Rhea too and had his injuries re-opened. "You are dead when we meet," Rhea red at Jack. Francis smiled bitterly when Rhea left while stomping her foot. He turned to Neo. "While I do agree she was harsh, Rhea''s words were correct. "For all we know, you could be under hypnosis of a monster or an enemy awakener. "The words you''ve spoken could be lies that you believe to be truth. "Even if they are not, we can''t put all of our chips into you, believing you can defeat Typhaon." Francis locked his fingers and leaned forward. "Neo Hargraves, I want to believe you. I truly do. "However, you have zero credibility." Neo almost revealed his past life identity as Francis''s friend. However, he stopped. ''If I reveal my identity, I''m sure Francis will help me, but what about the Awakener Association?'' ''They might still think I''m under a monster or an enemy awakener''s control and that I''m trying to manipte Francis.'' ''It would worsen the rtionship between Titans and Awakeners.'' Titans and the Awakener Association were on friendly terms. But they would wage war against each other in the future. Why would two organizations, who wanted to protect the world, nearly destroy the world due to their battles? ''What if everything happened because of today?'' Titans who supported Neo in fighting Typhaon. Awakener Association who were against waking up Typhaon. The discord between the two organizations would be major if Neo tried to ask for Francis''s help. ''Let''s not do that.'' ''I''ll handle Typhaon myself.'' ''I did ask for their help, but it was only to make my path easier.'' While Neo was drowning in his thoughts, Francis''s mind was churning at a high speed too. He opened his mouth. "I''ve said my piece. However, I do think we should be prepared in case Neo Hargraves'' words are true," Francis said. "I will leave the final decision to you, Ares. After all, Neo is a member of your Association." Ares drummed his fingers on the table, deep in thought. "We won''t rescue the Child of Mana." "But the world will end if you don''t!" Jack shouted. "The world ended when the apocalypse hit," Emma answered him. Her words made everything clear to Jack. ''They won''t fight Typhaon. They are too afraid of it.'' ''Just the thought of failure is enough to stop them from taking the gamble.'' "I can''t believe losers like you became Gods," Jack spat and left the meeting hall. *** Trivia: Anomalies are numbered in a first-found, first-named basis. Their numbers are not rted to their age or strength. Chapter 245: Councils Decision & Rebels Ares signaled Emma to follow after Jack. She nodded. The meeting hall was plunged into silence. Ares broke the stillness with his words. "We can''t fight Typhaon until we arepletely prepared." He looked at Neo in the eye. "Now that you know about our choice, we need to hear yours. Do you still want to save the Child of Mana?" he asked. "Why do you want to know about it?" "It should be obvious." Neo pursed his lips and the gears in his minds churned. ''We will be rebels if we go against their decision and try to rescue the Child of Mana,'' he thought. ''They will do whatever it takes to stop us.'' ''Well, I tried my best to convince them. This much should be enough.'' Neo opened his mouth. "Can I give my answer tomorrow?" he asked, trying to buy time, since lying was useless due to Iapteus'' lie detection. "Why not now?" "It''s not an easy decision to make. We havee to the past to save the Child of Mana, and now you are requesting us to do otherwise. I need to think about it carefully." Ares stared at Neo for dozens of seconds, his expression unreadable, before he sighed. "Fine." Neo left the meeting hall after receiving the answer. After his departure, Ares sank into his seat, the leather creaking under his weight. "He is going to go for the Child of Mana," Francis said as he stared at the door from where Neo had left. "I can see that." "Want our help to stop him?" "No, it''s fine. He is just a B-rank awakener. We can deal with him ourselves." "You know it better than anyone else that our ranking system is highly wed. "Besides, a B-rank awakener should not have been able to survive Anomaly #79 until now, nor should he be able to take out a Necromancer, who devoured Spain, in under 5 minutes." Ares had to agree with Francis. Neo''s abilities were too diverse. His Time and Darkness elemental maniption made him a mage. Having high mastery in two unrted elements alone crowned him as an irregr. However, Neo also had powerful sword techniques, high physical stats, and a wealthybat experience that belonged to a physical fighter. Lastly, his strange ability of removing the corruption of Darkness, inhuman willpower, and his unknown methods with which he defeated Anomaly #33. One could be either Master of One or Jack of All. But Neo was more of a Master of All. "He is just one man," Ares said. "He can''t defeat the Association alone." Shaking his head, Ares continued. "Forget about him. What happened to the World Time project?" "We''ve had a breakthrough in the project and we sessfully developed its first working prototype, the [Space-Time Cube]." A cube appeared in Francis'' hand. He threw it in the air, and the cube disappeared in a portal that materialized above it. A few secondster, another portal appeared before Ares, and the cubended in Ares'' hand. "That''s thepleted prototype. You can check its performance," Francis said. "Who are you going to give it to?" "Athena." "That''s a good choice. It''s best if you can protect the Child of Mana with it." ¡­ Neo met with Jack outside, who was sweating buckets. The pale moonlight illuminated Jack''s distressed expression, his disheveled hair clinging to his forehead. "What happened to you?" "I just realized, but I cursed at the Gods." Jack was shaking in his boots. "I will die even if Iplete the trial. They will finish me as soon as I return to the real world." Neo chuckled. "Don''tugh!" "Not my fault. It''s funny to see you angry one second and regretting the consequences the next second." Jack wanted to cry but had no tears. Neo patted his back and left to meet Athena. "Where are you going?" Jack asked. "I have an appointment with Athena." Neo wanted to talk with Athena as soon as possible and ask her about the novel and the reason behind his reincarnation. He stepped towards the room he had been told about. The corridor was dimly lit, and the flickeringmps casted dancing shadows on the walls. ''Athena'' was written in bold letters on the door. He knocked. "You cane inside." "Pardon the intrusion." Neo stepped into the room. Scattered notebooks and damaged novels covered the desk, while coffee mugs with dried rings sat precariously on stacks of paper. A cozy nket draped a chair, and sticky notes were haphazardly stered across the walls like chaotic inspiration. "I''m busy. Please wait a few minutes," Athena said. She sat at her desk, busily scribbling something on what looked like a coge of ideas. Bored, Neo looked at the room to pass time. He noticed the information about the ''Son of Zeus'' novel on the sticky notes on the west-side wall. The cluttered wall was covered in colorful sticky notes, each scribbled with different novel plot ideas. Some were bold and underlined, while others were faint and iplete. He stood up and approached the sticky notes. After reading through them, Neo noticed a thick notebook near him. The well-worn notebook rested on a desk, its pages slightly dog-eared, its cover faded from use. [Ideas for Son of Zeus novel] "Can I read your notes?" Neo asked Athena. "You can," Athena answered without much thought. ''I thought authors were embarrassed to show their behind-the-plot ideas to others. Is Athena different or was I wrong?'' Neo didn''t waste too much time buried in useless thoughts. He looked through the notebook. "What the¡­." Neo was surprised. The book contained a lot of information he had never read in the novel. Not just that, there was a lot of parallel information too. One note said Arthur had all 108 elements, while the other said Arthur had 24 elements. He had picked the notebook in hopes of jogging up his knowledge of the plot. Instead, he became confused. "Why is it like this?" "Like what?" He noticed Athena had finished her work and was staring at him. Chapter 246: QnA With The Author Neo stared at Athena. The room was dimly lit, the flickering mes of a nearby brazier casting long shadows on the marble walls. The scent of aged parchment filled the air, mingling with the faint aroma of burning incense. He wondered how much he should reveal to ask her about the novel and his reincarnation. After thinking for a bit, he decided to be direct. "I''m from the future," he said. "I know. Ares told me through telepathy." Athena answered while her expression remained unreadable. Athena could use telepathy. With it, she was able to know everything that urred during the meeting in a single second. The golden light from the brazier reflected in her piercing gray eyes, which lingered on Neo as if she had something to say. Suddenly, Neo opened his mouth. "This was my favorite book." "Son of Zeus?" she asked when Neo pointed at the notes in his hands. "Yes." Athena tilted her head, confused. She had been with him for quite some time and had never seen him show interest in novels. "I read it when only 10 chapters were released. The novel was a daily serialization on a novel tform." Neo''s gaze softened, and a small smile yed on his lips. "I still remember the author''s notes about how they were hoping their readers enjoyed the released chapters and that they would love more feedback," he chuckled, reminiscing about the past. "You read it when only 10 chapters were released¡­?" The meaning of his words slowly dawned upon her. "You¡­" "I''m a reincarnator," Neo continued. "The novel you''ve written contained the knowledge of the future. It helped quite a lot. That''s why I wanted to thank you." Athena was stunned. She never expected she would meet a reincarnator so early. The faint hum of magic resonated in the air, and the shadows around them seemed to ripple slightly. As a Child of Mana, Athena had always had prophetic dreams. A lot of those dreams were nonsense, but some showed glimpses of the future. True reincarnators, transmigrators, possessors, regressors¡ªshe had seen them in her dreams. A lot of her novel plots were based on them. Maybe Son of Zeus was the same. "I know you didn''t know you were writing about the future when you wrote this novel," Neo said. "But I still want to ask a few things." "Go on," Athena said while trying to suppress the tremor in her voice. She sped her hands tightly in herp, herposure barely intact. She was starting to believe Neo was truly from the future. However, whether Ares and the others would agree with her or not was apletely different matter. "What happens in thest volume?" Neo asked, his gaze intense. "A battle between Arthur and the [Gods of Beyond]," Athena replied. Neo frowned. The mention of the Gods of Beyond made his brows crease. It was another name for them. "What were our gods doing?" Neo asked the question he had always been curious about. "Other than the problem with the Gods of Beyond, there are a ton of problems that could be solved if those gods¡ªyou guys¡ªdescended into the world for a second. Why didn''t you bother helping us?" "Uh¡­" Athena looked away, her brows furrowed in thought. "I never wrote the reason because the serialization stopped due to the apocalypse." "So you don''t know the reason," Neo said tly. "I have multiple reasons, but I never decided which one I would choose and add in the novel," Athena admitted. An author always had multiple scenarios for any arc or volume. The same was true for Athena. Neo sighed, knowing ming Athena wouldn''t change anything. He asked her to exin all the scenarios to him. "The first one was, the gods couldn''t be bothered to help if the people were defeated by such low-level problems... "The second one was, the gods had a rule of not descending into the world. If they broke it, their powerful aura could destroy the world," Athena said. "The third was¡­ something like the gods didn''t care about their world since they have ascended to a better, higher world. It''s like people leaving a vige for cities for better living conditions. Then, they can''t be bothered about what happens to the vige." Athena pursed her lips, her golden eyes reflecting the soft light as if they were pondering something deeper. "But¡­" "But?" Neo prompted, his curiosity piqued. "These scenarios never sat well with me. They feltcking. That''s why I never used any one of them and ended up going on an indefinite hiatus." Neo thought about her words, the faint crackle of a nearby magicalntern breaking the silence. ''So, one of her three scenarios is true,'' he pondered. ''Or there is apletely different reason behind everything. Athena didn''t see that reason in her dreams, and that''s why the three scenarios didn''t sit well with her¡ªbecause she instinctively knew they were wrong.'' "Thank you for telling me everything," Neo said sincerely, his voice carrying a rare note of solemnity. "Do you have any idea about my reincarnation?" Even as he spoke, Neo felt a twinge of self-consciousness. He was talking with Athena, asking about the future and the reason behind his reincarnation as if he were casually chatting about the weather with a neighbor. "I don''t," Athena said, shaking her head lightly. The motion caused her long, silken hair to sway, catching the faint light. "The current me doesn''t know. I can''t be sure if the same is true for the future me." "Am I the only reincarnator?" "No, you should know others like you exist if you''ve read the novel." "I''m not talking about them. I''m asking if someone like me¡ªwho has read the novel¡ªexists." "That¡­ I don''t know," Athena admitted, her gaze dropping to the floor for a moment. Neo didn''t receive all the answers he sought, but he wasn''t bothered. Many of his doubts were cleared. As the conversation lulled, the atmosphere seemed to shift. The room grew quieter. Athena suddenly changed the topic. Her tone was sharp. "Seraphs," she said. "...?" Neo raised an eyebrow, confused by the abrupt shift. "That''s the title of reincarnators in my novel." "I know that. But why are you telling me this?" Athena''s expression faltered briefly. Her hands, resting on the table between them, clenched slightly. She was med hard by her fans because of the Seraphs. She had added the reincarnators in the plot abruptly, without foreshadowing. Characters who had acted normally until then suddenly gained memories of multiple lives, dividing her fanbase into two sides. One part of the fandom thought Athena was destroying the novel because she had no idea what she was doing. The others¡ªincluding Neo¡ªbelieved Athena had a reason for the sudden addition and had a proper plot for the reincarnators. The two sides had engaged in an intense keyboard war. Seeing Neo''s smile, Athena''s cheeks flushed faintly. "You were a part of it too?" "The war between your fans?" Neo asked, amused. Athena nodded as an answer to his question. "I was on your supporting side," Neo admitted. She hesitated, her fingers fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve. Neo realized what she wanted to know about and decided to answer without her asking. "I was ''Mightysword101.''" "Ah! You were the no-lifer who spent all day on my novel''s forum¡ª" Athena stopped abruptly, realizing she had almost insulted him. She coughed, embarrassed. "Anyway," she continued, avoiding his gaze, "Since you are a reincarnator, you must be a Seraph too." Chapter 247 Calm Before The Storm The room was dimly lit, with the soft glow of a singlemp casting long shadows across the walls. Athena sat by a cluttered wooden desk, a faint scent of aged parchment lingering in the air. "I doubt so. Unlike Seraphs who have lived multiple lives, I''ve only had one previous life." Neo''s voice was calm as he spoke. His his eyes briefly flickered to the books scattered across the desk. Not a lot of information about Seraphs was given in the novel he had read. Athena nced at him, her brows knitting together as she tried to recall whatever little she knew. She cleared some of his doubts, but her hesitation revealed she didn''t know much herself. "Thanks," Neo said, his tone polite, as he turned to leave. Just as he reached the door, he stopped abruptly. The faint creak of the floorboards echoed in the still room. Turning around, he met her gaze and opened his mouth. "Can you help me?" "¡­" "I don''t want to kill people from the Awakeners Association if possible." His words were soft but resolute. Athena stiffened, the light from themp casting sharp lines across her face. ''He knows Ares is nning to attack him if he goes to rescue the Child of Mana. And he has no intention of backing down,'' she thought, unease gripping her. But something else in Neo''s words unsettled her even more. "You don''t want to¡­ kill?" she repeated, her voice faltering. Neo''s gaze was unwavering. It was the first time she saw him like this. Until today, she had never seen Neo talk about his strength in detail. Whenever Emma mocked him for being weak, or when Jack defended him, iming he was strong, Neo had always remained silent. However¡­ She could tell by looking into his eyes. He was prepared to fight the association. And he was confident of his victory. "I''ll see what I can do," she finally answered, breaking eye contact as she looked away. Neo sighed softly and left. The corridor outside was eerily quiet, the usually bustling hallways now deserted. Dim lights flickered above, casting faint shadows that seemed to dance along the cracked walls. It didn''t take him long to notice the dwindling presence of the association members. The headquarter''s usual vibrancy had been reced by an ominous stillness. ''Are they evacuating people now that they think a battle will break out?'' Neo frowned. The battle between him and the association felt inevitable. But why was the Awakener Association so certain he would try to save the Child of Mana? It was a mystery, one that gnawed at the edges of his mind. He had no idea the association had been warned by Apollo, who had received a vision of the future. He approached the exit, hoping to test the waters. The guards stationed at the door stopped him. He wasn''t allowed to leave. Their faces were grim, their postures rigid. Shaking his head, he turned around and wandered back inside. A few minutester, he spotted Jack in the cafeteria. The room was dim, the soft hum of fluorescent lights blending with the faint tter of utensils. Read exclusive chapters at empire Jack sat at a corner table, slurping noodles with a carefree expression. "Oh, you''re back? How did it go with Athena?" Jack asked, his mouth half-full of food. "¡­Aren''t you a bit too rxed?" Neo asked, amused. The tension in the headquarters was palpable¡ªand yet Jack eat like nothing was happening. "Well¡­" Jack dragged the words out, pointing his spoon at Neo with a casual grin. "I trust you." Neo stared at him, momentarily taken aback. Anyone else in Jack''s position would have called him crazy. Neo had imed he would take down Typhon. Even if someone from the future heard him, they wouldn''t trust him to be strong enough to win. If they lost, Typhon¡ªwho had awoken¡ªwould raze everything to the ground. The association''s decision to avoid rescuing the Child of Mana was the obvious one. Yet, Jack was here, taking Neo''s side without a shred of doubt. While Jack continued his meal, Neo reached into his pocket and brought out his caterpir. The tiny creature wriggled in his palm, its translucent body shimmering faintly under the cafeteria lights. Neo handed it an elixir, watching as it eagerly absorbed the glowing liquid. He downed three other elixirs himself, feeling the rush of Divine Energy course through his veins. "How many elixirs do you have left now?" Jack asked, his eyes briefly flicking to Neo as he sipped his soup. "None," Neo replied, closing his eyes to focus on absorbing the energy. Jack raised an eyebrow before opening his Shadow Space. He pulled out a small object wrapped in cloth and handed it to Neo. "Take this." It smelled of sandalwood, but as soon as Neo grabbed it, he realized what it was. "When did you do this?" Neo''s hand trembled slightly as he grasped the object. His eyes swiftly moved towards Jack''s hand. ''He cut his hand and regenerated it. Did Athena do it?'' ''But he will lose the regenerated part if I devour this.'' Neo stared at the cloth-bound object. The faint glow of Divine Energy emanated from the fabric, wrapping it in an ethereal light. It had Jack''s hand ¨C the part below his wrist. "I''ve infused a lot of my Divine energy in it before separating it. "Think of it as an impromptu Divine Energy elixir. Devouring it would recover half of your Divine Energy reserve," Jack said, his tone calm but insistent. Before Neo could refuse, Jack added, "This is a crucial part for both of us, Neo. We can''t fail because you ran out of Divine Energy at thest moment." Jack let out a fake frown. "I don''t want to fail the trial because of you. Use this when the timees." Neo clicked his tongue and nodded. The faint rustling of leaves outside the window punctuated his reluctant agreement. He would rather die than use it, but he knew saying it out aloud would start another round of nagging. The two fought Anomaly #79 again at night ¨C they had been allowed to leave headquarters under Emma''s supervision ¨C and came back to sleep. "Good night," Emma said after she showed them their rooms. The long corridor leading to their quarters was quiet, save for the faint creak of floorboards under their feet. Jack fell asleep as soon as hey on the bed. Neo too drifted to sleep, lulled by the distant chirping of crickets. It was midnight when rms rang in his mind, jolting him awake. "¡­I thought they would wait a few days," Jack said as he opened his eyes. Both of them left the room. The entire headquarters had been empty. They tried to leave, but the windows and doors were blocked by some kind of barrier. "Space Istion," Neo murmured, his voice barely audible in the suffocating silence. "Let''s check the rooftop." The two climbed the stairs, the echo of their hurried footsteps breaking the stillness. *** Author''s Note: Something came up yesterday and I had to take a break. Mass release has not been skipped. I will release the chapters day after tomorrow (13th). Again, sorry for the sudden break. Chapter 248 Ambush Of The Association The door to the rooftop opened with a kick. A cold breeze greeted them as they stepped beyond the door. They noticed a ck barrier covering the outer walls of the building. The barrier shimmered ominously under the faint starlight. It was as if the association headquarters had been stuffed into a ck container that was asrge as it. Only a little bit of empty space above the rooftop was present. "They are nning to destroy the headquarters with us," Neo said. He stared at the dozens of shining magic circles in the air, their intricate patterns glowing brighter with every passing second. "I guess they are worried since they don''t know if we have trump cards," Jack answered. Both of them gazed at the giant magic circle at the center. It was growingrger and moreplex with time. The huge amount of Divine Energy gathering in the sky sent shivers down Jack''s spine. A low hum filled the air, resonating deep within their bones. Neo triggered Ocean''s Embrace and covered his body in Darkness. The inky ckness enveloped him, merging seamlessly with the shadows around him. Combined with Eternal''s resistance, this was the highest his defense had ever been. "Hide in my shadow," Neo told Jack, his voice calm but firm. "I will help you block that attack. That thing looks nasty." "It''s fine," Neo said. "I bet the Awakeners are waiting to attack us after this initial bombardment. I need you to deal with them with your summons. There is no need for you to waste your strength now." Jack nodded with difficulty. Although he wanted to retort, Neo''s words were logical. The hesitation in Jack''s eyes was fleeting as he activated Shadow Space Spell and vanished into Neo''s shadow. The magic circles in the air started tobine, and an oppressive pressure erupted from them. The sky above churned with dark, roiling clouds, casting ominous shadows on the ground below. A ray of light shot down, splitting the gloom momentarily. Neo covered his hand in Darkness and punched upwards. The impact rippled through the air, the surrounding environment vibrating as if reality itself was being torn apart. ... Outside the Spatial Barrier Hundreds of awakeners hovered in the air around the spatially sealed Association headquarters. The area was surrounded by a faint, shimmering dome, its surface rippling like disturbed water. They couldn''t see what was happening inside, but the weight of the battle within pressed against their senses. Ares, Emma, and Athena stood at the front of the group of awakeners. The air was thick with tension as the cold wind rustling their cloaks while they stared intently at the barrier. "Armageddon won''t be enough," Emma said, her voice edged with concern. "Together with Jack and him, they can block that attack." Ares nodded, his gaze fixed on the flickering barrier. Armageddon was the Association''s strongest attack technique. However, it was still in the developmental stages. He never expected it to be enough to defeat Neo and Jack outright. "They will be wounded badly. That''s more than enough," Ares said. The wind picked up, carrying the scent of scorched earth. Using Armageddon for a B-rank and an A+ rank awakener was excessive, but Ares would rather be overprepared than underprepared. The spatial barrier started to crack, emitting a high-pitched whine. Bright sparks flew out as fractures spread like veins across its surface. "Get ready!" Ares raised his voice, cutting through the anxious silence. "Both of them will be injured! Attack them as soon as the spatial barrier breaks!" The barrier shattered with a deafening boom, unable to contain the force of Armageddon. Dust and debris swirled in the chaotic aftermath. However, instead of the explosion of shining light they expected, pitch-ck Darkness spewed out from within the spatial barrier. ''They overpowered Armageddon?'' Ares was rmed. "Attack!" Hundreds of awakeners unleashed their abilities into the encroaching Darkness. zing fireballs, piercing wind des, and radiant beams of light shot forth, illuminating the battlefield. Nothing they did stopped the spewing ckness. The Darkness surged like a living entity, swallowing their attacks whole. It flowed outward and enveloped the awakeners, leaving many immobilized in its wake. Ares and the others blinked¡ª "What?" Emma muttered, her voice trembling. They had been standing under the zing Sunshine, but the moment the Darkness touched them, it turned into night. The sky above was nketed in an unnatural void and the stars werepletely obscured. She turned around and saw the awakeners writhing on the ground, clutching their heads in agony. Faint, dissonant whispers echoed in Emma''s mind, sending chills down her spine. "Voices of Darkness¡­" Her expression stiffened as she tried toprehend how Neo had turned day into night and how he was attacking them mentally. Something was wrong. Neo wasn''t supposed to be this strong. Emma could feel her strength draining away, and her limbs growing heavier. Just then, Athenapleted a short chant. A soft, ethereal light radiated from her, dispelling the oppressive whispers. The pain assailing everyone''s minds dimmed, reced by a fragile rity. The light bathed the awakeners, lifting them from their despair. Saved, their vignce peaked. Their eyes turned toward the Association headquarters. The Darkness covering the building slowly began to dissipate, revealing frozen remnants of their attacks suspended in mid-air. It was as if Time itself had been halted. And there, atop the rooftop, stood Neo, perfectly unharmed. "¡­!?" The awakeners felt chills crawl up their spines. He ignored their stares, his blood-red eyes locking onto Athena. His gaze briefly shifted toward the cube in her hands before settling on Ares. "Why did you attack us?" Neo asked. "You know it better than yourself," Ares replied, unwavering. His tone carried the confidence of someone certain of victory. "I guess I do." Neo''s gaze swept over the hundreds of awakeners now protected by Athena''s holy light. The ethereal glow shielded them from the lingering effects of his Tremor-ranked spell, [ck Dawn of Despair]. "Neo Hargraves, I will ask you onest time," Ares said, hismanding tone cutting through the tense air. "Are you sure you want to rescue the Child of Mana?" His gaze remained firm, unshaken by the power Neo had disyed. Neo shook his head. "Ares, I will give you two choices instead," Neo said. "Withdraw from here and let me rescue the Child of Mana, or.... face the consequences." No one heeded his warning. Some of the Awakeners at the backlines chuckled. Neo''s first attack had taken them by surprise, but they believed it was his trump card and he had nothing else left. The reports about Neo had been certainly surprising. But they were just that. Surprising. He wasn''t invincible like Zeus not did he had Apollo''s limitless talent. Neo massaged the back of his neck with one hand, his fingers brushing against a slight bruise. "Sigh, I wanted to end this without a bloodbath." Suddenly, the rxed atmosphere around Neo vanished as if had been an illusion. His gaze grew cold, sharp like the edge of a de. He ced his hand on the hilt of his sword. ''Obitus.....'' The rings of Death elementals around his heart hummed, faintly visible like ghostly chains. ''Remove the debuff.'' Neo decided to let loose for the first time in months. An overwhelming amount of malevolent aura exploded out from him, cascading over the battlefield like a tsunami. Power coursed through his limbs and the shackles weighing him down disappeared. Neo felt liberated. His presence filled the area, surging like a stormy sea. The sparse trees nearby groaned, their branches snapping under the invisible pressure. The Awakeners were pushed back, their bodies stiffening as a cold, paralyzing fear gripped them. ''Shit! He was hiding his strength until now!'' Emma bolted towards Neo, her boots crunching against shattered stones. Her heart pounded as she moved, her breaths visible in the sudden chill that engulfed the battlefield. She had never seen Neo radiate such venomous pressure. It was enough to make her shiver. Just as she was about to attack him, Jack emerged from Neo''s shadow like a specter. His presence was silent and lethal, his body strengthened by Neo''s Tremor ranked Spell ck Dawn Of Despair. A bone armor covered his hand, and he punched Emma, sending her crashing into a crumbling wall. "You¡­!" Emma spat, her re like daggers. Ares, Athena and Emma released their auras, their energies twisting the air around them into a violent maelstrom. The space shook. Dust and debris rose into the air, and cracks splintered across the ground as they tried to overwhelm Neo''s pressure. But. It was useless. Continue your journey at empire Neo stood firm. Their auras did nothing to him. The realization of Neo''s true strength gave them an unprecedented shock. Neo raised his hand slightly. The motion was calm yet it carried a dreadful weight. He used half of the second ring surrounding his heart. Red lightning flickered around his hand and tongue. He grabbed something in the air, as if he was holding an apple. Ares, Emma, and the others felt ''something'' touch their hearts. It wasn''t just fear¡ªit was tangible, a heavy, suffocating grip that wed at their very essence. The red lightning covering Neo started to move wildly. Neo opened his mouth and.... "Die." He crushed the invisible object in his hand. The sound of snapping echoed unnaturally loud across the battlefield. Ares and Emma felt their hearts squeeze. Their chests tightened as if a vice was closing in on them. Death. It had gripped their hearts. The oppressive force was undeniable. Beads of sweat rolled down their backs and unimaginable pain assaulted them. They flooded their mana into their veins, their bodies glowing faintly as they struggled to resist the attack. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 249 Athenas Descision Ares used his Holy Affinity to the maximum. His eyes grew bloodshot. The air around him shimmered with golden light, as though the sheer force of his power was warping reality itself. Emma, on the side, used the Darkness to devour the Death squeezing her heart. Shadows coiled around her, writhing like living creatures, as the faint scent of decay lingered in the cold, oppressive atmosphere. Her face was pale and her lips trembled with exertion. Both of them panted as they sessfully defended against the attack. They survived. Barely. Their expressions were grim, their bodies battered, when suddenly Neo opened his mouth. "As expected of you two. You erased my attackpletely." His voice was calm, eerily devoid of any emotion, a stark contrast to the chaos around them. Ares and Emma felt something amiss. Neo stood there, unflinching. He was calm. Too calm¡ª "But what about others?" he asked. rms rang in their minds. They swiftly turned back. The sight in front of their eyes sank their heart. Dozens of Awakenersy sprawled across the battlefield like broken dolls, their strings severed. Their bodies were motionless, eyes wide with lifeless stares. They were dead. Sixty-seven awakeners died with a single attack. The realization rmed Ares and Emma. A chilling wind swept through the deste field, carrying with it an overwhelming silence. Ares felt a surge of anger in his heart. He clenched his fists, red mes igniting around him as his fury boiled over. He red at Neo, his voice trembling with rage. "You brat¡ª" "Ares, I''ll say it again," Neo interrupted, his voice cutting through the tension like a de. "Get out of my way or suffer the consequences." The one-and-a-half rings of Death elementals around Neo''s heart began to hum ominously. Red lightning crackled around him, illuminating his cold, indifferent expression. In response, Emma summoned a giant, slithering snake made of pure Darkness. Its scales shimmered like liquid night, and its eyes burned with malevolence. Simultaneously, a red aura red around Ares, the ground beneath him cracking under the weight of his unleashed power. Just as it seemed that the sh was inevitable, a weak voice broke through the tension. "St¡­ stop¡­" Blood trickled down Athena''s nose as she staggered forward, her trembling hands clutching the Space-Time Cube. Her face was pale, her breaths shallow, yet her gaze was fixed on Neo. "This is enough," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I thought you wanted to keep continuing," Neo replied. Neo''s words confused Ares and Emma. The two exchanged a brief nce before noticing Neo''s gaze directed at the Space-Time Cube in Athena''s hands. ¡­!? The realization dawned on them. "How many times did you use the Space-Time Cube?" Ares asked, his voice low but tinged with urgency. He had assumed the blood trickling down her nose was an injury inflicted by Neo''s attack. However, he had been wrong. "That¡­" Athena bit her lips, hesitating. The Space-Time Cube''s first ability allowed its user to go back 30 seconds into the past. "Forty-three times," Athena admitted, her voice trembling. Her eyes moved toward Neo, who stood motionless, his calm demeanor unshaken. With his Time affinity, Neo had been aware Athena was using the Space-Time Cube to regress the moment he defeated them. "We lost forty-three times. Out of those, we defeated him eighteen times, but¡­" Her voice cracked. "In those eighteen loops, no one except you and Emma survived, Ares." Shock, anger, disbelief¡ªcountless emotions surged beneath Ares''s gaze. Hearing Neo killed all the awakeners who were like family to Ares nearly caused Ares to snap. He swiftly suppressed his raging emotions and, forced himself to focus. The gears in his mind churned as he stood protectively in front of Athena. "Be ready to activate the Space-Time Cube and tell me every strategy we used in the previous turns. We will use them to fight him," Aresmanded, his tone resolute. Despite the despair creeping into the edges of his mind, he stood tall as the leader of the Awakener Association, ready to face Neo again. However, he failed to notice something. Neo had not attacked them for a while. He simply stared at Athena, his gaze heavy with something unreadable. "I will do it," Athena suddenly said, her voice soft yet determined. "I will help you. So please stop killing everyone." Ares''s eyes widened in shock. He didn''t understand what Athena was talking about until¡ª She activated the Space-Time Cube. Athena returned to the past. "Neo Hargraves, I will ask you onest time," Ares said. "Are you sure you want to rescue the Child of Mana?" "Ares, I will give you two choices instead," Neo replied. "Withdraw from here and let me rescue the Child of Mana, or... face the consequences." Athena nced downward, her eyes catching the faint cracks forming on the surface of the Space-Time Cube. ''It is reaching its limit,'' she thought, her heart pounding. Blood trickled down her nose, stark against her pale skin. Traveling through time without the Time affinity was taking a toll on her. Before Neo could reveal the strength he had been hiding, Athena made a swift decision. She activated the second ability of the Space-Time Cube. Small, silver lights erupted from the cube, dancing like fireflies before darting toward the awakeners surrounding Neo. Their figures disintegrated in silence, unable to react on time due to Athena''s sudden move. Momentster, only Neo and Athena remained on barrenndscape. "You are going to help me?" Neo asked calmly, his eyes narrowing as he observed her. He could see the chaotic Time elementals swirling around her restlessly. It was easy to deduce her n¡ªshe had been going back in time repeatedly to try and take him down. Yet, after failing numerous times, she had chosen to change her approach and help him instead. "Can you really defeat Typhon?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly. "Give me a guarantee, or¡­" "Or?" Neo interrupted. "You already teleported the awakeners of the Association away. You couldn''t defeat me together with them. Do you think you can do it alone?" "No," Athena admitted as her expression hardened. "But I can make sure both of us go down together." She didn''t borate, but the burning intensity in her gaze left no doubt in Neo''s mind¡ªshe was confident she could carry out her threat. Chapter 250 How A Concept Is Built Neo frowned. His eyes scanned the battlefield, now eerily silent. Finally, he nodded. "Fine. It wasn''t my intention to kill you guys either way," he said, his voice softening as he continued. "I''m about toplete my Concept of Death. It should be enough to deal with Typhon." "Concept? What''s that?" Athena asked. "¡­Think of it as a specialization," Neo exined. "Then what is your Concept? It should be something powerful if you think you can defeat Typhon with it," she pressed. Neo pursed his lips, hesitating for a moment. The wind tugged at his cloak as he finally spoke. "It is as a Concept that can kill Immortals." "¡­?" Athena''s furrowed. "Typhon isn''t Immortal. Your Concept is useless against it." "It''s not useless." Neo shrugged. Cold winds swept across the deste ins and the overcast sky above seemed to mirror Athena''s frustration. Before Athena couldin again, he interrupted her. "You should go back to your friends if you are not nning oning with me to the Savage Expanse." He eyed the faintly glowing Space-Time Cube in her hand and added, "That thing is about to break." Athena nced at the cube. Her brow furrowed as the swirling energy within flickered erratically. Neo was right. The once stable artifact was cracking with faint beams of light leaking from its surface. She used it onest time before it shattered, teleporting away after she said her final words to Neo. "Ares and Emma won''t be able to stop you anymore. I''ve teleported them far away. But I can''t stop the others." Her figure disintegrated into motes of light, scattering into the cold, dim atmosphere. "Was that alright?" Jack asked as he jumped out of Neo''s shadow, his voice carrying a mix of curiosity and unease. The shadow he emerged from rippled unnaturally, almost alive. "Wouldn''t it have been better if we fought the association? It would have increased your Concept''s progress." "It''s fine. We''ll find plenty of battles on our way. There is no shortage of monsters in this age." Neo''s tone was steady, almost detached, as he started walking toward the direction of the Savage Expanse. The barrennd stretched endlessly ahead of them, with jagged rocks and twisted trees dotting the horizon. The asional howl of distant creatures echoed through the oppressive silence. On the way, Jack questioned Neo again, his green eyes glowing faintly in the twilight. "How much progress is left toplete your Concept?" "A bit," Neo answered honestly. He recalled how he had started building his Concept when his mastery was decreasing. However, after his mastery was sealed, the progress had slowed to a halt. To increase the pace of his Concept''s progress, he had to be closer to Death. It was why Jack asked if Neo should have fought the association. The battles and the deaths they would''ve caused might have helped Neo grow closer to Death. They traveled for half a day before they stopped to take a short break. The air was dry and heavy, with the faint smell of ash lingering in the wind. \\ Neo sat on a rock, his posture rxed but his gaze sharp, scanning the horizon. "When will you start meditation?" Jack asked, breaking the silence. "For what?" Neo''s tone was casual, almost bored. "To build your Concept," Jack answered, settling down beside him. His curiosity was evident in his expression. A Concept was built by going through two stages: [Enlightenment] and [Intent Fusion]. The Enlightenment stage included knowing what kind of Concept you wanted and understanding how it would work. Intent Fusion was fusing one''s Intent with their Core. This Intent had to be made from the Enlightenment they gained for their Concept. Both stages, [Enlightenment] and [Intent Fusion], could be done together. Most¡ªnearly all¡ªdemigods would gain a small Enlightenment, then fuse the Intent of that Enlightenment into the Core. Then, they would gain another Enlightenment and fuse the Intent again. This process would repeat until their Concept waspleted. "Intent Fusion needs tons of concentration. You need to meditate for it," Jack said, his tone insistent. "I don''t need to do it." Neo''s calm reply caught Jack off guard. "What¡­?" Jack blinked, momentarily stunned. "You do know that Intent is the manifestation of our Willpower, right?" Neo asked, his tone matter-of-fact. "Yeah," Jack nodded slowly, frowning. "The stronger one''s Willpower, the stronger Intent they can create," Neo continued. He leaned back slightly, his ck hair catching the faint glow of the setting sun. "Only strong Intents can be fused with the Core, and the stronger the Intent, the stronger the foundation of their Concept. This is why people meditate during Intent Fusion. They need to focus on creating powerful Intents." "And you don''t need to do it?" Jack asked, incredulous. "No." Neo shrugged. His expression remained as calm as the still air. His Willpower was strong. Even the weakest Intent he created was strong enough to be fused into the Core. "I''ve been doing Intent Fusion every moment for the past nine months." "¡­." Jack didn''t know whether tough or cry. He stared at Neo, his expression a mixture of disbelief and admiration. He knew Neo well enough to understand that Neo wasn''t bragging. He was just exining his Intent''s strength. Nheless, his words were too absurd. The two stopped talking when they sensed the presence of monsters. The cold air grew heavier, carrying a faint, rotten stench. The distant moans of the undead echoed faintly through the barren wastnd. "It''s zombies and skeletons," Jack muttered, standing up. His green eyes narrowed as he scanned the fog-shrouded terrain. "I''ll deal with them-" "Let me do it. I need more Death to speed up the progress of my Concept." Neo''s voice was calm but firm. Neo unsheathed his sword and moved toward the approaching zombies. A thick mist clung to the ground, swirling eerily around his feet as he advanced. They had been encountering more and more undead monsters as they moved toward the Savage Expanse. Thendscape was barren and lifeless, dotted with jagged rocks and twisted, skeletal trees. The oppressive silence was broken only by the shuffling steps and groans of the undead. These monsters were the servants of the infamous Necromancer, Nile Radcliff. Chapter 251 Ares Preperations They had been left ''alive'' by both the Awakener Association and the Titans, as these creatures acted as a natural barrier, preventing anyone from entering the Savage Expanse without resistance. Neo dealt with the monsters swiftly. His sword cut through the zombies with ease, the corrupted flesh falling apart with each strike. While both were undead types and containedrge amounts of Death, zombies were weaker than skeleton monsters. Zombies had flesh bodies, which signified the presence of Life elementals. Even Neo, despite hisck of Life affinity, had Life elementals within him because he was ''alive.'' Skeleton monsters, on the other hand, had no flesh, organs, or anything that connected them to the living. They were whollyposed of Death elementals, making them more powerful. ... Broome, Australia, Shadow World The zing sun hung high over the arid desertndscape of Broome. A relentless heat shimmered off the vast, red earth, and the air was filled with the asional gusts of dry wind that carried grains of sand, leaving a faint rustle among the sparse vegetation. "We were teleported over arge distance, too far from our headquarters," Emma muttered, sitting on the chair across Athena. "It''s good news, isn''t it? The prototype Space-Time Cube worked as we intended." "¡­" Athena didn''t respond to her sarcastic joke. Her eyes remained glued to the shattered pieces of the Space-Time Cube cradled in her hands. The faint blue glow of the fragments dimmed as though mourning their own destruction. It had broken the moment she arrived in Australia. "Why did you help him?" Emma pressed again, her voice tinged with frustration. Athena remained silent. She hadn''t answered all day despite Emma''s relentless interrogation. The desert''s oppressive silence only made the tension more palpable. "Athena, do you want me to open your head and ask your soul? Tell me why you helped him!?" Emma snapped, her patience finally fraying. "¡­." Before Athena could react, a firm voice cut through the atmosphere. "You can stop now, Nyx." The tent''s p rustled open, and Ares stepped in. His broad silhouette momentarily blocked the harsh sunlight streaming through the opening. The air inside was cooler but suffocating with unspoken emotions. He sat down in front of Athena. His normallyposed expression was weighed down by fatigue and concern. "More than seventy percent of the Awakeners in the Association are asking for you to be punished. They are demanding your execution," Ares said with a weary sigh, pulling off his sses to rub his temples. "The world might end at any moment now, and it''s your fault, Athena." The weight of his words lingered. They were too far from Turkey. There was no way for them to chase after Neo and Jack. Explore stories at empire Despite his frustration, Ares wasn''t angry at Athena. His sharp gaze fell on the fractured Cube in Athena''sp. Given its condition, it was easy to deduce that she had used it repeatedly¡ªlikely in an effort to stop Neo. When she realized the futility of her actions, she must have used the Cube''sst reserves to teleport them away before Neo could kill them. It was the only reason Emma hadn''t killed Athena yet. Suddenly, the p of the tent opened again, and Hanna, Ares'' secretary, hurried inside. Her uniform was dusty, and a faint sheen of sweat glistened on her forehead. "Sir, we''ve found a device capable of intercontinentalmunication," she reported. "Give it to me," Ares said. A faint glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. The device was handed to him¡ªa bulky, battered relic. Ares inspected it briefly, his lips curling into a rare smile. In this fragmented world, where most modern technology was useless, such a device was a treasure beyond measure. He quickly dialed a number. The line buzzed for six long rings before it was picked up. "It''s me. Ares." "What is it?" Kronos questioned from the other side of the call. "Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma¡­ defeated the organization. We''re incapable of stopping them at the moment." Ares didn''t beat around the bush and exined the most pressing issue. Even though asking for help hurt his pride, he knew not let his pride be the reason for their doom. The arid wind outside howled, shaking the tent''s loose fabric. "You want us to stop Neo Hargraves from rescuing the Child of Mana?" Kronos''s voice crackled through the device. "Yes," Ares confirmed. "¡­." "I know you have another Space-Time Cube. There''s no way you would''ve given us one if you only had one. Use it to teleport in between Neo''s path and stop him." There was a long pause. Ares frowned. He didn''t understand the reason behind Kronos'' unexpected hesitation. "Why are you¡ª" "Okay." Kronos abruptly cut the call. "¡­?" Ares''s frown deepened. "What was that all about?" He massaged the bridge of his nose, leaning back against a makeshift chair crafted from salvaged metal. "Forget it. I should focus on what''s in front of me," he muttered. Taking a steadying breath, he called Gaia next. He exined the details of their battle against Neo. Gaia asked Ares to put the call on speaker. The dimly lit room around them was silent except for the breathing of Hanna, Emma, and Athena. "Athena, can you hear me?" Gaia asked, her voice calm butmanding. "¡­yes, master." "You are next after I deal with Neo Hargraves." Ares asked Gaia to go towards the Savage Expanse instead of the Association headquarters and stop Neo. The tent ps swayed gently, letting in the scent of dry earth and the faint cries of distant birds. After warning Gaia, Ares called Zeus. "Who?" Zeus asked in a low but stern voice. "Ares." Ares exined everything about the Child of Mana''s location, Neo''s intention of rescuing her, and their battle. The quiet hum of static from the call filled the tense pauses. "Why wasn''t I informed Neo had arrived at the Association?" Zeus asked. "Because we were afraid you would attack Neo." "And I would''ve done you a favor by doing so." Chapter 252 Ares Preparations [2] Ares couldn''t refute, even though he knew Zeus'' prejudice against Neo was solely due to the Hargraves family name. "Why do you guys always call me after you''ve messed everything up?" Zeus clicked his tongue in irritation. "Fine. I will deal with Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma." "Thank you, and stay safe." "I don''t need well wishes to deal with two brats." Zeus hung up the call. The sound of the disconnect echoed in the tent. Ares exhaled a long sigh and stared at the tent''s ceiling. Hanna, his secretary, could tell Ares was under immense mental pressure. She watched as he clenched his jaw and his shoulders tensed under the weight of his responsibilities. He was hiding his burdens. He couldn''t show his weakness in front of his subordinates, especially in hard times like now when they needed his support. He had to act as their pir. "It will be fine," Emma spoke up. The sunlight entering through pping tent casted shadows across her face, highlighting her furrowed brows. "I hate to say it, but Neo has higher mastery in Darkness than me. He could overpower me because he was better than me in what I excelled at. He was my natural nemesis. "But Zeus and Gaia are different. Zeus can use the Life element, and Gaia can use Light and Holy elements. They have high mastery, and¡ª" "They are perfect counters for Neo," Ares interrupted Emma and massaged his brows. His exhaustion was evident as he slumped slightly in his chair. "But they are too far from Neo''s current location." He stared at the device in his hand. "No, don''t do that," Emma said when she realized what Ares was thinking. Her tone grew sharper. "Don''t tell Apollo to stop Neo. The strength Neo showed us isn''t anything Apollo can handle." "He can use Sunshine. It''s the perfect counter for Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma, and¡­ it''s not like we have another choice." Ares didn''t like putting Apollo against Neo, not when he knew Apollo idolized Neo, even if only a little. He sighed again and dialed Apollo''s number. The air felt heavier with each passing second. "It''s Ares," he spoke in a somber tone. "I see," Apollo answered. The faint crackle of the line couldn''t mask the seriousness in his voice. Ares'' tone and the timing of the call were enough to make Apollo understand the current situation. "I expected this," Apollo said. "I''m already in Savage Expanse¡­" "You can''t win against Neo in your current situation." "¡­Why are you saying this when you called me to stop Neo?" Ares didn''t answer immediately. He stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, and sighed again. "Use [Divine Transformation]. You will win with it" "I haven''t yet learned the Divine Transformation technique." "Apollo, both of us know why you can''t use it," Ares said. The guilt behind his eyes continued to pile up as he added, "You are afraid of using Divine Transformation, aren''t you?" Divine Transformation allowed the awakener to merge with their Spirits. The technique was created by Gaia¡­ for Apollo. Apollo''s Spirit was Sunshine. Sunshine was among the strongest Spirits ¡ª it was probably the strongest Spirit ¡ª in the current era. Spirits were born when an awakener used a portion of their soul to feed a Spirit Seed and help it bloom. Thus, a Spirit belonged to the person who gave birth to it. Apollo might''ve said Sunshine was contracted with the Association, but Sunshine belonged solely to him. It was why he had been smug when he exined Sunshine''s ability to Neo. Your next journey awaits at empire "You gave birth to a Spirit that almost single-handedly stopped Niles Radcliff''s invasion," Ares said. "You have limitless talent, Apollo. If you put your mind to it, you can learn the Divine Transformation technique easily." "This isn''t the same thing! Fighting Neo isn''t¡ª" "If you lose, then Neo will reach Typhaon." Ares'' voice was solemn. "You are our only hope, Apollo. I''ve asked Zeus and Gaia to stop Neo Hargraves too, but I doubt they can reach Savage Expanse on time." Ares hung up. The silence that followed was heavier than the conversation itself. He sighed, the sound hollow and tired. "Dammit." He hated pushing Apollo into the corner like this, but there was truth to his words. Apollo had limitless talent. A situation like now, where they had no other way out, would push Apollo to his limits, and he might be able to use the Divine Transformation technique. "You did what you had to," Emma said. "Besides, Zeus and Gaia have more than enough time to stop Neo." "Yeah¡­" Ares muttered. He hated how convoluted their situation had be. ... Utah, United States of America, Shadow World The dimly lit office was nestled within a mountain range. The jagged peaks loomed like silent sentinels against the dusk-stained sky. The air inside was heavy with an unspoken tension, the only sound being the rhythmic ticking of a grandfather clock tucked into the corner. "It went exactly as you said it would go," muttered Perses, the Titan of Destruction. His voice was as gentle as the water flowing through a quiet forest stream. "How did you know about this? I didn''t know you could see visions of the future." "¡­" Instead of answering Perses, Kronos yed with the pen in his hands. His eyes were distant as he stared at the stormy sky and the gathering clouds swirling ominously through the window. "So, who are you sending to stop Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma?" Perses asked. His tone was light, but the hidden glint in his eyes betrayed his true intent. "You just want to go there and attack Zeus for your revenge," Kronos told Perses, shaking his head slowly. "Not at all. I don''t want revenge. I''m a gentle guy. You can ask anyone, and they will tell you the same," Perses said with an innocent smile, his sharp canines just barely visible. Kronos wasn''t fooled. Unlike everyone else, he had seen Perses'' true face. The name Titan of Destruction was perfect for him. "I''m not sending anyone." "¡­?" Perses tilted his head, revealing his surprise and curiosity. "Not sending anyone? What if Neo Hargraves and Jack Hanma reach Typhaon?" "¡­" "Are you helping Neo Hargraves?" "....." "Wait really? Whoa, this is big news." Amazed, Perses watched Kronos'' silence with a smile spreading across his face. "Why are you helping those brats?" "Leave my office if you have nothing to do." The room seemed to darken as Kronos'' words hung in the air. Perses nodded but made no move to leave, the flickeringmplight casting a long shadow behind him. "Francis, how about you give me that Space-Time cube?" "I told you I won''t send you¡ª" "I will stop the Awakeners from reaching Neo Hargraves." "¡­?" "You want to help Neo, and I will get a chance to fight them." Perses grinned, his eyes gleaming with dangerous delight. The space around him seemed to ripple as if reacting to his excitement. He showed no worry about the world''s supposed end if Neo awoke Typhaon. All he wanted to do was a fight A battle lunatic, one would call him. But Kronos knew the truth. ''He is dying to attack the Awakeners because he was caught by surprise by Zeus'' attack and defeated pathetically.'' Perses was no battle maniac. The only reason he intended to fight was because he knew he could shift the me on Kronos. Kronos was about to refuse when suddenly he stopped. The gears in his mind churned. Arriving at a conclusion, he summoned the Space-Time cube out of thin air. Its surface shimmered with a faint glow. With a flick of his wrist, he threw it toward Perses. "I''ve nted Gaia''s current location in it. Go there and¡ª" "Thanks." Perses disappeared in a sh of light before Kronos couldplete his words. Chapter 253 Savage Expanse Faryab, Afghanistan, Shadow World The woman with straight ck hair, piercing green eyes, and a cold expression swiftly ran through the ruins of the city. The air was thick with smoke, and the faint smell of ash lingered, mingling with the metallic scent of blood. Crumbling buildings cast jagged shadows across the cracked streets, where debris and shattered ss glittered faintly under the dim, otherworldly light. Dozens of monsters appeared in her path each second. She dealt with them effortlessly, dispatching each with a single flick of her spear. Her speed was fast enough to shatter the sonic barrier¡ªyet no shockwaves followed, as if even the air feared to oppose her. Ahead, the chaos of the city gave way to a dense forest. The trees seemed almost alive. Their gnarled branches reached like skeletal hands into the sky. The ground beneath them was veiled in mist, and a faint, earthy aroma reced the stench of destruction. Gaia opened her mouth and began to chant. "O Beings of Forest; Roots entwine, paths align; Through forest''s heart, let mebine; One green to another, bridge divine." The forest began to glow with a vibrant green light and the air hummed with energy. Space itself warped, connecting this forest to another five cities away. This was the incantation that enabled Gaia to traverse vast distances swiftly. She was about to step into the forest when a sudden, blinding sh of light pierced the darkened sky. Enjoy more content from empire Her instincts screamed a warning, and she leapt back without hesitation. A figure crashed into the ground where she had stood moments ago. The impact sent tremors rippling through the earth, toppling nearby trees and scattering debris. "Damn, I missed," the figure muttered, rising unsteadily. Perses shook his head as if to clear it. "Whoever calibrated this Space-Time Cube needs to step up their game," he grumbled. He waved his hand dismissively, and massive gales erupted, scattering the dust cloud that had enveloped him. As the air cleared, his form became fully visible to Gaia. "Perses¡­" Gaia''s voice was icy. Her grip on the spear tightened. "Did you just attack me?" "No, the teleportation coordinates were off mark and they made me almost crash on you," he exined with an apologetic smile. "What are you doing here?" she asked. "Kronos sent me to help you reach Neo Hargraves." Perses showed her the Space-Time Cube. "Come on. Let''s go. We need to stop those brats from waking up the Typhaon." Gaia''s expression didn''t change, and she remained silent. When her silence stretched on, he added impatiently, "The visions Apollo has seen showed us Neo Hargraves saving the Child of Mana. This means, unless we stop him and change the future, the Typhaon will definitely wake up. So start moving¡ªwe don''t have time to dawdle." A frown creased Gaia''s face. Something felt off, but she couldn''t pinpoint what it was. After a moment of deliberation, she nodded and approached Perses cautiously. "Can the Space-Time Cube teleport us to the Savage Expanse?" she asked. "It can''t teleport us inside the Savage Expanse. The ''space'' there is controlled by Typhaon. But we can teleport outside and enter ourselves," Perses exined. His words were logical. Despite thepetition between the Titans and the Awakener Association, it wasn''t unheard of for them to coborate in dire situations. "Rx your body. I''m activating the Space-Time Cube," he instructed. Gaia exhaled, loosening her grip on her spear. Her posture softened and he lowered her guard. The cube began to shine. It emitted a pulsating light that enveloped them both. Suddenly, an ominous bubbling orange-red glow appeared around Perses'' hand. Before Gaia could react, the glow solidified into an axe, and he swung it toward her neck in a swift, lethal arc. The ambush was too sudden. Gaia managed to evade the full strike, but the de grazed her shoulder, leaving a deep, bloody gash. Pain red, but her expression remainedposed. "What are you doing?" she demanded. "Following my leader''s orders," Perses said. "Your guy wrecked havoc in our ce. I''m going to do the same here." Gaia''s frown deepened. He was referring to Zeus'' attack, she realized. "This isn''t the time for us to fight amongst ourselves," she said. Perses'' face showed a regretful expression when he heard her. His furrowed brow and the slight downturn of his lips betrayed his internal conflict. Clearly, he truly didn''t want to fight her and instead wanted to help her stop Neo. For a moment, his piercing gaze softened, and he sighed, shaking his head. "I''m sorry. I need to follow my leader''s orders," he said with resignation. Gaia''s expression remained cold, though a flicker of frustration crossed her eyes. "You are breaking the peace treaty right now." "Your people were the ones who broke it first," Perses countered sharply. Before Gaia could respond, he shot forward like a bullet. The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of hisunch. His axe gleamed with the fiery hue of his orange-red aura as he swung at her with brutal precision. ... Ballyhoura Forest, Munster, Irnd, Shadow World The dense forest loomed before Neo and Jack. Its vibrant green exterior appeared at odds with the death and carnage that surrounded it. The ground around Neo and Jack was littered with shattered bones of skeleton monsters and rotting corpses of zombies. They had killed almost all undeads of Niles Radcliff that protected the boundary of Savage Expanse. The forest appeared deceptively ordinary, with towering trees and lush undergrowth. However, an invisible barrier surrounded it. Neo stood still, his gaze fixed on a translucent status screen before him, while Jackbed the area for a weak spot in the barrier. [Eternal, Grade 5 Mythic] Progress: 91% Effect: Be ageless and gain resistance against status ailments (+10%). [Mind Invasion, Grade 5 Awakened] Progress: 99% Both traits were on the verge of a breakthrough. However, he could only wait to leave the Shadow World to make a break through, since each breakthrough consumed arge amount of Divine Energy and he was severelycking in Divine Energy right now. [Death] Mastery: Adept (Peak) (Sealed) ¡ú None Concept Progress: 97% Neo frowned. The progress had been stagnant at 97% for two days. It wouldn''t increase no matter how much Intent he fused into his Core. He clenched his fists, his jaw tightening in frustration. ''There is no problem with my intent,'' he thought. ''The issue here is that Ick Death.'' He had been ughtering thousands of monsters over the past few days. At first, their deaths provided significant progress, but as his mastery grew, the Death energy they yielded diminished. ''I don''t need numbers now,'' he concluded grimly. ''I need quality.'' His frown deepened. He needed to kill someone strong¡ªsomeone whose death would yield the kind of potent energy that could push his Concept progress topletion in one stroke. "Neo, I found a way in." Jack''s voice cut through his thoughts, pulling him back to the present. Neo turned to see Jack standing near the barrier, which now had a jagged tear running through it. Jack had discovered a weak link after hours of searching and torn it open. The two stepped through the barrier. They felt a shift, and a strange stillness enveloped them. The air grew heavy. All natural sounds ceased¡ªno rustling leaves, no chirping birds, only silence. "I can feel someone staring at me," Jack muttered. "It could be Typhaon or one of his Sovereigns," Neo replied. "Or maybe an Awakener sent to stop us. Let''s ignore it for now and focus on the issue at hand." The Ballyhoura Forest¡ªnow called the Savage Expanse¡ªwas originally a 10,500-hectare (about 26,000-acre) area spanning the Ballyhoura Mountains. Since Typhaon''s arrival, the space inside the forest had expanded exponentially. From the outside, it looked unchanged, and the size remained same. But entering it one would find it was asrge as Australia. This was Typhaon''s doing¡ªSpatial Maniption on a scale that defiedprehension. "Should I start?" Jack asked. "Yes," Neo said. Shadows stretched outward beneath Jack''s feet, flowing like liquid darkness. They spread across the forest floor, growing until they were vast enough to engulf an entire town. The shadows began to churn and bubble ominously. "Rise, my legion, and serve me once more," Jack chanted. The shadows rippled, and thousands of undead crawled out from them. Their skeletal and decayed forms were a grotesque contrast to the vibrant forest. They moved with fluidly and spread out in all directions. Jackmanded them to search the forest for a giant tree¡ªthe Core of Typhaon. Typhaon''s body was the forest itself. Therge size made it impossible to kill Typhaon due tock of firepower. The only way to damage the Father of Anomalies was to attack its Core. "It shouldn''t take long for me to find the Core," Jack said. The space within the Savage Expanse was twisted by Typhaon. It could alter paths, create loops, and misdirect intruders endlessly. No one could locate Typhaon''s Core unless the monster wanted it to be found. Jack and Neo understood this well. That''s why they had devised a brute-force n. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 254 Neo VS Apollo Jack''s undead would flood the forest in overwhelming numbers. Even Typhon wouldn''t be able to stop them all from finding its Core. The two were waiting for the undead to find something when the monsters in the forest noticed their presence. They attacked the undead, and a battle ensued. Neo was about to participate until he sensed a familiar presence. "Is it him?" Jack asked, sensing the presence. "Looks like it," Neo nodded. "You do your job. I will go deal with him." Neo jumped lightly and moved through the forest at breakneck speed. The surrounding trees swayed gently in the breeze. Their leaves rustled softly as the ground beneath him shifted with each swift step. The familiar aura was being radiated in such a way that allowed others to locate its source. It helped Neo find Apollo, who was sitting under arge tree, his posture rxed despite the chaos nearby. "You are here," Apollo said. He patted the dust off his clothes with an eerily calm expression. "Are you sure you want to fight? Even Ares and Emma couldn''t stop me. You would die a meaningless death," Neo said. Instead of answering him, Apollo talked about something else. "I was saved by Niles Radcliff when my city was attacked by a giant phoenix." "¡­.?" "He used to be an up-anding hero. A Necromancer who can use the corpses of his enemies and increase his army. "Doesn''t that sound strong? Everyone had high expectations of him. But power got to his head and¡­ the rest is history," Apollo said with a voice devoid of emotions. "Why are you telling me about this?" Neo asked. "Emma was kind," Apollo continued to talk to himself. "When Zeus had awakened, he destroyed an entire city in mad rage and fought Kronos. "Zeus was able to move in stopped time, but he could hardly match up to Kronos. He would''ve been killed right there, if not for Emma arriving at the scene and saving him. "Zeus remained stubborn even after that. He wanted nothing but to fight and fight and fight. His nasty personality was enough to warrant an execution letter against him by Titans and the Awakener Association," Apollo continued. Experience tales at empire "Zeus would''ve been killed if not for Emma taking his side. She helped him calm his rage and trained him to be much stronger. But do you want to know something funny?" Apollo asked. "¡­." "Emma''s family lived in the city Zeus leveled. She should''ve been the one who wanted to kill him the most, yet her kindness knew Zeus did it by mistake, and she instead helped him." Apollo chuckled. "But now? Emma is a maniptive freak. She is always looking for ways to control people around her. I know she is doing it to help us. But it doesn''t change the fact she is using the wrong methods to do right things." "What are you trying to say?" Neo asked. "It''s that Darkness element, isn''t it?" Apollo spat. "That wretched evil always changes people. That thing should be forbidden." "¡­" "You were kind too. But look at what you are doing now. You are going to rescue the Child of Mana and wake up Typhon because of your selfishness. The Darkness changed¡ª" "Apollo," Neo cut him off and unsheathed his sword. "Don''t force your ideals on me. I never did any kindness. It was all my selfishness. If it helped someone, it was just a coincidence." Apollo red at Neo Seeing the hero he had started to idolize say those things infuriated him. "It''s useless talking to you," Apollo said. "Don''t worry. I will save you." Apollo unleashed his first attack. A blinding arrow of holy light hurtled toward Neo. The sheer heat of the arrow burned the ground, scorching the earth beneath it, and causing steam to rise from the cracks. Neo dashed forward. His figure blurred as he moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye. He ducked, and the arrow flew past him before it exploded, sending molten shards flying in all directions. Neo reached Apollo''s range. Divine Swordsmanship Second Stance¡ª His de swung upward in a quick and light, but devastating arc, aiming for Apollo''s chest. Tsubame Gaeshi. Apollo summoned a bow of light and blocked. The sh of weapons sent a shockwave rippling across the battlefield. Neo''s momentum forced Apollo back a step. Gritting his teeth, Apollo retaliated with quick but powerful chants. Light elements churned in the sky and the dark clouds parted as the energy skyrocketed. They fused together, forming spears of light that rained down from the sky. Each impact left craters in the earth, sending plumes of dirt and debris flying. Neo weaved through them. He moved like a blur in the chaos. "You''re faster than I expected," Apollo admitted. He raised his hand, and a sphere of sr fire began to form, growing brighter and hotter with every second. "Let''s see how you handle this!" Neo nted his feet and shed toward the hurtling miniature sun. Divine Swordsmanship Fifth Stance¡ª His sword shed with the sphere of sr re. Seigetsu. His sword flowed like water ¡ª calm and continuous ¡ª and diverted the attack back to Apollo. Apollo dodged the attack by quickly moving away. Neo didn''t waste the opportunity. He slid the de back into the sheath. His hand rested lightly on the hilt of the sheathed de. Divine Swordsmanship First Stance¡ª Suddenly, with a sh of motion, Neo drew the de in a single fluid movement. Issen. His sword shed. One moment, it was resting in the sheath, and the next, it was next to Apollo''s neck, inches away from beheading him. "-God Step." Apollo''s figure shone brightly and hepleted his chant. His form broke into a cluster of light, and Neo''s sword passed through empty air. The lights gathered far away from Neo''s current position and transformed into Apollo. Neo didn''t pursue him immediately. He shifted his weight, and a frown appeared on his face. ''That attack should''ve beheaded him before hepleted his chant.'' Neo had no intention of holding back in a battle, even if Apollo was his friend. ''I feel lethargic, and my movements are slow.'' His eyes narrowed. ''He has infused Life and Light elements into our surroundings. They are weakening me like a debuff.'' "So you noticed it," Apollo said, "but it''s toote." He raised his hand toward the sky andpleted his chants. "O Great Spirit of Mine¡­ Descend." The sky released a shrill cry. The eerie sound reverberated through the battlefield. The barrier of the Savage Expanse was stopping Sunshine from descending. But it could not hold its own against the overwhelming might of the Spirit. The invisible barrier surrounding the Savage Expanse shattered, and a giant sun appeared in the sky. Its radiant light threatened to blind all who gazed upon it. Neo''s limbs grew heavy. The heat from the descending sun intensified, suffocating the air. He felt as if a mountain was ced on his back. It didn''t stop there. The heat continued to surge until the trees and the ground began to burn. Neo''s clothes were lit on fire. His skin began to sizzle from the intense heat. The forest around them was aze. The air became thick with smoke. Trees crackled and copsed as mes spread rapidly. "You''ve lost, Neo," Apollo said. "Stop here or I''ll unleash the full power of Sunshine." The moment Apollo had been sessful in summoning Sunshine, his victory had been confirmed. The ground trembled beneath them and the oppressive heat warped the air. "Are you sure about this?" Neo asked. "Summoning Sunshine here will disturb Typhaon and it would increase the chances of him waking up." "I don''t have any other choice. If I want to stop you, this is the only way." The corner of Neo''s lips rose. Even as his body burned, Even as his body refused to move due to the immense weight pressing him down, He was confident. Apollo frowned, not understanding the source of Neo''s confidence, when suddenly Neo chanted. "ck Dawn of Despair." Darkness surged from Neo like an exploding volcano. It covered everything. The sky, the ground, the forest. The once bright forest was now consumed by darkness. The vibrant greenery turned pitch ck, and the smoke-filled air became still. Apollo felt an intense headache attacking him, and countless voices started to speak in his mind. He groaned and grabbed his head. "What did you do¡­" His words were stuck in his throat when he looked at the sky. The horizon was divided into two parts. The sun shone in one half of the sky, and night had descended on the other half. ''He pushed back Sunshine¡­?'' Apollo couldn''t believe the sight before his eyes. The half of the forest where he stood was lit by Sunshine, and the half where Neo stood was nketed by the night sky. ¡­ "Looks like Neo is starting to get serious," Jack said. He stared at the sky that had been divided into day and night. The wind howled through the trees, but there was no warmth. The night side was chilling, and the air thick with a sense of foreboding. "I knew the Tremor-ranked Spell was supposed to be strong, but this is beyond my imagination," he chuckled bitterly. He wondered. If Emma saw the scene, would she still call Neo weaker than Jack? He shook his head, erasing the useless thoughts. "Now, are you guys going toe out, or will you keep staring at me?" he spoke to empty air. The gazes he felt were still there. They didn''t belong to Apollo. Jack had an idea who was the source of those gazes. "If you aren''t going toe out, then I will have to force you to do it." Jack snapped his fingers. The forest trembled as thousands of undead, who infiltrated the Savage Expanse, exploded, and a wave of fire spread, burning everything in its path. It engulfed the forest, scorching everything within its reach.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The mes twisted and churned. They devoured hundreds of monsters in the Savage Expanse. More monsters appeared to rece their dead brethren and attacked Jack. Jack grinned. The Darkness beneath him stretched. It enveloped the corpses of the dead monsters and ate everything except their bones. He used his Unique Skill. Giant magic circles materialized in the skies. ck lightning descended down from the magic circles and hit the skeletal structure of the monsters. The darkness bubbled on the ground. Suddenly, the bony corpses trembled. They slowly stood up, now under Jack''s control, and began to attack the living monsters. The more Jack killed, the bigger his legion grew. Using his Unique Skill to create suchrge numbers of undead at once would''ve put immense burden on him normal situations. But Neo''s Spell solved the problem. The Spell, ck Dawn of Despair, strengthened Neo''s allies, and debuffed his enemies. Chapter 255 Typhaons Sovereigns The Spell recognized Jack as Neo''s ally. It gave a giant boost to Jack, which allowed him to use his Unique Skill on such arge area. "You still won''te out?" Jack''s voice echoed through the deste woods. He activated the Necrotic Spear Spell. The shattered bones of the undead that had exploded moments ago began to tremble violently on the forest floor. They rose into the air and fused together into colossal spears of jagged bone. These monstrous projectiles shot through the dense forest, tearing through ancient trees with devastating force. Leaves and splinters scattered like confetti as the spears wreaked havoc, leaving a trail of destruction and killing dozens of gigantic monsters that roamed the area. Jack continued. He transformed corpses into an ever-growing army of undead. Faintly, he felt the space around him twist unnaturally. No matter how much he walked forward, he found himself returning to the same ce. "So you are finally starting to make moves." Jack wasn''t discouraged. The strain on Typhaon''s spatial maniption would increase as the number of his undead increased since Typhaon would be forced to use spatial maniption on more targets. Jack''s relentless progress was a significant threat to Typhaon. The Father of Anomalies understood how dangerous he was. Typhaon responded by sending his Sovereigns. "Oh my, you''ve caused quite a ruckus in our home." A voice, smooth and mocking, cut through the sounds of creaking bones and snapping wood. Someone appeared in the path of Jack''s Necrotic Spears and, with a simple swipe of their hand, effortlessly swatted them away. The figure stepped into the light filtering through the cracked canopy. "You''ve finallye out," Jack said. "We had to," the monster replied with a smile that twisted unnaturally across its featureless face. "I''m Charybdis, the Sovereign of Winds." The humanoid monster was snow white. Its skin shone with an unearthly glow.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om It wore no clothing and had no face¡ªonly a grotesque mouth that curled into a perpetual grin. Charybdis bowed exaggeratedly, as if performing on a grand stage. Jack''s gaze moved to the creatures behind Charybdis. Two other monsters stood silently in the clearing. One was an elephant that towered at least two stories tall. Its massive tusks glinted with razor-sharp edges. The other was an ogre-like beast with two curling horns. "They are Jagaan, the Sovereign of Beasts, and Oni, the Sovereign of mes," Charybdis introduced. "Sorry about this, but they can''t speak, so I''ll handle their introductions." "Let''s stop the useless introductions," Jack said, his aura surging as a warning. "Tell me where the Core of Typhaon is, or I can ask your souls after killing you three." "Ohhhhh, that''s scary~" Charybdis mockingly sped their hands to his chest, pretending to tremble like a frightened child. "You''re going to kill us? But all three of us are S-rank in your human ranks~" Jack''s eyes locked onto the Sovereign of Winds. He remained calm despite the overwhelming aura radiating from the three Sovereigns before him. "Alright, let''s begin," Jack muttered. He flicked his wrist and activated Necrotic Spear Spell again. The volley of massive bone spears surged forward like deadly missiles. Charybdis raised a single hand, and a whirlwind spiraled out, catching the spears mid-flight. The bone projectiles shattered into fragments, but Jack was already on the move. He lunged forward, and closed the distance between them in an instant. A massive shadow loomed behind him as Jagaan, the Sovereign of Beasts, charged. The colossal elephant''s tusks glowed with an ominous energy. It stomped the ground with a force that sent shockwaves rippling through the battlefield. Jack leaped into the air. He narrowly avoided the devastating quake, andnded on top of Jagaan''s back. With a surge of necrotic energy, Jack mmed his palm onto the beast''s hide. He forced debuff Spells into Jagaan''s body. Read exclusive adventures at empire Jagaan roared in pain. It massive legs buckled as its strength began to disappear. But before Jack could deliver the finishing blow, a fiery inferno erupted beside him. Oni, the Sovereign of mes, hurled a zing fireball that engulfed Jack in a wave of searing heat. Jack''s figure emerged from the mes, unharmed. His skin shimmered with a faint protective aura. Mimicked Ocean''s Embrace. It was a Spell formed from shadow elementals. He learned it from watching Neo, though it was far weaker than the original Spell. "Is that all?" he grinned, raising his hand. From the ground, dozens of undead monsters emerged, wing their way out of the earth. Each one charged toward Oni and Charybdis. The Sovereign of mes countered by unleashing a fiery storm that incinerated the first wave of undead. But Jack simply summoned more. Charybdis, meanwhile, created a tornado that flung the undead high into the air, scattering them across the battlefield. Jack used the chaos to his advantage. Shadow Jump. He disappeared and jumped out of Oni''s shadow. A de made of bones materialized in his hand. He shed at the Sovereign of mes. The de connected and cut deep into Oni''s shoulder. The Sovereign howled in pain, staggering back. Jagaan recovered and charged again before Jack could press his advantage and fatally injury Oni. The ground quaked with such intensity that Jack lost his footing. Jagaan''s tusks glowed brighter. It unleashed an energy st with a deafening roar and sent Jack flying into a nearby tree. Jack groaned as he pushed himself to his feet. Blood dripped from his forehead. "I''m not done yet." He summoned a massive undead colossus from the remains of the fallen monsters. The towering creature bellowed, and charged at Jagaan. The two colossal monsters were locked in a grapple. Jack turned his attention back to Charybdis and Oni . With a flick of his wrist, he summoned dozens of necrotic spears again, aiming them at the two Sovereigns. The battle raged on with Jack having the upper hand. His relentless attacks and undead army overwhelmed the Sovereigns, forcing them onto the defensive. But then, the tide began to turn. Oni roared. its body erupted into a zing inferno that consumed everything within its radius. Jack''s undead minions disintegrated in the heat, and even Jack was forced to retreat. Chapter 256 1 vs 3 Sweat dripped from his brow as he struggled to maintain hisposure. Charybdis, meanwhile, recovered from his earlier wound. His winds grew stronger, forming razor-sharp gusts that sliced through Jack''s remaining forces. The undead were helpless cut down like paper sheets put inside shredder. The tornado he summoned enveloped Jack. He was lifted into the air and mmed him against the ground with bone-crushing force. Jagaan broke free from the undead colossus with a roar. The debuff Jack used to weaken it disappeared and Jagaan''s strength returned. The Sovereign charged again, this time trampling over Jack''s remaining minions with ease. Jack staggered to his feet, breathing heavily. The legion of undead was in tatters, and his own energy was rapidly depleting. Charybdis tilted his faceless head mockingly. "You were doing so well," the Sovereign grinned. "Why did you stop?" Jack clenched his fists and red at them. Without warning, he mmed his hand into the ground. ck lightning ¨C mimicked lightning created from shadow elementals - crackled outward in chaotic arcs. The earth trembled as skeletal hands erupted from the soil. Spectral Soldiers¡ªghostly, armored warriors wreathed in necrotic energy¡ªrose to form a phnx around him. Each specter carried ethereal weapons and shields that hummed with condensed dark elementals. "Cute. Let''s break them." Charybdisughed. The Sovereign of Windsunched razor-sharp air des toward Jack and his spectral army. Jack raised his hand, and a mimicked Lightning Barrier surged into existence. The dome of crackling ck lightning absorbed the wind attacks and sent bolts of energyshing back at Charybdis. "This might be a bit out of my league," Jack smiled grimly as he fought against the three S-rank Sovereigns. ¡­ Neo and Apollo stood against each other. Their aura red, shing like wild beasts. Just when Neo thought Apollo had no more tricks, Apollo''s eyes started to glow, and cracks appeared on his skin. Light seeped out from the cracks. "¡­!?" Neo jumped back. His instincts screamed at him, telling him to run. "Crazy fucker, what are you doing? You''ll kill yourself," Neo said through clenched jaws. "Divine Transformation¡­" Apollo answered with hazy eyes and hollow voice. The glow from his body intensified, and the cracks on his skin widened. Searing heat that distorted the air red around him. He forcefully increased his synchronization with his Spirit. Neo''s face contorted. He recognized the technique and its suicidal risks. Divine Transformation. True Technique Name: Spirit Fusion. The technique could be used by reaching a 100% synchronization with one''s Spirit. It allowed the user to unleash their Spirit''s full power and use those powers. Divine Transformation boosted the user''s strength by multiple folds. But Apollo wasn''t waiting for natural synchronization. He was forcing it. Such recklessness would kill him before the technique activated. Even if he survived its activation, he would die soon after. "You''ll die just to stop me!?" "Yes." Apollo''s answer was calm, resolute. Neo''s face contorted. He understood he couldn''t change Apollo''s mind. Before he could attack Apollo, a powerful shockwave erupted from Apollo, as if he were a supernova. The force of the st threw Neo''s body backward. His back mmed against a tree that shattered upon impact. When the light enveloping Apollo dimmed, his appearance had changed. Apollo looked like an ancient god who descended upon the battlefield. His body glowed with a white radiance and golden cracks flowing like molten rivers appeared over his porcin-white skin. Read new chapters at empire His hair floated as if they were weightless, pure gold and radiant. His eyes were pools of burning light, devoid of pupils.N?v(el)B\\jnn Arcs of divine energy danced like yful serpents around him. The heat around Apollo grew unbearable. mes danced next to his steps as he advanced, each step melting the earth beneath him. Apollo raised his hand, and orbs of lights materialized behind him. Beams of light shot out from them andnded on Neo''s body. Neo gritted his teeth. His skin was charred and his body began to melt away. His movements slowed. Even if he could ignore heat and pain, Holy, Life and Light Elementals were a different matter altogether. "Neo, give up. Your body won''t hold out for long," Apollo said. Neo had to use Obitus as a support to keep standing. Smoke rose from his battered body. His breaths came out in ragged gasps. Yet, even as his body burned, he remained calm. "You think¡­ this is enough to stop me?" Darkness surged from Neo''s body, spreading like a tidal wave and extinguishing the mes around him. The oppressive heat lessened as the Darkness consumed it. Neo activated blessing. During the past few days, he had confirmed that even if he couldn''t create Death, his blessing worked as it was supposed to. Endless strength surged within his limbs. But he didn''t stop there and activated the third stage of his blessing. Regeneration. His injuries began to heal at an impossible rate¡ªhis burnt skin repaired itself, his breathing steadied. The hand he had lost in the battle against Kane and the finger he gave to Jack grew back in a matter of moments. Apollo''s eyes widened as he sensed the massive surge in Neo''s strength. The ground beneath Neo cracked from the sheer force of his aura. Neo stood tall, his body restored, exuding a terrifying presence. "You''re not the only one with a trump card." he said. Apollounched another attack, sending a barrage of weapons made from Light elementals hurtling toward Neo. But the Darkness around Neo condensed into a shield, absorbing the projectiles with ease. Neo dashed forward, far faster than before. He swung his de, coated in dark energy, meeting Apollo''s glowing fist mid-strike. The impact shook the battlefield, creating a shockwave that tore through the forest, uprooting trees and extinguishing smaller mes. They exchanged hundreds of attacks each second. Each time Apollonded a hit, Neo''s blessing healed the wounds within seconds. Neo seemed to have the upper hand. But he knew it was the opposite. ''I need to hurry.'' The Sunshine shining above increased Apollo''s strength with each passing second. Chapter 257 Zeus Fearsome Talent With each moment that went by, the presence of Holy Elementals in the surroundings grew, and Neo was weakened further. The air crackled with energy, and the ground beneath them seemed to tremble under the immense power of their sh. "You''re pushing yourself too far, Apollo," Neo said. "This will kill you, not me." "If that''s what it takes to stop you, then so be it!" Apollo roared. "Then let''s finish this." Neo jumped back, creating arge gap between him and Apollo. The ground cracked beneath his feet, sending small rocks scattering into the air. Watching Neo''s determined gaze, Apollo gritted his teeth and his hands trembled. "Why don''t you stop!? You can''t stop a sun, not after I''ve used Divine Transformation!" "I can." He sheathed his sword.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Darkness enveloped the sheath. The rings surrounding his heart began to hum and red lightning flickered erratically around his de. Divine Swordsmanship First Stance¡ª "How!? What makes you think you can win!?" "I just need to cut the sun." Issen The sword left the scabbard with a sh. Neo''s sh was instantaneous. The de, cloaked in Death and Darkness, stretched impossibly long. Read exclusive chapters at empire Instead of striking Apollo, the de aimed higher¡ªtowards the Sunshine zing in the sky. The elongated de was mere moments from cleaving the Sunshine when suddenly, Neo froze. ....? His hands were cut from the shoulders and they fell to the ground with a dull thud. A man appeared in the middle of the battlefield with a flicker of movement so fast it was almost imperceptible. The stranger had blonde hair, a bushy beard, and wore a dirty, tattered robe that gave him the appearance of a wanderer. Despite his unkempt appearance, his presence radiated authority. "You pushed yourself quite far," the man said to Apollo, cing a hand over his head. Green spores fell from his fingers, glowing faintly as they touched Apollo. Apollo''s wounds began to heal. The cracks on his skin faded, and life returned to his weary eyes. "Zeus¡­?" Apollo whispered with a trembling voice. "Sorry for beingte," Zeus said softly and patted Apollo''s head. "Give me five seconds. I''ll wrap things here quickly and get you treated." Zeus turned to face Neo. Neo''s hand had regenerated and he was holding his sword. "Hmm¡­ I''m sure my attack was fused with concentrated holy life," Zeus said curiously. "Not only did you deflect it, but you even healed the injuries." Zeus had aimed to behead Neo,. But Neo had dodged at thest moment, sacrificing his hands in exchange. ".¡­" Neo remained silent. His grip tightened on his de. "I would''ve loved to fight you properly. But I need to go back and get our youngest healed since he seems to be injured quite badly in his battle with you." Partial Divine Transformation. Golden sigils of lightning ignited on Zeus'' arms. "I''ll end it painlessly," Zeus said, flicking a finger toward Neo. A burst of energy surged forward. The golden bolt of lightning was too fast for Neo to react. It pierced his chest effortlessly, tearing through him and leaving a gaping hole where his heart had been. "This much should be enough. After all, you can''t heal what isn''t alive," Zeus said as he stared at Neo''s unmoving corpse. Neo''s lifeless body stood still, his eyes staring nkly ahead as though he had yet to realize his death. The battlefield fell silent as Zeus was about to turn away. The battle ended exactly at the fifth second¡ª "Why are you acting like you won?" Neo''s voice broke the silence. One and a half rings of highlypressed Death Elementals floated in the center of the gaping hole in his chest. Half of the ring transformed into red lightning, crackling fiercely around his body. "How are you moving when you are dead?" Zeus asked, holding his chin. "Ah, I see. You are controlling Death itself and dying the Underworld''s pull." His tone was calm, almost amused. "Is this what a Death element user can do? Fascinating." Zeus analyzed Neo''s ability within a second. Neo''s expression darkened as he activated the third stage of his blessing. The aura around him grew oppressive, and the ground beneath his feet cracked. The hole in his chest began to heal. Bones, heart, muscles, nerves, and finally the skin¡ªeverything regrew rapidly, leaving no trace of the fatal wound. Pseudo Resurrection. While Death stopped Neo from dying, the third stage healed all his injuries. Both ability when used together allowed Neo to resurrect himself. "You can use Life elemental too? No... that doesn''t look like it''s your doing," Zeus mused. "As I thought, someone else is healing you." Neo''s grip on his sword tightened. "Are you going to keep talking?" With a swift motion, Neo sheathed his de. The wind picked up around him and he exhaled lightly. Divine Swordsmanship First Stance: Issen. His sword shed like a streak of light, slicing through the dense air with blinding speed. "I''ve seen that move already," Zeus said. With a casual flick of his hand, he caught Neo''s de between his fingers. "And I can counter anything once I see it." Neo''s expression hardened. Before he could pull back his sword, lightning surged around Zeus, forming a de of pure energy. "Coincidentally, I can also copy anything I see once." The air screamed as Zeus swung his lightning sword. Divine Swordsmanship, Modified First Stance: Issen. Zeus''s de moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye. Blood sprayed as the de cut cleanly through Neo''s neck. Neo retreated swiftly. He held his head with one hand to stop it from toppling off. Blood trickled down his neck. The crimson color disappeared in his ck clothes. ''He countered the first stance and used it after seeing it once,'' Neo thought grimly, in disbelief. The embers of golden lightning lingered in the gaping wound. It sizzled ominously. ¡­!? An invisible rm rang in Neo''s mind. His senses screamed in warning as he noticed the lightning moving unnaturally within his body. ''He left lightning elementals in my body when he attacked. This isn''t how the first stance works. Did he modify the first stance in that short moment?'' The golden lightning burrowed deeper, spreading through Neo''s body like invasive roots. His muscles twitched uncontrobly, and a searing pain coursed through him. He was paralyzed. Unable to resist, Neo copsed to his knees. Zeus approached him. He ced the edge of his lightning de against Neo''s neck. "That was a nice sword technique. Thanks for it." Neo clenched his teeth but said nothing. "¡­" "Anyst words?" Zeus asked. When Neo remained silent, Zeus tilted his head slightly. He raised his de, preparing to finish the fight. Suddenly, Neo''s shadows moved. Dark tendrils stretched out from the ground, slithering like vipers through the ashen wastnd. The ckness spread unnaturally fast, racing toward Apollo, who stood some distance away. Apollo''s face twisted in surprise and fatigue. Having overworked himself in the earlier skirmish, hecked the strength to evade. ''...!?'' ''He is trying to attack Apollo¡­'' Zeus''s thoughts came to a screeching halt as his gaze shifted to Neo''s face. Neo looked just as surprised. His brows were furrowed, and he stared at his own shadows in confusion. It wasn''t an act¡ªit was genuine. He hadn''tmanded the shadows to attack. Chapter 258 Ill Surpass Them Confused, Zeus destroyed the shadow. At the same time, a hand came out of Neo''s shadow and pulled him into the shadows. Zeus stared at the spot from where Neo had disappeared. "It must be his partner who saved him."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Zeus was about to chase after Neo when suddenly Apollo coughed blood. He decided to give proper treatment to Apollo before hunting down Neo and Jack. ¡­ Neo appeared beneath a giant tree. His body was on the verge of falling apart. His head was barely clinging to his neck, and his Divine Energy reserves were about to hit rock bottom. The battle with Apollo did a number on him. Facing Zeus after that only made things worse. Neo looked around and noticed an undead before him. The undead had used Shadow Jump to carry him away from Zeus. "Did Jackmand you to save me if I was in danger?" The skeleton nodded. It crouched and dug its bony hands into Neo''s pocket. "What are you¡­" The undead took out the package Jack had given to Neo. It was Jack''s hand. The message Jack left for him through the undead was clear. Devour the hand. Recover your Divine Energy. And breakthrough to the next rank. ''That is the only way we can win,'' the undead''s eyes seemed to say. "¡­." Neo stared at the package. "Can Jack hear me?" The undead nodded. "How is his battle going? I can tell he is fighting the Sovereigns." "¡­" The undead stood motionless. Itsck of actions answered plenty. "So he is losing." Neo closed his eyes. He burned his Divine Energy reserves to strengthen his blessing. The boost of the blessing reinforced his body and the effects of his Spells, including ck Dawn of Despair. ''Since this spell strengthens my allies and debuffs my enemies, it should help Jack if I reinforce the spell with the blessing.'' Neo could feel Jack ring at him through the eyes of the undead. "Give me a few anti-debuffs," he told the undead. "Make sure all of them are rted to speed." Anti-debuff Spells ¨C also known as reverse debuffs Spells ¨C worked almost the same as buffs. Additionally, if one was wearing an anti-debuff, they couldn''t be debuffed by their opponents, which was the main reason anti-debuff were preferred over buffs. "You can use anti-debuff through this undead, right?" The undead nodded. It ced its palm on his shoulders and closed its eyes. ck patterns began to materialize on Neo''s skin, and he could feel strength surging into his limbs. Neo hadn''t been able to react to Zeus'' speed. Speed anti-debuff would solve the problem. After applying three anti-debuffs, the undead stopped. It stared at Neo. Neo understood its question and shook his head. "I don''t need defense anti-debuff. Just give me speed ones." Defense anti-debuffs were a good option in normal circumstances. However, seeing Zeus'' strength, Neo understood increasing his defense was useless. The undead applied five anti-debuffs on Neo. It nudged the packet with Jack''s hand towards Neo. "¡­." Neo picked up the packet. ''Jack is right.'' ''I need to eat this if I want to break through and have a chance at defeating Zeus.'' ''Besides, I already made Jack eat my finger. Refusing to do it myself is being a hypocrite.'' His grip tightened. It made sense in his mind. But¡­. ''Yeah, I''m not using this.'' ''I might be able to win if I use this, but I''ll lose to myself.'' Neo had decided on his beliefs when he started walking on the path of power. Now he had to sacrifice his believes if he wanted to keep moving? No. Neo would choose both. He would keep his beliefs and win. The rings around his heart hummed, and red lightning flickered around his fingers. He used Death to disintegrate the packet. The undead grabbed his shoulders and red at him. Its eyes were asking why Neo destroyed the object with which he could recover his Divine Energy. "Breakthrough takes time. There is no way Zeus would leave me until then. He will definitely stop me," Neo said and stood up. "It will just leave me like a sitting duck if I do it now." He patted the dust off his clothes. Find more to read at empire "But don''t worry." Neo walked towards the direction of Zeus. His body creaked with every step. Even though the third stage of blessing healed his injuries, he had overburdened his body. It was like molding y repeatedly¡ªeach time you reshape it, the material weakened. Eventually, the y would dry out and crack, bing impossible to mend, no matter how much they tried to shape it. The undead groaned. It couldn''t speak due to the missing vocal organs, but Neo understood its question. Why are you going back there? "Because I do have a n." Even as his body felt weak, his steps never stopped. "I''ll surpass them." His eyes were firm. "Right here, right now." "I''ll win." ¡­ Neo appeared once more before Apollo and Zeus. Zeus had just finished healing Apollo. New cracks continued to appear on Apollo''s skin ¨C a result of Sunshine''s overwhelming power he couldn''t contain ¨C however he didn''t dare to deactivate the technique. Doing so would unleash the full bacsh, and Apollo knew it would kill him instantly. Zeus wasted no time talking. He lunged at Neo and his fist, imbued with the Storm and Lightning elementals, smashed into Neo''s chest. The impact sent Neo careening through the shattered forest, uprooting trees and leaving a deep trench in the ground. However, Neo rose again. His chest, caved in from the blow, began to mend itself at a visible rate. Bones snapped back into ce, organs reformed, and torn flesh knitted seamlessly. Zeus stared at Neo. While he didn''t show it, he had attacked using the full force of Partial Divine Transformation. ''I''ll need to overpower his regeneration by damaging him faster than he can heal.'' He entered in a swift exchange of countless attacks with Neo. The sword and fist shed repeatedly. Zeus was faster and stronger. Neo could keep up with him, thanks to anti-debuff, albeit barely. As the battle prolonged, Zeus rxed expression began to disappear. Heunched another barrage of strikes. Each blow of his could shatter a small town. Shockwaves rippled through the air and the air was repeatedly torn apart. But no matter how many times Zeus pierced Neo''s body, melted his limbs, or struck with thunderous force, Neo regenerated, each time faster than before. Chapter 259 Zeus Fury Unbeknownst to Zeus, Neo''s Eternal Skill was at work. It canceled 10% of the power behind Zeus'' attacks. Coupled with the fact Neo could move even after dying, it gave him enough time to use his blessing and regenerate his injuries. He was Undying. Zeus killed and killed and killed Neo. But Neo refused to stay dead. The battlefield was bing heavy with an oppressive energy that Zeus couldn''t ignore. It was as if Death itself loomed closer with each passing second. Each death Neo suffered¡ªeach time Zeus killed him¡ªthe presence of Death grew in the surroundings. Neo needed the deaths of someone strong toplete his Concept. If he couldn''t kill others, he had to just die himself dozens of times. Zeus'' eyes narrowed. He stopped attacking and retreated. "Why did you stop?" Neo taunted. "You¡­ you are using me to awaken something," Zeus said. "It would be foolish of me to continue the battle." "Isn''t this better? If I be stronger, you''ll be able to fight to your heart''s content." Zeus shook his head. "I need to go and get the youngest healed. I don''t want to waste time on you if I can help it," Zeus said. "Besides, you will die soon. I can tell you can''t use Death to keep yourself alive for too long." Neo''s brows furrowed. His Concept was about to bepleted, and his Death was returning already. Just a bit more. ''But I can''tplete the Concept if Zeus doesn''t kill me anymore.'' ''Should I try suicide?'' ''For some reason, I can tell I won''t get much Death if I kill myself with my own hands. It needs to be someone else.'' Neo could see Zeus had no intention of fighting. ''Hey,'' Neo called out to his blessing. ''Aides and Melione were past reincarnations of Mom and Dad, right?'' The blessing remained silent. Stay connected via empire ''I''m not asking why they have been reincarnating. Just answer the question.'' The blessing remained silent for a few moments before nodding. Thanks to the answer, Neo found a way to make Zeus attack him. "Though it''s still a problem if I let you go towards Typhon. So I''ll imprison you here," Zeus said. "Are you going to leave like this?" Neo spoke to Zeus. "Weren''t you nning on asking me my rtion with Aides Hargraves, uncle?" Zeus, who was using an Incantation, froze. "How did you know that name¡­?" "Aides Hargraves?" Neo questioned. "Of course, I know him. He is my dad¡ª" "I don''t know how you found out about my rtion to Aides." Zeus interrupted Neo. "But if you think I''ll lose my cool because of his name and attack you, you arepletely wrong." "Sigh, you really don''t believe me, do you, uncle?" Neo''s body was at its limit. He had to hurry. Or he would be pulled into the Underworld without creating his Concept and fail the Shadow Trial. "Didn''t Dad tell you he would meet you again? He reincarnatedter, and I''m his son, uncle." The words that only Aides and Zeus knew came out of Neo''s mouth. It affirmed the truth behind Neo''s words. "If you are calling me uncle, does that mean¡­ she reincarnated too?" "Huh?" Neo acted oblivious. Blood dripped from his injuries and pooled on the scorched ground beneath him. His torn clothes fluttered faintly in the gusts of wind. Yet he acted as if none of it mattered at the moment. "I''m calling you uncle because Father told me to," Neo lied with a straight face. "I don''t know who this ''she'' is that you''re talking about." "Melione. She was Aides'' wife." "Melione? My mother''s name isn''t Melione." Zeus no longer looked calm. Unbridled rage burned behind his gaze. His jaw was clenched so tightly it seemed like it might shatter. "Oh wait, I do remember Melione. Dad told me she was the one responsible for Apocalypse¡ª" Before Neo couldplete his words, Zeus''s figure blurred. He appeared before Neo in the blink of an eye. Zeus grabbed Neo''s face and smashed him into the ground. The earth beneath cracked and splintered. "I''ve heard enough." Zeus''s voice was icy cold. "I''ll kill you just like you wanted." Condensed bolts of lightning crackled and gathered around Zeus. "Don''t worry. I''ll obliterate you to thest cell. Even you won''t be able to regenerate from that state." Gritting his teeth, Zeus channeled his mana. Complete Divine Transformation. His body shimmered with blinding golden light, and his form began to change. His muscles expanded, and his hair crackled with pure lightning. His eyes glowed with stormy intensity, and arcs of electricity danced across his skin.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Neo didn''t flinch. Even as Zeus used aplete Divine Transformation, Neo stared at him calmly. The sky roared, and a massive bolt of lightning descended. It struck the ground where Neo and Zeus stood, creating a deafening explosion that echoed across the barrenndscape. Zeus remained unharmed. But Neo was burned. Before Neo could heal, another bolt fell. Then another. And another. The ground was reduced to smoldering craters, steam rising into the air like ghosts fleeing the destruction. Watching from a distance, Apollo clenched his fists. He could sense it¡ªNeo''s Death was returning. The oppressive aura hung in the air, and it sent shivers down his spine. The more Zeus injured Neo, the more Death seemed to grow closer. "Zeus¡­!" Apollo shouted, his voice cracking. "Stop doing that¡ª!" He flinched when Zeus red at him. "Shut up and watch," Zeus spat. The lightning bolts continued to fall Each bolt was stronger than the one before. Their thunderous impacts carved deeper into the earth, splitting rocks and reducing the surrounding terrain to molten g. Zeus stood impervious. But Neo''s body began to fail. His flesh melted, ckened bones poking through the charred remains. Smoke rose into the heavy air, its acrid stench stinging Apollo''s nostrils. Neo''s regeneration slowed with each strike until it stopped entirely. "You were quite proud of your regeneration. Why did you stop? Keep using it," as he continued to call down the lightning bolts. Chapter 260 Neos Death "You.... look angry... uncle....." "Don''t you dare call me that!" Angered, Zeus summoned his final assault. Hundreds of boltsbined in the sky. Their light illuminated the battlefield like a second sun. Zeus brought thebined lightning down without hesitation. The impact was cataclysmic. A deafening roar consumed the world as a torrent of mana obliterated everything in its path. The ground heaved violently, splitting open, while the resulting shockwave ttened what little remained of the surroundings. When the light faded, silence reigned. Neo was gone¡ªnot even his ashes were left. The battlefield was no longer recognizable. Nothing remained but a smoldering crater devoid of life. Zeus and Apollo stood in the aftermath. Apollo coughed, blood staining his lips, and his expression was one of a horror. "I told you." Zeus said as he stared at the empty crater. "You can''t regenerate if there is nothing left." He was about to turn away and leave when suddenly he noticed two rings of red lightning crackling deep inside the crater. One ring was as wide as the wrist, and the other one was half of its size. "¡­?" Zeus frowned. "What''s that¡ª" He stopped speaking and swiftly jumped back. His senses warned him of a powerful danger in the vicinity. Under Zeus'' confused eyes, the rings of red lightning became erratic. They flickered wildly, illuminating the crater''s depths with an eerie, pulsing glow, and¡­ You can''t kill what is dead. The red lightning changed its shape, barely bing humanoid.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om ¡­. Jack wiped the blood from his forehead and steadied his breath. The overwhelming pressure of the three Sovereigns was suffocating. But after Neo increased the output of his ck Dawn of Despair Spell, a constant surge of power amplified Jack''s every move. "This ends now," Jack said. He had to hurry. Not only was Neo burning the little Divine Energy he had left for the ck Dawn of Despair Spell, he had to gone to fight Zeus too. ''I need to get out of here and help him.'' Jack didn''t understand why the Sovereign were letting Zeus and Neo fight unhindered. But he didn''t have time to stop and think. He raised his hand, summoning the remnants of his necrotic energy into a single, massive construct. Bones from the battlefield shot toward him like iron to a ma, swirling and fusing until a colossal necrotic dragon formed behind him. Its hollow eyes burned with dark mes, and its roar reverberated through the forest like thunder. The Sovereigns hesitated for a moment. "That''s¡­ interesting," Charybdis mused, his voice was tinged with amusement and concern. "But do you really think this will save you?" Jack didn''t respond. He dashed forward, faster than before, closing the distance between himself and Charybdis in the blink of an eye. His de, now strengthened with Neo''s power, cleaved through the wind barrier Charybdis summoned. The Sovereign of Winds barely managed to sidestep the attack. Jack didn''t let go of the opportunity, He pressed forward relentlessly. He swung again, his strikes faster and more precise, forcing Charybdis to retreat. Meanwhile, the necrotic dragon lunged at Jagaan. Its massive jaws snapped around the elephant''s tusks. The two colossal creatures wrestled fiercely, and caused ground to shake beneath them. Oni, seeing an opening, unleashed a torrent of fire toward Jack. The mes roared, but Jack turned toward the attack, raising his free hand. "Necrotic Barrier!" A wall of Darkness erupted around him, absorbing the mes and dispersing them harmlessly. "You''ll have to do better than that," Jack eyes locking onto Oni. His cold stare caused the Sovereign of mes to flinch. The Sovereign of mes froze, realizing it had been intimidated by a mere human. Surge of anger exploded inside him. Oni swung a massive ming fist, aiming to crush Jack. Jack ducked under it, and shed upward. His de cut deep into Oni''s arm, extinguishing the fire momentarily and eliciting a deafening roar of pain from the Sovereign. Explore stories at empire Charybdis tried to intervene. He summoned a vortex of slicing winds to trap Jack, but Jack was faster now. He leaped into the air, dodging the attack with ease, and hurled his glowing de at Charybdis. The weapon struck true, piercing through the Sovereign''s chest and pinning them to a nearby tree. "Not so smug now, are you?" Jack taunted,nding gracefully on the ground. Jagaan roared as it finally managed to push the necrotic dragon away, but the beast was visibly weakened. Jack wasted no time. With a gesture, hemanded the dragon to unleash its full power. The skeletal creature opened its jaws, releasing a beam of necrotic energy that engulfed Jagaan. The Sovereign of Beasts howled in agony as the energy consumed it, leaving behind only ashes. Charybdis pulled himself free from the tree. "You¡­ won''t¡­ escape," Charybdis hissed. His once-mocking tone was now filled with desperation. Oni, too, staggered back, its mes dimming. Jack''s aura red, and he charged once more. With blinding speed, he struck Charybdis down, his de severing the Sovereign of Winds in two. Turning to Oni, Jack summoned thest of his necrotic energy. "It''s over." The necrotic dragon lunged at Oni, tearing into the Sovereign with ferocity. Oni''s mes red onest time before extinguishingpletely. The battlefield fell silent, save for the crackling of dying embers. Jack stood amidst the carnage, his breaths heavy but victorious. "Neo¡­. I have to go and help him¡­.." His bravado copsed after defeating the three Sovereigns. There was no one around him and he didn''t need to act like he was fine. His limbs trembled and he could feel exhaustion threatening to drown him whole. Jack had pushed himself too far to defeat the three Sovereigns as quickly as possible. He was about to move towards the direction where Neo was when suddenly he felt a huge surge of Death elementals. Flickers of red lightning from Neo reached as far as Jack. "Huh?" Jack, stunned, blinked. "Did he just¡­.." He chuckled in stupor and soon hisughs turned into loudughter. "That crazy team leader. So this was his n." Death elemental users all had a severe debuff on them. Their flesh body. The presence of life elementals in the body weakened their Death elementals. It was why Necromancers and Liches were all monsters with nothing but bones. Removing the flesh body allowed them to unleash full power of their Death elementals. "I guess he doesn''t need my help anymore." Jack sighed with a smile. He shook his head and moved towards the remains of the three Sovereigns. Chapter 261 Neos Death [2] "I should finish this," Jack said. "Now that I think about it again, weren''t these guys a bit too weak for Sovereigns who were direct underlings of Typhaon?" Jack shook his head. They were strong, but he wasn''t weak either. ''I shouldn''t doubt my own abilities.'' Darkness stretched beneath Jack and he activated his Spell, Corpse Memories It allowed him to take a peek at the recent memories of a corpse. This Spell would help him find the Child of Mana and the Core of Typhaon. ¡­. Finally, I''vepleted my Concept. Thanks, uncle. The deste battlefield stretched out endlessly, littered with scorched earth and broken stones. The sky, shrouded in ominous gray clouds, seemed to ripple around the monster made of red lightning. "What is that?" Zeus muttered. "That thing is not¡­ human." The humanoid figure made of red lightning turned its faceless head toward Zeus. It had no face or any distinctive feature. A heavy aura of oppression pressed down on Zeus. The air itself seemed to grow denser and harder to breathe. Intense terror wed at his mind, making his pulse race. He unconsciously started to sweat. The ''monster'' disappeared in a sh, and Zeus felt a breeze pass by him. Isn''t it too rude to call me a thing, uncle? The voice echoed from behind Zeus. Before Zeus could move, blood trickled from his eyes and mouth. His knees buckled, and he copsed face-first into the dust. The metallic scent of his own blood filled his nostrils as strength drained from his body. ''He attacked me? When? No, how did his attack even bypass my defenses so easily?'' Zeus tried to move, but his body didn''t respond. He attempted to summon lightning, only to realize his mana waspletely depleted. ''What¡­?'' Your defenses aren''t strong enough to stop my Death, uncle. Hearing Neo''s words, realization dawned on Zeus. Neo''s Death had ascended to apletely different realm of strength. ''I shouldn''t have let him build up death.'' Even Zeus who could analyze, counter, and copy any technique he could see once was unable to understand Neo''s death. He red at Neo. Neo ignored him, stepping past the fallen man. With his Concept nowplete, his mastery of Death had returned and evolved to reach Expert rank. "Where are you going!?" Apollo''s voice rang out. He stood in Neo''s path. The air grew heavier, brimming with Holy energy. Bright golden light began to flood the battlefield as Apollo''s Divine Transformation amplified his strength. The oppressive presence of Holy elementals surged exponentially in the surroundings. Apollounched a full-force attack, holy mes crackling as they soared toward Neo when suddenly¡ª Die. Neo''s voice rang out, cold and absolute. The golden sun vanished from the sky as if erased by an unseen hand. Apollo staggered. His strength dissipated with Sunshine. He looked up, his face pale with shock. "Where did it go¡­?" It''s dead Neo snapped his fingers and Apollo copsed to the ground, drained of all strength. Don''t worry. Spirits can be revived if you feed the Spirit Seed enough Divine Energy. Neo stepped past Apollo. Ahead, the dark forest loomed ominously. The twisted trees, with bark as ck as coal, swayed unnaturally, as though alive. The forest was Typhaon''s body, and somewhere within it was Typhaon''s Core. Since Typhaon could manipte space, finding the Core was impossible unless Typhaon allowed it. Neo raised his hand. Explore more at empire Divine Swordsmanship Seventh Stance: Tenraizen. He shed downwards. Something cracked. Then, the space within the forest shattered like ss. Everything in the direction where Neo shed began topress. Since he had killed the space, it was no longer being erged by Typhaon and it returned to its original size. Far ahead, a colossal tree emerged from the shrinking forest. Its trunk was hundreds of meters thick, and its branches twisted toward the sky like wed hands. At the center of the branches, a powerful whirlwind swirled menacingly. That''s Typhaon''s Core. Neo walked forward with unhurried steps. The forest seemed toe alive in response. Trees and branches writhed like serpents and lunged toward him. mes ignited in the air, racing to consume him. The ground shifted and walls of earth rose to block his path. Die. The single word echoed like a Grim Reaper''smand. Everything fell silent. The forest''s assault stopped as if the life had been drained from it. Neo stopped before the colossal tree which was also Typhaon''s Core. He ced his hand on the tree trunk. Concept of Eternal Death. A Death that could kill Immortals. By forcing them to sleep for Eternity. It was the Death Neo learned about by himself after spending an eternity in the fourth vision of the Sphinx. Back then, he wanted to die, and kept thinking about how he could kill himself despite being an Immortal. The answer he reached was Eternal Sleep (Death). A death without dreams. A death from which one couldn''t be resurrected, since sleep was not true death. Sleep. A pseudo-death that could be far worse than true death if one was made to sleep for eternity. Even Immortality couldn''t protect one from Eternal Sleep.N?v(el)B\\jnn It was Neo''s Death. Neo ced his hand on the bark of the giant tree. He pushed his Concept into it. Earlier, he used Expert mastery Death to attack Zeus and Apollo without adding his Concept. This was the first time he was using his Concept. The tree trembled. It tried to resist. Typhaon was on the verge of waking up due to themotion created by their battles. But it stopped moving soon after and fell into a prolonged sleep. I guess I need to work harder. Neo stared at his palm. Forcing someone to sleep for eternity needed huge amount of Divine Energy. The best I can do for now is forcing it to sleep for 30 years. If someone else would''ve heard Neo''s disappointed tone, they would''ve been shell-shocked. Even an Empyrean Demigod would be troubled to use such longsting attacks. He had done it when he was only a Grade 5 Mythic Demigod. Now the Child of Mana¡­.. Chapter 262 Typhaons Plan & The End of the World Neo felt it instinctively. Destroying Typhon''s Core was beyond his current capabilities. Forcing it into a deep slumber was his current limit, since his Concept of Death leaned towards it. But Neo wasn''t discouraged. His strength would soon soar when he made a breakthrough in his Eternal Trait and Mind Invasion Trait. Each breakthrough would increase his strength by several folds. Besides, his goal was to rescue the Child of Mana, not to defeat Typhon. He spread out his senses. A few secondster, he sensed hundreds of presences inside the massive, pulsating tree trunk ahead of him. They were lives that Typhon was transforming into monsters. Neo''s expression darkened. He steadied his grip on his de. Divine Swordsmanship Fourth Stance: Ryu no Mai. Neo shed hundreds of times in a split second. The massive tree groaned as the portion where the lives¡ªhumans¡ªwere held captive was cut into countless small pieces. The humans, freed, fell like leaves in autumn. Neo used Darkness to cushion their fall. The ck mist spread across the forest floor like a gentle shadow. All sorts of people had been captured by Typhon¡ªold, young, female, male. The de was soon filled with the quiet sound of their unconscious bodies settling onto the forest floor. Some of them were normal, their faces pale but intact. However, a few of them had grotesque transformations. A woman had a mantis scythe for an arm, its jagged edge glinting menacingly under the faint moonlight. A child had the head of a centipede, its antennae twitching even in unconsciousness. Neo''s gazebed through the freed captives. He was looking for the Child of Mana. Daniel had told the Association about his sister''s appearance. Neo recalled reading the description in the report during the Council meeting. It didn''t take him long to find her. She was a girl with brown hair and a distinctive scar on her face. Neo approached. The night air felt colder as he neared her still form. He was about to pick her up when he abruptly stopped. He looked at his body¡ªa mass of red lightning sparking and crackling with barely contained energy. Let''s not touch her when I''m like this He didn''t have much time left before he died. Although he would have loved to regenerate hisplete body, he didn''t have enough Divine Energy for it. Suddenly, the Child of Mana stirred. ¡­.!? Neo froze. Her eyes opened¡ªhollow, empty sockets staring directly at him. "Hehehehehe, you arete," she said. Her voice was like the screech of metal grinding against metal. As the Child of Mana opened her mouth, Neo caught a glimpse of pitch-ck darkness inside. "Late. Late," the child cackled. "I''ve eaten this human child already!" You are not the Child of Mana. Disbelief was apparent in Neo''s voice. Typhon¡­? "Correct!" the Child of Mana pped like a broken doll, her hands jerking unnaturally. "If you are wondering how I''m awake, then I''m not. "This is the Intent, or Will¡ªif you call it Will¡ªI put into the Child of Mana to talk to you." Her creepyughter echoed through the forest, bouncing off the trees like a haunting melody. "Sheesh, that was surprising. I never thought you would have a Concept like that¡ªEternal Sleep/Death. "My n failed because of you. I wanted to wake up today itself." Despite saying it had lost, Typhon''s Intent never stoppedughing. The twisted glee in its voice only made the silence of the forest more unsettling. Concept¡­? How do you know that word? The word wasn''t supposed to be coined in this era. "From the memories of the Child of Mana!" the entity said with a wide, unnatural smile. "I would love to talk to you more, but this is it. My Intent has been spent." Under Neo''s gaze, the Child of Mana crumpled into dust, scattering into the cold night breeze. Neo stood there frozen. He kept clenching fists and unclenching them. He didn''t understand what had happened. He didn''t want to understand it.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The faint glow of his night illuminated the surrounding trees as his thoughts raced. The cruel reality didn''t stop for him. It continued to move on. [Quest ''Fate of the World'' failed] [You could not protect the Child of Mana] [Questline ''End of the World'' has started.] [Countdown will begin] [Time left until the end of the world: 39 years, 4 months, 16 days, 9 hours, 47 minutes, 23 seconds] [Fetching Quests¡­..] [Quest 1: See the End of the World.] [Reward: Level up {Mind Invasion} x 3] [Quest 2: Be thest human alive.] [Reward: Level up {Eternal} x 1, Whisper of Time x 1] [Quest 3: Inflict a wound on Angel of @$!@$AFS] [Reward: Life Affinity] Neo stared at the quest screen. The cold, metallic smell of the air lingered around him, and the distant sound of breeze rang in his ears. The dim glow from the floating screen illuminated him. The realization of the failure slowly dawned upon him. He failed, and the world would end in 39 years because of it. This has to be a joke, right? We came from the future. If the world ends now, the future won''t exist. It wasn''t supposed to be possible. But the truth was before his eyes. The words he had told Jack weeks ago resonated in his mind. ''The future can change.'' Their actions in the past would affect the future. As if to mock Neo''s confusion, a door of shadows appeared next to him. It materialized with a whisper of cold wind, chilling the space further. Only pitch-ck darkness existed beyond the door and it absorbed all light around it like a void. An ethereal voice flowed out from it, soft but carrying an edge of authority. "Neo Hargraves, your Trial has been sessfullypleted. You can enter this door and return to your world," said A #22, one of the Gatekeepers of the World of Shadows. Explore new worlds at empire Return to my world¡­? What world? There won''t be my world if this ce is destroyed! Chapter 263 Typhaons Plan & The End of the World [2] "Please return quickly. If you don''t return, you will be forever trapped in the Shadow World." The gatekeeper didn''t pay any heed to Neo''s dilemma. To it, a resident of the Shadow World, it didn''t matter if Neo''s world was destroyed or not. Neo clenched his fist. He had to think calmly. Losing his cool in such a situation wouldn''t help anyone. He had to calm down and think properly. What do you mean I sessfullypleted the Trial? The Child of Mana is dead. "You rescued the corpse of the Child of Mana, and you were the first one to do so," A #22 answered. "This is where your quest ends. Please enter this door." Neo won the battle, but he lost the war. Hepleted the Shadow Trial, but he doomed the world for his Trial. Footsteps echoed faintly against the cracked earth as Jack entered Neo''s senses. He emerged from the shadows with an unreadable expression. He came straight to Typhaon''s Core after finding its location from Sovereign''s memories. "We''ve been had," Jack said. He was surprised by Neo''s appearance. However, he hid it perfectly. What do you mean by that? "I digested the memories of the Sovereigns. ording to them¡­" Jack stood beside Neo and stared at the giant tree that loomed over them. Its gnarled roots pulsed faintly with unnatural energy, and the air around it felt heavy, suffocating. "Typhaon forcibly extracted the Child of Mana''s memories on the same day we came to this world," Jack said. He added bitterly, "The moment we entered this world, we had only 8 hours left to save the Child. "But we took over nine months." He shook his head. "Realistically speaking, it was impossible to save the Child of Mana from the start due to time constraints "Just reaching Savage expanse take weeks and we had only 8 hours." Daniel heard his sister ¨C Child of Mana ¨C call for help just weeks ago. How was that possible if Child of Mana was killed months ago? "It was Typhaon''s n," Jack answered. "I don''t know what Typhaon saw in the Child of Mana''s memories, but whatever it was forced him to eradicate the Awakeners. "It decided to wake up." Jack exined. "No one knows it, but Typhaon needs to eat a huge amount of energy to wake up and¡­" The air felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of the truth Jack revealed. So that was what it was all about. Neo understood why Jack said they had been had.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Since the beginning, they were ying on Typhaon''s palm. Typhaon made a telepathic connection to Daniel while disguising itself as the Child of Mana. Since the monster had extracted the memories of the Child of Mana, it could impersonate the to-be Sphinx easily. Typhaon knew the awakeners would be split into two opinions if it called for help. One group would want to save the Child of Mana due to how precious she was. The other wouldn''t want to rescue her. It would lead to battles between the awakeners inside Savage Expanse. After all, this was where Typhaon was present and where the Child of Mana was held captive. The battles between the two sides would release a huge amount of energy. Typhaon would absorb the energy and use it to wake up. Since no one was aware Typhaon needed to absorb energy to wake up, they wouldn''t realize they were helping Typhaon by fighting inside the Savage Expanse. Even the sovereigns Jack defeated were weak, as Typhaon had absorbed the majority of their strength to increase its progress of waking up. Dammit¡­ Neo finally understood why Typhaon bothered to talk to him. The Father of Anomalies had collected enough energy to wake up. It came from the battles of Neo, Zeus, Apollo, and Jack. If not for Neo''s Concept forcing Typhaon to sleep again, the Father of Anomalies would''ve sessfullypleted his n. "If you were not here, or if your Concept was something else, we would''ve lost brutally," Jack sighed. "Well, in the end, we won thanks to you. That''s the only thing that matters." Jack was rxed. His shoulders eased, and he exhaled slowly as if the weight of the challenge had finally lifted. All he knew was they sessfullypleted the Shadow Trial and that Typhaon was forced into a deep slumber. He was not aware of the world''s end that woulde in 39 years. It was a happy ending. ording to Jack at least. And Neo had no intention of destroying his happy ending. He decided to take a gamble. Yeah, we barelypleted the Shadow Trial. Continue your adventure at empire Let''s return now. Neo lied to Jack. The two walked toward the door of Shadows. Its frame pulsated faintly with dark energy, etched with shifting runes. Jack was the first one to step to the other side. Suddenly, Jack heard Neo speak. I''m not going back. Please, close the door. "Huh?" Jack didn''t have time to react. By the time he turned around, the door had been closed. "Why did you do that?" Jack asked. "We closed the door because Neo Hargraves demanded¡ª" "Are you stupid?!" Jack grabbed A #22''s cor. The doll''s stitched face remained expressionless, despite the pressure Jack applied. He lifted the doll easily and red at it. "He is still there! Why did you¡­. Open this door right now! He needs toe back¡ª" "Come back to where?" A #22 disappeared from Jack''s hand. It appeared far behind him and waved its hand. Jack and A #22 appeared in the sky of a destroyed world. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and thend below was a wastnd consumed by writhing maggots. Buildings once proud were now crumbled into heaps, and the sky hung low, a sickly green hue, pulsing as if alive. "This became the fate of your world the moment Child of Mana fell," A #22 said. "You seem to be quite stupidpared to Neo Hargraves, so I will spell it out clearly for you. "The intervention of you two in the past caused the world to end. "Neo Hargraves stayed behind so he can change the past again. "He stayed behind so you can have a world to return to." ¡­ Neo stared at the ce where the door of shadows had stood moments ago. The eerie, shimmering portal had dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only faint ripples in the air. Even though it would''ve been a huge help if Jack had stayed behind, he couldn''t ask Jack to do it¡ªnot when they would have no way to return to their world again. He stared at the night sky. Fuck my life. Why does thing always go from bad to worse even though I try to do better? The cold, oppressive silence around him seemed to press against his ears. He looked down at his body. His limbs flickered faintly. The red lightning that made his being was beginning to fade away. I''ll think about saving the worldter First, I need to do something about my body, or I''ll die and be pulled into the Underworld. He still had no idea what would happen if he died in Shadow World. Chapter 264 Awakening Shadow Element Neo lifted his head and stared at the sky. I''vepleted the Shadow Trial Give me my reward for it. He tried to talk to the Shadow Supreme. The oppressive air around him grew heavier, and the shadows seemed to deepen, as though the entity might be listening. Theoretically, the Shadow Supreme should be able to see and hear him. I want to awaken my Shadow element as the reward forpleting the Shadow Trial. There was no response. If Neo awakened his Shadow element, he would be able to consume Shadow elemental energy without being poisoned and dying. It included the mimicked Divine Energy formed by Shadow elementals that was present in the Shadow World. And as long as he could gain Divine Energy, he could use it to regenerate his entire body. Neo clenched his flickering hands into fists. If he seeded, he would get his body back, and since his soul was still here, it would be no different from being ''resurrected.'' He should not be pulled into the Underworld after that. Everything was perfectly logical. Theoretically, at least. Neo knew there were quite a few ces where it could go wrong. The Shadow Supreme could refuse to give him his reward since he was still in the Shadow World. There was no guarantee he could regenerate his entire body, especially in his current state. Stay tuned for updates on empire He was an amalgamation of Expert mastery Death¡ªan unstable form of energy that could kill anything, even his own regenerated body. Another possibility was him being pulled into the Underworld even after he performed a pseudo-resurrection. Neo clicked his tongue in frustration. Despite the risks, he had no other choice. Stop acting like you can''t hear to me. Give me the reward I rightfully deserve. He almost heard the shadows chuckle and a door of shadows appeared before him. Somehow, he knew what was inside the door. His Shadow.N?v(el)B\\jnn He needed to devour it and he would awaken his shadow element. Neo entered the door. He appeared inside a vast space with chess-board like floor and sky. An old man stood there. He was a Shadow. Who''s that? That''s not my Shadow. The Shadow attacked him with the feral ferocity of a monster. It died as soon as it got within three steps of Neo. Neo didn''t had to do anything. The passive death radiating from him was enough to kill the Shadow. Why is it so weak? Neo was confused. He noticed the corpse of Shadow and decided to devour it. Memories of the real person whom the Shadow mimicked appeared in Neo''s mind. He was elderly man who used to live in istion deep in the mountains, surviving off thend andmuning with nature. After digesting the memories, Neo saw something astonishing happen. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 1/33 ¡ú 2/33 Neo stared at the status screen that suddenly sprang up. The progress of Shadow element awakening increased from 1 to 2 when he devoured the old man''s Shadow. There is no way this is true. Neo had an idea of what was happening. But it was too absurd. I can''t be a Seraph. They know they are reincarnators. But I''m not the same. Despite his confusion, the truth remained before his eyes. Devouring old man''s Shadow increased his Shadow element awakening progress. Only devouring one''s own Shadow did that. This could mean only one thing. The old man was Neo''s Shadow. Another door materialized before Neo. He stepped through it and he appeared in a simr area. The floor and the sky were like a chess board. A Shadow of a middle-aged man with unkempt beard pounced on him. Neo made quick work of it before devouring it. More memories appeared inside his head. They belonged to a middle-aged father juggling a demanding physical job while taking care of his three kids. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 2/33 ¡ú 3/33 Another door appeared before Neo. The same things repeated. Neo devoured the Shadow of a child and gained its memories. It was a young boy living in a crowded orphanage, dreaming of being adopted into a loving family. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 3/33 ¡ú 4/33 The same things repeated. Every door he crossed showed a new Shadow and he gained new memories. A wanderer in histe 30s, who traveled from town to town, embracing a life without attachments. A 12-year-old genius who excelled in science, only for him to grow old and find out he was mediocre. An old soldier who has traded his sword for a plow, and longed for peace. A young man in his early 20s working multiple jobs to support his ailing parents and younger siblings. A poor child who wanted to be theatrics after watching a y of a king assassinated by his trusted friend. A trusted aide of a ruler. A 40-year-old man who works quietly in a library made by a republic nation. He spent his nights reading and contemting life. A foolish teenage boy fighting against oppressive rulers. An elderly farmer who woke up before dawn every day, tending to his crops with devotion. A struggling artist in histe 20s, performing on street corners while waiting for his big break. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 13/33 ¡ú 14/33 Neo continued to gain new memories. None of the lives had connection to each other. He thought it would remain that way. However, when he devoured the fourteen Shadow something else happened. The fourteenth Shadow belonged to a middle-aged man obsessed with creating life-changing technology. Until histe twenties, he had been azy man with no ambition. But on his 23rd birthday, he suddenly dreamt of his past lives. They were memories of the thirteen Shadows Neo had devoured. The dreams erged the middle-aged man''s world and fascinated him. They fueled his ambition and caused him to be obsessed with science. The man wanted to see those dreams again. He wanted to see his previous lives in details. Unfortunately, he died before he could realize his ambition. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 14/33 ¡ú 15/33 Neo stepped through the fifteenth gate. He devoured the Shadow of the monk in his 50s. The monk had awakened the memories of his previous lives, which led him to understand the futility of life. He took a vow of silence and lived in a serene monastery, seeking enlightenment. Chapter 265 Memories of Forgotten Lives Neo devoured another Shadow inside the fifteenth door. It belonged to a 30-year-old adventurer charting unexplored jungles and documenting ancient ruins. The adventurer awakened the memories of his previous fourteen lives long ago when he was a child. Being a naturally curious person, he set out to travel the world, and he tried to visit the ces in his memories. [ Shadow ]N?v(el)B\\jnn Awakening progress: 15/33 ¡ú 16/33 The next Shadows of Neo always gained the memories of their previous lives. The sixteenth Shadow had the memories of the previous fifteen lives. The twentieth Shadow had the memories of the previous neen lives. In the beginning, those reincarnations of Neo lived peaceful lives. Memories of past lives brought immense knowledge, experience, and wisdom. It was good until the 23rd life. The 23rd reincarnation couldn''t handle the burden of memories of 23 lives. It was breaking him apart. He told his family about his memories, expectingfort from them. But he ended up being burned at the stake after beingbeled as a witch. The 24th reincarnation met a simr fate. The 25th reincarnation decided to not trust anyone anymore. He closed his heart and lived alone until the day of his death. In the 26th life, he lived alone and died alone again. The same thing repeated in the 27th life, 28th life, and 29th life. The loneliness was gnawing at his heart. Centuries of loneliness made him thirst for the warmth of others. He wanted friends, he wanted family, he wanted love. But... The betrayal and brutal deaths of his previous reincarnations wouldn''t let him trust anyone. Alone. He would live in loneliness and die in loneliness. Again. And again. And again. That was his Fate. The reincarnations wouldn''t end. He thought nothing would change. But he was wrong again. In his 30th life, he was a chef in the royal pce under King Arthur. The royal kitchen bustled with servants shouting orders, the ng of copper pots echoing across stone walls. The aroma of roasted meat and freshly baked bread filled the air. He would be daily visited by the young Princess Morgan. To him, it was nothing unusual. She liked his cooking. Nothing more, nothing less. But it caused the rumors about him eyeing the young Princess Morgan to spread. A meager servant looking at the princess with ulterior motives was nothing to think twice about. He would be executed. No one saw anything wrong with it, and since he had held off from making friends, no one came forward to appeal for him and protect him. A meaningless life and a meaningless death. He didn''t try to escape the execution or prove his innocence. To him, it was how life was. Sometimes unfair, sometimes unreasonable. Surprisingly, or maybe unsurprisingly, Princess Morgan tried to stop the execution. He never thought someone would want to protect him. When King Arthur refused Princess Morgan, she led a revolt and beheaded King Arthur. The 30th reincarnation was stunned. The throne room had been turned into a scene of chaos¡ªred carpets stained crimson, sunlight gleaming off the fallen king''s golden crown, which nowy discarded on the floor. Princess Morgan stood with a de in hand, her expression both determined and sorrowful. ''Why did you save me?'' There were a thousand different answers he had expected to hear from her. But the words she spoke stunned him. ''Because you cook good food, O Reincarnator of 30 samsaras.'' ''What¡­?'' ''Is it perhaps because you have gained experience from 30 lives? The taste of your food is unmatched in thesends. It would be foolish to let someone like you die because of some stupid ingrates.'' ''Y-you killed King Arthur because of that? No, how did you even know I lived 30 lives?'' She never told him how she knew about his past reincarnations. The time he spent with her made him understand one thing. King Morgan was special. In times where only male rulers existed, she took control over the kingdom as easily as flipping a hand. Stone halls that once echoed with Arthur''s authority now buzzed with the murmurs of an uncertain court. Yet none dared challenge her. He continued to demand answers from her. But she always ignored him. ''Do you really like my food that much?'' ''Eating is one of the joys of my life.'' As they continued to spend time with each other, the two became far closer than friends. Perhaps they could''ve been something more. but he never crossed the line of friendship. Any closer, and the sweetness of his time with her would haunt him when he reincarnated again. King Morgan was an entric person. Her strength was unrivaled, and her knowledge was deeper than oceans. Yet she held no interest in conquest. If he had not seen her in battles, he would''ve thought she was azy cat who only knew how to ask for food. Her royal chambers reflected her personality: half-luxurious, half-chaotic, with maps, tomes, and half-eaten dishes scattered about the room. Continue reading on empire His time with her was happy. But even someone as mighty as King Morgan couldn''t beat death. She was poisoned. That day, the castle corridors had been heavy with silence and despair. Candles flickered, their light dimming as though mourning the inevitable. At her death''s door, she allowed only him at her bedside. ''N-Neo¡­.'' Her trembling voice made his heart ache. The once-invincible figure before him now looked frail. Her face pale was painful to look at. ''You''ve served me faithfully. Ask m-me anything, and I shall grant your wish.'' His tears wouldn''t stop. The pain of loving someone after centuries of loneliness was tearing him apart. He didn''t want to lose her. Was that why he made a stupid decision? ''Please seal my memories. I don''t want to remember these lives anymore.'' ''Y-you think I can do something like that?'' ''I hope you can.'' King Morgan chuckled at his blind trust in her. The faint sound of herughter, brittle and soft, made his chest tighten. Chapter 266 Sealed Memories ''I can seal your memories, but I don''t know when the seal will break, and¡­.'' Sealing memories was like putting the memory of each life in a different container. She didn''t know when the container (seal) would break.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om There was a high chance that if containers broke in the wrong order, his memories would be blended. As an example, if his memories of the 10th life and 30th life mixed, the resulting memories would make no sense. He was Benjamin Clinton in his 10th life and Neo Thompson in his 29th life. If those memories mixed, he might think he lived only one life instead of two, and that life was named Neo Clinton. This was just one of the dangers of sealing memories. ''Are you sure you want me to seal your memories?'' ''Yes.'' He was escaping his problems. He thought King Morgan would call him a coward. But she looked at him with a kind smile¡ª Huff! Huff! Neo was left gasping when the memories ended. Find more chapters on empire His chest rose and fell heavily. What the hell are these memories? Seraphs were created in the Age of Gods. They started to reincarnate after the Apocalypse arrived. But Neo had been reincarnating since hundreds of thousands of years before the Apocalypse. He has been there when the first civilizations were budding. He had seen civilizations grow and merge and develop and finallye to an end due to the Apocalypse. Neo had lived in each era. Why? He couldn''t think of a cause for his reincarnations. Mystical quantities appeared on Earth only after the Apocalypse. Reincarnation before that shouldn''t be possible¡ª No, I''m thinking wrongly. The cube from which the Apocalypse started had been on Earth since long ago. Mystical quantities were always present on earth. They were just hidden. I need to look into them if I want answers about me me and my reincarnation. There were a lot of things Neo did not understand. He tried asking his blessing why he had been reincarnating, but he received only only silence in return. Clicking his tongue, he stepped into the next door. The new Shadow was a familiar face. It''s you. The only life Neo originally remembered. He had been Kronos'' and Klien''s brother. An orphan. A boy who dreamed of achieving sess The Shadow bolted toward Neo with sharp movements. Neo killed the Shadow without any hesitation. His red lightning crackled and split the darkness, shattering the familiar figure into nothingness. Even if the Shadow belonged to the ''Neo'' he knew, the one before him was nothing but a monster. And¡­ So this was how I used to look. Neo barely remembered anything from his original life. Devouring the Shadows refreshed his memories. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 31/33 ¡ú 32/33 Now that I think about it... Why was the awakening progress 1/33 in the beginning? The question echoed in his mind. I don''t remember devouring any Shadow. It irritated Neo how he had no answers to his countless questions. Knowing thinking about it was wasting time, he stepped into the shadow door that appeared before him. Only one more Shadow, and he would awaken the shadow element. The Shadow Element could mimic other elements. Neo was looking forward to using it. But... Of course, it was not going to be easy. The Shadow of Neo Hargraves stood before him. The oppressive silence in the room tightened around Neo''s chest. The shadow exuded a suffocating aura,. Its form mirrored his current appearance¡ªa humanoid mass of red lightning, crackling and hissing like a storm incarnate. Since Neo''s awakening progress had been 1/33, it meant he had already devoured one Shadow. He had hoped it was the Shadow of Neo Hargraves. Unfortunately, his hopes were not answered. The Shadow''s red lightning surged, illuminating the darkness. It mirrored his every movement perfectly, every spark of power a reflection of his own. So, you''re the final trial... Neo''s fists clenched as arcs of lightning rippled through his body. He stood face-to-face to his own Shadow. Knowing the Shadow could use all abilities he could, he remained vignt. Neither of them moved, their eyes locked, as if sizing each other up. Then, without warning, both figures surged forward at the same time. Their swords shed together with a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves through the air and scattering arcs of energy across the floor. Neo gritted his teeth as the force of the impact sent him skidding backward, but he quickly regained his bnce. Divine Swordsmanship, Semi Fourth Stance: Ryu no Mai In the blink of an eye, the Shadow vanished, reappearing behind Neo with a brutal spinning kick aimed at his ribs. The fourth stance consisted of two techniques: a rapid footwork that allowed near instantaneous movement and a volley of quick rapid shes. Combining both made the user look as if they were dancing. The Shadow used the movement technique part of the stance to catch Neo by surprise. Neo barely managed to raise his arm to block the blow. The Shadow grinned. The red lightning making its face stretched giving it an eerie appearance. Without warning, itunched another flurry of attacks, each strike moving with inhuman speed. Neo blocked and dodged, barely keeping up as the two exchanged rapid blows that sounded like thunder with every impact. Neo''s sword cut through the Shadow''s midsection. But the Shadow, showing no sign of slowing. It was as if his attack did zero damage. The Shadow immediately retaliated byunching a devastating wave of red lightning from its outstretched hands. The electric surge shot through the air, aiming straight for Neo''s chest. He raised his sword, and summoned Darkness to block it. The two waves of energy collided in a burst of light, sending a shockwave that cracked the floor beneath them. The Shadow tilted its head. A mocking smile yed on its face. Divine Swordsmanship, Semi Fourth Stance: Ryu no Mai With a sudden shift, it vanished again. Divine Swordsmanship, Seventh Stance: Tenraizen It reappeared above him with a devastating downward sh. Neo twisted, narrowly dodging the attack. Chapter 267 Learning [Flow of Battle] Neo rolled away to dodge the attack. The Shadow dashed forward with a burst of speed. Before Neo could stand up, it closed the distance in an instant and swung its de in a wide arc aimed at Neo''s throat. Neo raised his sword just in time. Their weapons shed with a deafening crack, the sound reverberating through the empty space. Sparks erupted from the collision, and briefly illuminated their identical faces. Neo pushed back, forcing the Shadow to stumble a step, and used the moment to regain his stance. He retaliated with a downward sh, aiming to split the Shadow in two. But the Shadow twisted to the side, avoiding the strike, and countered with a thrust aimed at Neo''s chest. Neo spun his de in a circr motion, deflecting the thrust, and countered with a sharp kick to the Shadow''s midsection. The Shadow staggered but quickly recovered, shing horizontally at Neo''s waist. The sh of steel echoed like thunder in the vast emptiness around them. The two of them were locked in an intense battle. Neither of them was giving the other an inch. However, slowly but surely, the Shadow was gaining the advantage. It began tough as it pushed Neo. Hehehehe, give up. You should know nobody can defeat their Shadow. I''m the Shadow that is the same as the ''you'' before you started this Shadow element awakening process. I can use all of your techniques. I know you more than yourself! You can never win! Neo leapt backward, his feet skidding against the stone floor. The Shadow pressed forward with a twisted grin. It was assured of its victory. Each of its attacks was aimed to kill. In its eyes, Neo''s was barely keeping up thanks to his sharp reflexes. He parried and dodged, their des dancing in a deadly rhythm that echoed through the empty space. The Shadow feinted a high strike, then swept low, aiming for Neo''s legs. Neo jumped, arcs of lightning trailing around his sword as he brought it down in a vertical sh. The Shadow raised its de to block, and the resulting sh sent both of them sliding back from the force. Hehehehe! The Shadow''s shoulders shook as it struggled to hold back itsughter. Why aren''t you talking? Did you lose your bravado after fighting someone who is the same as you? A wide grin was etched on its face. Neo remained expressionless. His grip on his sword tightened, the crackling lightning dancing along its edge. "Fight, Neo! Fight or you will die! Hehehe, you can''t save your world if you die! The Shadow dashed forward again, faster this time. Neo braced himself as the Shadow unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes. The air shuddered with every sh of their swords. Neo, you are going to die~ After I kill you, I will kill your friends too~ It was enjoying overpowering Neo.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om The Shadow thrust its de forward, but Neo sidestepped and swung upward, slicing through the air. The Shadow ducked, then retaliated with a spinning sh that Neo barely managed to block. The force of the attack broke his stance. The Shadow dove in to attack and use the opportunity, but it had been a trap. Neo swung his de in a wide arc. The Shadow barely parried, sparks flying as their swords locked once again. Neo gritted his teeth and pressed forward, forcing the Shadow to retreat step by step. Suddenly, the Shadow shifted its stance. It feinted left, then struck right, its de grazing Neo''s arm. Hahahaha! Got you- Can you stop talking like that? Neo cut off the Shadow mid-sentence. It''s sickening to hear you talk like a stupid hooligan when you have the same appearance and voice as me. His words ticked off the Shadow. The creature''s expression darkened and its eyes narrowed as it closed the gap in an instant. Just when Neo thought it would attack, it spun on its heel, swinging its sword in a full circle. The abrupt change in attack caught Neo by surprise. He raised his sword to block the attack. But the Shadow didn''t let up, following with a series of rapid strikes that forced Neo onto the defensive. The space itself seemed to copse around the two as the intensity of the fight grew. Red lightning crackled erratically as their des shed again and again, illuminating lightless shadows. The Shadow suddenly saw an opening. Neo overextended on a strike, leaving his side exposed. The monster shed forward. Its attack sliced through the air and almostnded a clean hit across Neo''s torso when¡ª Huh? Neo sidestepped the attack as if he had predicted it. Discover more stories at empire The Shadow blinked, confused. However, Neo ignored its confusion and stared at his arms, noticing the faint lines connecting him and the Shadow. So that''s how [Flow] is used. The Shadow attacked him while he wasn''t paying attention. Neo shifted only a few inches to dodge the attack. The Shadow smiled, thinking his careless dodging would get him killed. But against all expectations, he dodged sessfully without even looking at the attack. His weird actions surprised the Shadow. It attacked Neo again, but the same thing happened. Neo would dodge its strikes as if he had seen the future. ¡­.What is that? How are you dodging the attacks? Flow of Battle. He could finally use the technique after months of training. You learned that technique now? Yes, I learned it right now thanks to you. The Shadow grew tense. Knowing how powerful [Flow of Battle] was, it didn''t dare to attack Neo without fully understanding his current capabilities. I thought you were too talentless to learn Flow? To the Shadow''s question, Neo shook his head and spoke, Haven''t you realized it? We can talk even though we have no mouth and body. ¡­.! The Shadow flinched. Neo continued, his voice calm yet piercing. I was thinking about it when I fought Zeus too. I could hear him use his technique names even though he was using chantless Incantations, Neo said. Are you sure you weren''t hallucinating? the Shadow asked. I''m sure I heard him say ''Partial Divine Transformation'' and ''Complete Divine Transformation, Neo answered. Even you. I could hear you say the names of the Sword Techniques. ¡­.But I never said the techniques'' names, the Shadow said. I know. That''s why it helped me learn the [Flow]. The Shadow instantly understood what Neo was talking about. It could do it because it was the Neo''s Shadow and almost an exact copy of him. Shadows were copies of their original. The higher synchronization they had with the original, the more urate a copy they were. Even though Neo''s Shadow hadn''t reached 100% synchronization¡ªbecause it needed to devour Neo for it¡ªthe Shadow had a very high synchronization. So that''s what Flow is, the Shadow said. And here I thought it would be something very amazing. It''s was just the Intent that everyone leaks unconsciously. Intent were one''s thoughts that were created from their Will. Depending on one''s strength of Will ¨C aka Willpower ¨C they could manifest their Intent. In other words, Intent were one''s thoughts that were given a form due to one''s Willpower. Neo, having overwhelmingly strong Intent, could talk by projecting his thoughts outward. He didn''t have a mouth. But he was emitting his thoughts ¨C Intent ¨C and others absorbed that Intent and understood what he was saying. It was a primitive form of telepathy. The Shadow felt absurd. Neo learned Flow as soon as he understood that he was talking with Intent. Aren''t you worried I''ll unlock Flow too, now that I know how it works? the Shadow questioned. Its tone was sharp andced with mockery. Neo''s glowing form remained unshaken. You can''t use Flow" he replied evenly. Even I could barely unlock it, and you aren''t a 100% copy of mine. Your talent is worse than mine. There is no way you can learn it as quickly as I did. The Shadow''s face twisted at the tant insult. Its crimson eyes glowed faintly. No one could stop their thoughts. In other words, everyone is projecting their Intent outward at all times. Since it was an unconscious action, the Intent projected outward was very weak. That''s why others could not read that Intent. Because it was weak. However, this was how Flow worked. One needed to read the Intent of their opponents. The Shadows thought aimed at Neo created Intent about Neo. Even if Neo couldn''t read all of its Intent, he could read the Intent directed at himself. This allowed him to read the Shadows thoughts and know how it was going to attack. To be honest, I don''t think I would have been able to read others Intent so easily, Neo said. He added, But since you are my copy. The Intent you create is quite simr to mine. That''s why I could read your Intent easily and it helped me understand how [Flow of Battle] works. Don''t joke with me..... the Shadow red at him. You learned just one technique. So what if you can predict my attacks!? You still can''t defeat me! Neo ignored the Shadows actions and tightened his grip on the hilt. I don''t need to waste my time anymore since I learned what I had been trying to learn by fighting with you. I''ll end this fight now. The Shadow pounced on him. In response, Neo raised his sword. Divine Swordsmanship Eight Form¡ª Chapter 268 How [Flow of Battle] Works 101 5 minutes earlier Neo and his Shadow were locked in high-speedbat. While the Shadow continued to press its advantage, Neo''s mind was focused on something else. ''I still can''t understand it. Why can we talk without having a mouth or a body?'' He tried to think hard for a solution. Eventually, he noticed something. ''The Shadow''s voice is the same as mine.'' ''How am I hearing it without having ears? How can I see without having eyes?'' His bloodline and elemental affinities were bonded to his soul. It made sense how he could use them without a body. But his physical senses were different. The answer was obvious when he thought about it. ''I can''t see, or hear, or talk.'' ''Then what is this right now? How am I perceiving my surroundings?'' Neo hadn''t realized it, but he was entering a state of enlightenment. It was true Neo had mediocre talent. For someone like him, enlightenment was something he could never hope to achieve even once. But Neo had a unique advantage. He had lived long. Far longer than one could imagine. The experience he gained from having thousands of years'' worth of memory taught him a lot. His enlightenment wasn''t born out of overflowing talent. It was the fruit of his wisdom and efforts. ''Let''s think of it step by step. How do I talk without a mouth?'' His thoughts continued to churn. Despite being locked in a death battle, Neo was focused entirely on his enlightenment. ''¡­Ah!'' The answer came to him in a sh. ''Intent.'' Intent was the only field where he had talent. After all, he had overwhelmingly strong Willpower. ''I can talk to Elementals with Intent. I don''t need to use my mouth for it.'' People spoke Incantations to talk with Elementals, but it was to strengthen their Intents. Those with strong Intent, like Neo or Zeus, could use Incantations without saying them out loud. This technique was called chantless incantations. It involved projecting one''s Intent outward andmunicating with Elementals. ''So my Shadow and I''ve been talking with Intent.'' ''But what about my other senses? Why can I hear the shes of our swords and see the Shadow take a stance?'' ''Is it because of Intent too?''n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was as if Neo''s body was on autopilot. Neo continued to fight the Shadow while analyzing Intent. He tried to delve deeper and focused on his surroundings. And. ''¡­.!?'' ''What is this?'' The moment he understood he was talking thanks to Intent, he realized another fact. All of his senses were working by perceiving Intent of his surroundings. To Neo, it was as if a new world had opened up. ''Everything has Intent.'' ''The sword, the ground, even sounds. They all have Intent.'' He had been short-sighted, thinking only living beings could have Intent. ''I thought the abilities born out of Intent maniption were limited because I had a powerful Intent and there wasn''t much I could do with it.'' He had wrong. Very wrong. ''There is more to Intent.'' A smile yed on Neo''s lips. Finding the answers he had been searching for months made him happy. Neo finally focused on the Shadow. He could ''see'' countless Intents the Shadow was emitting. Its desperation, fear, anger. All of its emotions were clear to Neo. ''This is what Intent can do.'' He tuned out the unnecessary Intent he was absorbing from the Shadow and focused on the Intent that contained the Shadow''s thoughts about Neo. Instantly, he saw countless lines originating from the Shadow andnding on different parts of his body. ''These are the attack paths the Shadow is thinking of using to attack me.'' Intent allowed Neo to read the Shadow''s thoughts. He dodged the Shadow''s attack and murmured, So this is [Flow of Battle]. Neo realized one thing. Flow of Battle was a small part of what Intent could do. ording to Kane, Flow of Battle allowed one to predict their opponent''s attacks. But Neo could also see his opponent''s thoughts and emotions. Unlike others who gained enlightenment due to their talent and didn''t understand how their abilities worked, Neo''s enlightenment came from his experience. He understood everything about the Flow of Battle technique because he had learned it from the scratch. After talking a bit with the Shadow, Neo decided to end things. Divine Swordsmanship, Eight Form¡ª Suddenly, Neo stopped. He lowered his sword. Never mind. It''s a waste to make you the first person who would experience Kane''s eighth technique, Neo said. I want it to be someone who deserves this technique, not low-level monsters I can defeat easily. His words gave the Shadow a pause. The monster''s face contorted. How dare you¡­. How dare you call me a low-level monster! The Shadow pounced on Neo, but he dodged the monster easily. The ease with which Neo dodged the attacks made it seem as if he was predicting the Shadow''s attack. I am you! A Shadow knows the original better than themselves! If you can use that technique, then I can too! The Shadow dug into its memories. Due to having a high synchronization with Neo, it had a lot of Neo''s experiences and memories. ''I can gain enlightenment if I use his memories and experiences!'' the Shadow thought. I wouldn''t rmend looking into my memories. Hahaha, you are trying to stop me from gaining enlightenment. Don''t try to hide the good stuff, Neo¡ª The Shadow stopped speaking, and it froze. Silence. A few secondster, the Shadow started tough. Then it cried. whataretheSEmemorieswhyAREtheresoMANYmemroiesIcannotbearSOmuch The Shadow hit its head on the floor repeatedly,ughing, crying, and shouting. It threw the sword away and started to w at its throat. That''s why I told you to not peek into my memories, Neo said. Your synchronization with me isn''t 100%. That means your Willpower isn''t as strong as mine. There is no way you can stay sane after seeing all of my memories with weak Willpower. Chapter 269 The Life of Neo Hargraves Neo had huge amount of memories. The hundreds of years of his own lives. The thousands of people whom he purified with his blessing and gained their memories. Andstly, the fourth vision of Sphinx where he spent eternity. The memories of Eternity were sealed by his mother, but the emotions he felt during those countless years were not sealed. Despair, hollowness, fear, grudges, insanity, love, ambition. Everything Neo gained during the eternity was still with him. The Shadow saw everything at once when it looked into Neo''s memories. Its foolish actions tore apart its sanity. idon''tWANTtoliveihatelivingsomeonekillMEpleasepleasepleasePLEASEpleasekillME, the Shadow screamed. Before Neo could do anything, the Shadow exploded, having killed itself. Neo stared at the remains of the Shadow. Shaking his head, he devoured it. The memories of Neo Hargraves poured into Neo. He was born to two humans who didn''t awaken their demigod lineage and he had an older brother. Unlike Neo Hargraves, who had a healthy physique like his mother, Henry Hargraves had a very weak body. It led him to develop an inferiorityplex against Neo. The rtionship between the brothers had been strained since childhood. Neo Hargraves didn''t pay much attention to it. He was content with his life. The Hargraves family was a sub-n of the Hephaestus n. The High God n treated his family nicely even though they didn''t have any demigods in their lineage. Neo Hargraves had been happy. But everything changed during the centennial tournament. As an event that happened once in a century, it was highly celebrated, and almost every member of the Hephaestus n participated in it. The day, which should''ve been one of the happiest of Neo''s life, was torn apart when the sky shattered, and thousands of eyes poured out of broken sky. A storm brewed in the skies above the arena, turning daylight into an ominous twilight. The crowd''s cheers turned to screams as grotesque monsters descended. They were a mass of writhing eyes that seemed to pierce through souls. Just looking at the grotesque monster made Neo Hargraves'' eyes burst, and he was turned into a cripple. Neo Hargraves thought he would die. The only thing he remembered was his mother''s voice telling him everything would be okay. His parents left saying they would do something about the monster. They never returned. Only Neo Hargraves and his older brother Henry Hargraves were left. ''B-Brother¡­. Mom and dad¡­ hic¡­ hic¡­ where are they'' Neo Hargraves remembered crying in his brother''s embrace. Both of them hid under the wreckage, praying the thousand-eye abomination wouldn''t find them. ''I''ll g-go and look for mom and dad. It has been hours since t-they went out and didn''t return,'' the little Henry had said to Neo. Don''t go. I''m afraid. Neo kept the words he wanted to say in his heart. He understood it. His brother hated him, and now Neo was a cripple who could die at any moment. He was a burden. Instead of sticking with Neo, it was better for Henry to escape alone. ''Hey, what are you thinking!'' Henry had flicked Neo''s forehead. ''There is no way I will leave my little brother alone and escape myself.'' Henry understood Neo was afraid, and he decided to stay with Neo instead of searching for their parents. Thest thing Neo Hargraves remembered was his weak-willed big brother saying he would protect Neo. When Neo woke up, a week had passed since the incident. They called it the Void Window #8477 incident. Theplete Hephaestus n was annihted. The only survivors were Neo and Henry Hargraves. The change hit Neo hard. The little child couldn''t even cry. He would''ve killed himself to escape the nightmares of the thousand eye monster if not for Henry, who had matured from the incident, being with him. Fortunately, there was a blessing in disguise. The inheritance of the Hephaestus n was divided between Neo, Henry, and a few remaining members of the Hephaestus n who didn''t attend the tournament and thus managed to survive. Henry used the settlement money to start a new business, and he made it into one of the biggest business empires within one generation. There were a lot of hurdles Henry had to face. During those times, Neo was assassinated without Henry''s knowledge. But someone¡ªa ''new'' Neo¡ªreced him. The assassination happened again. Another ''new'' Neo reced him. It repeated several times until the Neo who died to a zombie transmigrated into the body of Neo Hargraves. [ Shadow ] Awakening progress: 32/33 ¡ú 33/33 So this is what everything was about. Neo massaged his head. Gaining the memories allowed him to understand a lot of things. Every time he was assassinated, the seal on one of his previous life''s memories would break.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The broken seal would dissolve into raw energy and revitalize Neo''s damaged body and soul. The breaking of seals healing my injuries is too good to be a coincidence. The only reason I can think of is King Morgan making the seals this way. The more Neo thought about it, the more ridiculous it became. There were never different people transmigrating into Neo Hargraves'' body. All of them were my previous lives'' selves whose memories got mixed up with other lives, and they started to think they were different people. Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry. It was really ridiculous. And here I was thinking I needed to make sure Henry didn''t realize I had hijacked his brother''s body when I first ''transmigrated''. Though there is still something I don''t understand. How can someone assassinate me multiple times in my own house? There is no way a normal assassin can fool Henry''s senses multiple times and assassinate me without getting caught. Neo thought of a culprit candidate, but immediately shook his head. There is no way he can be the assassin. Just as he finished his contemtion, a new power exploded from within his Core. He could feel his Shadow affinity sessfully awakening. It allowed Neo to sense the giant presence that was looking down at his trial. Looked enough? He stared at the sky. The entity smiled and snapped, creating a door for Neo to leave the trial. Before I go, there is something I want to ask you, Neo said to the entity. Why didn''t my Shadows appear inside Shadow Windows? Neo would have never needed to enter the Shadow World if his Shadows manifested in Windows. Chapter 270 Failed Gamble Neo felt as if the entity in the sky was chuckling. The sky seemed to ripple like waves in a midnight sea. The entity above snapped its fingers, and a doll appeared before Neo. She bowed. Her porcin face was devoid of emotion and her movements were unnaturally smooth. "I''m E #23, one of the Gatekeepers of the Shadow World," the doll said, her voice soft but carrying an unsettling echo. "I will be answering you on behalf of the Supreme." I thought the Shadow Supreme wouldn''t bother answering me. "The Shadow Supreme is a generous ruler. He is happy to answer the warriors who show a worthy performance to him," she said, Neo clicked his tongue in irritation. In the end, he was just an entertainer to the Shadow Supreme. So, what''s the reason? Why didn''t my Shadow appear inside Shadow Windows? "Because the Supreme stopped your Shadows from appearing inside the Shadow Window." Her words made Neo freeze. The doll continued speaking. Her unblinking were eyes fixed on him. "The Supreme wanted to know what had be of the Cursed Bloodline. "That''s why he stopped your Shadows from leaving. "He knew you woulde to this world to find your Shadows, and it would allow the Shadow Supreme to meet you." What¡­? Neo''s mind spun. He didn''t understand why a Supreme would bother with a human from a non-elemental world. Supremes ruled over Elemental Worlds. They were existences beyond Gods. "Your bloodline is unique," the doll said. "Of course, the Shadow Supreme could meet your Shadow to see what was happening with your Bloodline. But he wanted to meet the original Neo Hargraves, not a Shadow." Neo frowned. ''I need to think calmly. She said a lot of things I don''t understand.'' His thoughts churned. ''Cursed bloodline? Does this mean something is wrong with my bloodline?'' Before Neo could say anything, the doll opened her mouth, her voice final. "We''ve answered everything. You can leave now." She snapped her fingers, and the world around him twisted.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Neo felt a shift, and suddenly, he was standing next to a giant tree, the Typhaon''s Core. ''They teleported me out of the Shadow Awakening trial without answering all of my questions.'' Frustration burned in his chest. Shaking his head, he focused inwards. The chaotic energy around him pulsed, responding to his intent. ''I''ve awakened Shadow affinity. Let''s try it.'' The Shadow element allowed the user to mimic other elements. The level of mimicry depended on the user''s understanding of the mimicked element. ''I should try to mimic an element that I don''t have an affinity with but have a high understanding of it.'' ''It would be¡­'' ck light surged from Neo''s palm. It was faint but stable. Mimicked Holy element. I can use it. Being attacked by Holy element too many times had allowed him to gain a little understanding about it. Needless to say, Neo''s mimicked Holy element was weak. He had only a little understanding of the Holy element, but it would change after he practiced more. ''This confirms the Shadow element awakening haspleted.'' A smile spread on his face. He stopped using the mimicked Holy element and activated the Essence Breath Spell. The mimicked Divine Energy in the surroundings, previously poisonous, now flowed into Neo''s Core. Thanks to his awakening, the mimicked Divine Energy was no longer harmful to him. His Core was filling at a swift pace. Suddenly, Neo felt something change inside him. [Essence Breath Spell] [Rank: Tremor] [Mastery: Apprentice ¡ú Adept] A vortex formed around him, swirling violently as mimicked Divine Energy poured into his body without pause. The air hummed and the ground beneath him cracked under the sheer force of the pull. Neo''s ability to drain the Divine Energy from the surroundings had grown multiple times as soon as the Spell''s mastery ranked up. When his Divine Energy reserves reached a sufficient level, he activated the third stage of his blessing. Regeneration. Bones began to materialize within the humanoid figure of lightning that was his body. The structure formed rapidly¡ªjoints snapping into ce, ribs aligning perfectly. Organs followed, glowing faintly as they took shape, then muscles wrapped around the bones like woven cords. Nerves branched out like veins of light, connecting everything, and finally, skin enveloped it all, restoring Neo''s appearance. Neo gasped, his chest rising and falling as he took his first breath with a fully regenerated body. "Holy fuck, that felt terrible," he muttered. He moved his limbs experimentally, flexing his fingers and rotating his shoulders. A frown formed on his face. "Dammit. It seems like this isn''t counted as a proper resurrection. I''m still dead." His heart was beating, and blood flowed through his veins, but it was all sustained by the third stage of his blessing. Neo could feel that his bodily functions would stop if he were to cut the supply of his blessing. "Body and soul are usually fused into each other," he muttered. "But right now, I''m forcing my soul to stay inside my body. They are not fused. Maybe I need to awaken the third stage fully for it." Neo clicked his tongue. He had gambled everything on this attempt and lost. "Fuck, looks like I''m going into the Underworld." The pull of Death grew stronger, like an invisible chain tightening around his soul. He had been forcing himself to stay alive for almost an hour, but his limits were rapidly approaching. Then, the world shifted. The energy vortex copsed, and his surroundings changed abruptly. Neo found himself beneath a dark sky, where three giant eyes loomed overhead, each radiating a cold and oppressive gaze. The air was thick with dark energy, heavy and suffocating. "This is¡­" Neo frowned, scanning his surroundings. ckened ground stretched endlessly, broken by jagged spires of obsidian that glowed faintly with crimson cracks. "I''m in the Underworld." It was the Underworld he knew, yet it was somehow different. A nagging feeling told him he wasn''t in his Underworld he knew. But the truth before his eyes was different. "Where am I?" he muttered. He should have appeared inside the deep hole filled with life energy¡ªthe one that had trapped him during hisst visit. As he prepared to move, he felt something shift within his clothes. "How did these gs get into my pocket?" The clothes he wore were given to him by the Underworld, starkly different from the ones he had worn in the world of the living. Yet, the gs were unmistakably familiar. Barbatos had given them to him, and Neo had¡­ "These gs should''ve been destroyed when Zeus pulverized my body." He paused, and the realization dawned on him. "I guess they''re bonded to my soul. That''s why they always appear next to me." Neo''s hand tightened around the fourth g. His heart pounded, and a mix of anxiety and anticipation coursed through him. He had been nning to ask Barbatos to give him new g and g posts, but this was better. "I hope this works." The reason he had been enduring hell and worse was toplete the fourth trial of Barbatos. Surpass yourself. That was the fourth trial. "I''ll be fucking pissed if awakening Shadow element wasn''t the fourth trial," Neo thought grimly. He prepared to insert the g into the post. Chapter 271 SSS rank Faryab, Afghanistan, Shadow World Perses, the Titan of Destruction,y sprawled at the bottom of a massive crater. The jagged walls towered above him. His bruised and battered body glistened faintly under the dim sky. Thick, dark clouds churned above, crackling asionally with streaks of violent lightning, casting eerie shadows across the barren wastnd. He stared upward, his vision unfocused, lost in a daze. A faint buzzing broke the silence. His device was ringing. With a groan, he picked it up and held it to his ear. "Perses? Seeing as how you picked up the call, I guess your fight with Gaia ended?" Kronos''s voice came through. "¡­." Perses said nothing. "Don''t think about it too much. It was obvious you would lose." "¡­Why?" "Gaia is SSS rank¡ª" "I''m not asking about her rank." Perses interrupted. "I''m asking why did this happen?" The question hung in the air for a moment before Perses continued in a bitter voice. "Gaia is always in a semi-synchronized state with the World Core. She does that to stop the ''world'' from causing natural disasters and wiping out humanity." His words carried an edge of frustration. "She can''t exert strength beyond that of an S-rank Awakener due to it. That''s why I came to fight her. I knew I could defeat her. But why the hell did she suddenly go all out? It''s not like I was trying to kill her." There was a pause before Kronos spoke. "Sunshine has disappeared." The sentence snapped Perses out of his daze like a bucket of ice water. His eyes widened, and his grip on the device tightened. "Sunshine disappeared?" "Yes," Kronos confirmed. "Doesn''t that mean¡­" "Neo Hargraves killed Sunshine. And probably Apollo too." "Crazy guy," Perses muttered, rubbing a hand over his bruised forehead. The Awakener Association treated their members like family, and Apollo, the youngest among them, was doted on excessively. The thought of Gaia snapping because she believed Neo had killed Apollo suddenly made sense. "She hadn''t gone all out because she thought Zeus would protect Apollo," Kronos continued. "But now that she has done it, we need to move too." Perses gritted his teeth, understanding Kronos''s implications. With Gaia stopping her continuous synchronization with the World Core, the bnce she maintained would shatter. The World Core would soon begin its rampage, unleashing thunderstorms, tsunamis, and earthquakes across Earth. "Use the Space-Time Cube to teleport Awakeners to¡­" Kronos began listing the locations of major cities that would be hit by disasters. Perses needed to send awakeners there and start rescue operations. After delivering his instructions, Kronos hung up. Perses stared at the device. It wasn''t hard to guess how Kronos knew the locations of the impending disasters. "He must''ve regressed," Perses muttered bitterly. "Damned monsters. Does it make sense that he can time travel so easily?" He clenched his fists with a frustrated expression. "That Gaia too. It''s too absurd to think she''s the one responsible for stopping natural disasters from destroying humanity." The understanding of it all made him sigh heavily. SSS rankers were on an entirely different level. They were Gods in the skin of humans. ... Gap of Dimensions, Between Shadow World and Earth Dimension "We don''t have much time to waste on you," said A #22, her voice cold and mechanical. The doll''s polished porcin face was eerily expressionless as she addressed Jack. "Tell us what reward you want, and the Shadow Supreme shall grant it. Then you shall leave." Jack clenched his fists, trembling with barely contained rage. His brindled anger zed behind his sharp re as he stared at the gatekeeper. He attempted to summon his legion, but no matter how hard he tried, his abilities refused to activate. "It is useless," the doll stated, her tone devoid of empathy. "Now tell us your wish." "Fine." Jack ground his teeth. His jaw tightened as he spat his demand. "Send me back to the same Shadow World and allow me and Neo to leave that world whenever we want. That''s my wish." Silence. The doll was surprised by his demand. She spoke a few secondster. "Are you sure you want to waste your wish on such a meager reward?" Her tone was devoid of warmth, yet her words carried a faint echo of curiosity. "We know your world is destroyed, but you don''t need to worry about your life. "As we''ve said, the Shadow Supreme is a generous ruler. He won''t send you to a destroyed world but instead to a different one, where life still remains. "You should ask for a different reward¡ª"n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "I''ve said what kind of reward I want." Jack''s voice was sharp, cutting through the doll''s offer. Neo could have asked for the same reward, but Jack knew he wouldn''t. ''Neo decided to stay behind,'' he thought bitterly. ''He would definitely ask for his Shadow element to awaken so he can survive by using mimicked Divine Energy.'' "Are you sure?" the doll pressed. "The Shadow Supreme has been generous in giving you a passing grade on the disastrous result you''ve shown in the Shadow Trial. "If you think we would be generous again and allow you to ask for a second wish, then you are sorely mistaken." "Yes, I''ve decided on my wish," Jack said firmly with clenched fists. "Very well. Your wish shall be granted." The doll raised her porcin hand and snapped her fingers. A dark doorway formed from the surrounding shadows, its edges crackling with faint tendrils of dark energy. Jack stared at it for a moment before stepping through. The oppressive atmosphere of the Gap of Dimensions vanished, reced by the thick, stifling air of the Shadow World. Jack''s surroundings materialized, and he found himself standing next to Typhaon''s core, the spot where he had initially left the Shadow World. A long sigh escaped Jack''s lips. His tense shoulders rxed slightly. "That was scary," he muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I was worried the Shadow Supreme might kill me for shouting at him." He smiled bitterly and scanned the area. "Where is that damned team leader of mine?" he grumbled. His irritation was evident as his eyes darted around. "I''m going to give him an earful this time. Why the hell did he stay here without telling me what was happening?" Jack''sints were cut short as he sensed a terrifying presence rapidly approaching. The air grew colder, and an oppressive force bore down on him, making it hard to breathe. A figurended in front of him with a thunderous impact, shaking the ground beneath his feet. The sheer force of her arrival sent cracks spidering through the earth. "You must be Jack Hanma," the woman said coldly. Her emerald-green eyes burned with intensity as she stared him down. Her movements were precise, almost too smooth to be natural. Jack''s breath hitched as he realized who she was. She was Gaia. Her mere presence exuded overwhelming power, her aura pressing down on him like an unrelenting tidal wave. "You have three seconds to tell me the location of Neo Hargraves," Gaia muttered coldly. Jack''s instincts screamed at him to fight or flee. But his body refused to move. Her terrifying pressure had frozen him in ce, rendering him helpless against her. Chapter 272 : Double Breakthrough To Next Rank Jack felt his body freeze. The air around him was heavy and suffocating, as though an unseen force pressed down on everything. The faint rustle of leaves in the distance was drowned out by the pounding of his own heart. ''There is no way she is only S-rank!'' Emma and Apollo had told him Gaia was an S-rank Awakener. But the terror he was feeling told him she was far stronger than that. "I asked you a question¡­." Gaia''s voice cut through the oppressive silence. She stopped speaking and frowned, turning towards Typhaon''s Core. The towering tree pulsated faintly with an eerie green glow. "Typhaon is¡­ asleep?" She ced her hand on the tree''s trunk. "What did you and Neo Hargraves do to Typhaon?" "Neo handled it just as he said he would," Jack''s voice quivered. He struggled to speak due to the overwhelming pressure of Gaia. She reigned in her pressure, and the oppressive atmosphere lightened, allowing Jack a breather. The breeze returned, carrying with it the faint scent of charred wood and damp earth. A few momentster, Zeus arrived, carrying Apollo in his arms. Both of them had been healed by Gaia before she met Jack. The air grew tense once again as Zeus stared at Jack with a stern gaze, while Apollo remained unconscious. Gaia closed her eyes, her focus entirely on analyzing Typhaon''s condition. Her presence, even subdued, felt like a tempest barely contained. Jack, on the other hand, had different worries. ''Where did Neo disappear to?'' ''Don''t tell me he had a different way of leaving the Shadow World and he left using it?'' ''Hahaha, I didn''t waste my reward, right?'' ... Underworld, Shadow World Neo inserted the g into the g post with a soft click. "I guess this counts as the trial beingpleted." "Yes, it does, O Great Child of Monarch." Neo turned around when he heard the familiar voice. Barbatos stood there, his form hidden by the robe that danced like ck mes. The Grim Reaper''s familiar appearance brought a smile to Neo''s face, but it quickly vanished as Neo sensed something. He frowned. "You are just a projection. Not the real Barbatos." "Indeed, it is something akin to a hologram," Barbatos said. He was surprised Neo noticed it so quickly. "It seems you have progressed quite a bit on the path of Intent," Barbatos said. The hologram in front of Neo''s eyes was made of Intent. It was supposed to manifest when hepleted the fourth trial. "So what was the fourth trial about?" Neo asked. "I''vepleted it, but I still don''t understand what it was supposed to teach me." Barbatos looked at Neo with a serious gaze. "The trial was to surpass yourself. You had to gain an achievement unique to yourself." Although Barbatos didn''t say it, he was surprised when he looked at Neo''s condition. ''Adept Mastery in Intent.''n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om ''A never-before-seen Concept of Death.'' ''And he managed to gain the memories of all his previous lives.'' Barbatos bowed. "I''m deeply honored to witness such achievements, O Great Child of Monarch. You''ve surpassed our expectations." Neo rejected his bloodline''s Concept of Impartial Death and gained a new, unique Concept. To add upon it, for the first time, he had managed to sustain the memories of his previous lives pletely''. Just one of the two would have been enough for him toplete the fourth trial. That was the fourth trial. Neo had to achieve something that distinguished him as ''Neo''. Something that proved he was more than just the son of Hades Barbatos raised his head and looked Neo in the eye. "O Great Child of Monarch, there is a lot we want to say. However, this Intent projection cannotst for long." "We will be direct, please pardon us," Barbatos said. His tone carried the a sense of urgency. "This is the Underworld of the Shadow World. Even though you are in the past, you can use the Soul Hunter badge you were given for your fifth trial. "The fifth trial is to be a Grim Reaper and go through ennoblement. "Please visit Grand Duchess Paimon when you have time; she will help you hide that you are from the future." Before Neo could interject, Barbatos continued, "Grand Duchess Paimon will be in the mansion you''ve met her the first time." With those final words, the hologram of Barbatos flickered and disappeared, leaving Neo stunned. The oppressive quiet of the Underworld pressed in around him. ''How the fuck did he know I''m in the past?'' Neo''s thoughts raced. While Barbatos could have guessed he had entered the Shadow World, there was no usible exnation for how he knew Neo had gone to a past world. Confused, Neo massaged the bridge of his nose. "Let''s just do things one by one," he muttered to himself. He began searching for a quiet ce to gather his thoughts. The dense forest was filled with towering, twisted trees, their branches forming grotesque shapes that cast long, shifting shadows. After an hour of wandering, Neo found a hollow area inside one of the massive trees. The hollow was spacious, its walls glowing faintly with an unnatural green luminescence that seemed to pulse in time with his breathing. Neo entered and sat cross-legged in the center. "It''s time I made my breakthrough," he said. Focusing inward, Neo brought up his status screen. [Mind Invasion, Grade 5 Awakened] ¦éProgress: 100% [Eternal, Grade 5 Mythic] ¦éProgress: 100% The battle with Zeus had pushed his progress to its limit. It was good news. He could finally rank up! Neo closed his eyes, calming his breaths as the world around him seemed to still. The air trembled, and the mimicked Divine Energy of the Underworld surged toward him, forming a swirling vortex. His Core began to glow faintly, resonating with the rhythmic thrum of his heartbeat. Hours passed in this state, the tension in the air growing thicker with each moment. Suddenly, a crackling sound echoed within him, like ss shattering under immense pressure. Neo''s aura surged, the light of his Core intensifying. His blood began to glow with a faint golden hue as a fierce wind rippled outward, rustling the leaves far above. When he opened his eyes, they glowed sharp and bright, filled with immense power. "I''vepleted the breakthrough," he said. Neo''s body felt weightless. Yet every fiber of his being hummed with immense strength. "Status," he called out. The screen materialized before him. Chapter 273 : Meeting An Old Friend [ Neo Hargraves ] [ Rank: Grade 4 Mythic ] [ Divine Energy Purity: Grade 5 Empyrean ] [ Stats ] ¦é Strength: 226 ¦é Speed: 241 ¦é Dexterity: 236 ¦é Constitution: 220 ¦é Luck: 0 [ Affinity ] ¦é Death, Shadow, Darkness, Void, Water, Time [ Magic Spells ] ¦é Necrotic Touch, Ocean''s Embrace, Essence Breath, Rewind Enchantment, ck Dawn of Despair [ Incantations ] ¦é O Death, Be My Hands, Crush My Enemies ¦é O Death, Be My de [ Trait ] ¦é Bloodline Trait: Monarch of Death ¦é Fragmented Trait: Mind Invasion [ Quest ] ¦é Complete Barbatos'' Training (Part 1), Completed 4/5 ¦é Find a way to assimte the Mind Invasion Trait (Fragmented) into yourself permanently ¦é End of the World Questline "My Divine Energy Purity jumped to Empyrean rank," Neo muttered. "It must''ve been because both of my traits ranked up at once." [Mind Invasion, Grade 4 Awakened] ¦éProgress: 0% [Eternal, Grade 4 Mythic] ¦éProgress: 0% Neo checked the changes in his status. [Death] Mastery: Expert (Lowest) Concept: Eternal Sleep [Darkness] Mastery: Adept (Peak) Concept Progress: 60% [Shadow] Mastery: Apprentice (High) [Time] Mastery: Apprentice (Peak) [Water] Mastery: Apprentice (High) "These masteries are more or less as I expected," Neo muttered. HIs understanding of Shadow element had been high, especially because he was living in a 100% synchronization Shadow World for past 9 months. As soon as he awakened Shadow element, his mastery jumped to High Apprentice instantly. Neo was analyzing his status when a sudden presence disrupted his focus. . Peeking out of the hollow, his eyes widened. Familiar figures emerged from the shadows. Their movements were stiff yet menacing. "You saw my face! You saw my face! I''ll kill you!" one of them shrieked. "¡­They followed me into the Underworld?" Neo muttered, unsure whether to be impressed or frustrated. The army of statue-like monsters advanced toward him, their stone forms grinding ominously. Neo sighed, raising his handzily. Before they could take another step, he snapped his fingers. A wave of Death energy rippled outward, spreading like a dark tide. The oppressive silence of the Underworld deepened as the wave consumed everything in its path. The statue monsters crumbled into dust a split secondter. Their stone forms disintegrated under the wave of Neo''s Death energy without being able to put up any resistance. Neo exhaled slowly, ncing at the remains before walking away. After wandering for hours, Neo encountered several intelligent monsters¡ªdenizens of the Underworld. These beings, unlike the mindless monsters, possessed awareness and were capable ofmunication. Talking with them confirmed Neo''s suspicions: he was indeed in the Underworld of the past. "This is weird¡­ gods appeared after the Apocalypse, and Dad hasn''t shown up yet," Neo murmured to himself, his voice carrying through the still air. He frowned. "Then who''s managing the Underworld?" Eventually, Neo entered a town¡ªa grim, shadowed ce filled with spectral figures and gothic architecture. The streets were dimly lit by flickering green torches, and whispers filled the air, blending with the mournful wails of the damned. The oppressive atmosphere was almost suffocating, but to Neo it was refreshing. His first destination was the Soul Hunter building, a tall, foreboding structure with jagged spires piercing the ever-dark sky. Inside, the ce was bustling with activity. Transparent souls floated through the hall and monsters formed lines before the reception. Neo approached the reception desk, where a small, floating skull hovered behind a ledger. The skull turned to face him, its hollow eyes glowing faintly. "You are a new face," it said. "Yeah, I came from the eastern side," Neo spouted the first random bullshit that came to his mind. He took out his Soul Hunter badge and showed it to the skull. It confirmed the badge was real and opened its mouth. "You''re here for information, I assume?" it rasped. After a brief exchange, Neo learned the requirements for bing a Grim Reaper. "You have to reach highest Soul Hunter rank, capture 100,000 souls, and reach Expert mastery in Death, Darkness, Shadow, Holy, Light, or Life element. "You''ll also need a rmendation letter from a Grim Reaper," the skull said with an unnerving cackle. Neo froze, his expression nk. "¡­What?" he muttered, his voice barely audible. What the fuck did he mean Neo had to capture 100,000 souls!? That was six too many zeroes! These requirements were too much! His frustration was clear as he massaged his brows. "These requirements are ridiculous," he grumbled under his breath. "The fifth trial might be easy in theory, but it''s going to take forever." Before leaving, Neo asked another question. "Who is the current ruler of the Underworld?" The skull paused, then tilted slightly¡ªsomehow managing to raise its nonexistent brows. "Our ruler is the Great Monarch Hades. Why are you asking such an obvious question?" Neo maintained hisposure. "No reason." Outside, Neo walked through the shadowy streets, his expression calm, though his thoughts were anything but. ''So Dad is the current ruler of the Underworld? Was he a god even before the Apocalypse arrived?'' Lost in thought, Neo didn''t notice the boy blocking his path until he nearly bumped into him. "Please wait," the boy said. Neo stopped, his eyes narrowing as he took in the boy''s appearance. His face was bruised, his clothes torn and dirtied. Judging by his uncorrupted aura, he was likely a human who had recently arrived in the Underworld. "Master is calling for you," the boy continued. "Master?" Neo asked with a sharp gaze. "Yes, she sensed your breakthrough."n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Who is your master?" "Grand Duchess of the Underworld, Paimon le Noir, the 3rd ranked Grim Reaper and Mistress of Darkness," the boy replied with a proud smile, clearly pleased to brag about his master. Neo''s thoughts immediately turned to Barbatos'' earlier instructions. ''Barbatos told me to meet Paimon. I guess I should follow this kid.'' "Who are you?" Neo asked in a cautious tone. "Barbatos," the boy answered with the same smile. "I recently became a Grim Reaper and received this name." Neo''s eyes widened slightly before he masked his reaction. "¡­I see." Inside, Neo wanted to sigh. ''So this is how Barbatos'' Intent knew I was in the past.'' ''Because the past Barbatos met me here.'' He nced at the boy again. ''Looks like paradoxes are starting to appear.'' ''Messing with time too much is always a headache.'' With a resigned shake of his head, Neo gestured for the boy to lead the way. "Take me to your master." Chapter 274 : Paradox Association Headquarters, Turkey, Shadow World After the battle between Neo and the Awakener Association, which resulted in a crushing defeat for the Association, time passed like a blur. Neo''s actions caused a lot of changes. Awakeners all over the world were in an uproar. The news spread that an awakener had singlehandedly defeated the Awakener Association and put Typhon in a deep slumber. It pissed off Emma when Jack wasn''t given any credit. As for Jack himself, he couldn''t care less about the news. His focus was on searching for Neo. Neo had disappeared from the face of the world. If not for a new vision of Apollo, which showed Neo fighting Typhaon, Jack would''ve thought Neo had left the Shadow World. Since the vision confirmed Neo was still somewhere around, Jack decided to stay. He joined the Awakener Association temporarily. In the next few weeks, the Awakener Association demanded a reason from the Titans for supporting Neo during the previous battle. Kronos revealed his reason at the Council meeting. "I helped Neo Hargraves because my intuition told me to trust him." It was a simple yet highly irresponsible reason. Unfortunately, the Awakener Association couldn''t hold him ountable as Neo was right in the end, and Kronos was the leader of Titans. Kronos was an existence they couldn''t judge easily. He was one of the only two SSS-rank awakeners. During the same council meeting, it was decided that the fact Jack and Neo were from the future would be hidden for obvious reasons. The council also demanded Jack to exin why he had stayed behind in the past after everything ended. "The world is going to end because we couldn''t save the Child of Mana on time," Jack said. "Neo and I''ve stayed behind because of it." A lot of awakeners were skeptical of Jack''s im. To point out an obvious reason, if the future was destroyed, how were Jack and Neo still alive? They should''ve been dead because the future where they were born was destroyed. Jack, being someone who rarely paid attention in sses, didn''t know how to exin the situation. His confusion was visible as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. At that moment, Kronos helped Jack. His friendly tone cut through the skepticism. "They are alive because of paradoxes," Kronos began. "Think about it," Kronos continued. "If someone goes into the past and kills their grandfather, what would happen?" "The grandfather dies." "If the grandfather dies, their grandchild is never born." "If the grandchild is never born, he can''t go back into the past and kill his grandfather." "If the grandfather isn''t killed, then the grandchild is born again, and he goes back into the past to kill his grandfather again ." "This is a paradox," Kronos exined, pacing slowly around the hall as his gaze met the eyes of each council member. "It is a constantly changing past. Such changes cause deformities in the timeline." Kronos paused. He let the weight of his words sink in before continuing. "Paradoxes can cause the timeline to break. That''s why Time deals with paradoxes itself. How do you suppose this happens?" "Time orders its servants to¡ª" "Shut up, As. Don''t disturb me when I''m doing something important," Kronos said, giving a sharp re to As, who had been about to interject. As chuckled awkwardly, and looked away, avoiding Kronos'' re. "There are multiple ways Time can deal with a paradox," Kronos continued. "I''ll exin it using the grandfather-grandson example I used earlier." "First option is, Time destroys whatever device was allowing the grandson to go back to the past," Kronos began, his voice calm yet authoritative. "Secondly, Time can punish the grandson by forcing him to go through ''Unremembrance'' or ''Time Slipping.'' Due to these, the grandson won''t be able to return to the past and kill his grandfather." "Third option is, the grandson is killed before he kills the grandfather. Let''s say a truck kills him while he''s going to the grandfather''s house. This death is more of a death caused by Fate rather than by Time." "Fourth option is, it turns out the grandson was adopted, or his mother had cheated, so killing the grandfather doesn''t stop the grandson from being born and a paradox is not created." Kronos paused, scanning the room. The faint sound of shuffling feet echoed in the vast chamber as the awakeners absorbed his words. "This is what happens with small-scale paradoxes," he added Then, his tone deepened. "But what happens if it was arge-scale paradox?" The air seemed to grow tenser as Kronos continued. "Let''s say the grandfather had developed a cure for cancer. His death will affect a lot of other people, and it will be the cause of a major paradox. How does Time solve it?" He allowed a moment of silence to draw attention before speaking again. "It will try to use the previous options I''ve mentioned. But what if those options won''t work?" Kronos''s eyes narrowed. "Then¡­" The council chamber seemed to hold its collective breath as he continued. "Time will use forceful changes. "The grandfather will be alive even if he has been killed by the grandson. ''Time will achieve this by merging the constantly changing pasts where the grandfather is killed and where he is still alive because the grandson was never born." Kronos observed the expressions around him.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om He noted the confusion that painted most faces. "Sigh, I''ll exin it in simpler terms," he said. "Time will bring the grandfather from the timeline where he was alive and put him in the timeline where the grandfather is dead." The exnation he gave was both wrong and right at the same time. Only one timeline could exist at once. In other words, two different timelines could not coexist. The appearances of paradoxes created deformities in a timeline¡ªresulting in the branching of the timeline and causing multiple timelines to be born. However, since Time didn''t want multiple timelines to exist, it merged the timelines into one. This ''merging'' would cause the grandfather to exist even after he was killed. Because the grandfather was brought from the timeline where he was never killed and put into the timeline where he was killed. "This type of solution is thest resort when Time has no other way to solve the paradox." Chapter 275 : World-Time Project Kronos shook his head when he noticed that barely anyone understood his simplified exnation. A faint smile crossed his face. He understood the mechanism of timelines because he had been nearly erased by Time multiple times. The ignorance of his peers only proved they had not yet suffered at the hands of Time. He wished it would remain that way. "Neo and his existence are the same," Kronos said, pointing at Jack with his chin. "They should be dead, but their deaths would cause a major paradox. Thus, to solve the paradox, Time allows them to exist even though they should''ve been erased." Jack blinked in stupefaction. Listening to Kronos refreshed his memory, and he was able to recall the lessons he was taught at the academy. Kronos''s exnation had small problems, but it was mostly correct. The absurdity of it all left Jack in shock. The knowledge that the people of the future had gained after multiple generations was only marginally better than Kronos''s understanding. Jack realized that Kronos''s title of "Father of Time" wasn''t just a symbolic decoration¡ªit was well-earned. The council meeting proceeded smoothly after Kronos''s exnation. Much to Jack''s relief, the council took Jack''s words about the world''s impending end seriously. "We need to speed up the progress of the World-Time Project," Ares said. "Yes, I''m already working on it," Kronos replied without hesitation. Jack furrowed his brow. He had no idea what they were talking about, but it seemed important. He decided to wait until the council meeting ended and ask Emma for more information. "One more thing," Kronos added. "Nobody will ask about the knowledge of the future from Jack." His words were firm and left no room for objections. "Asking him for knowledge of future will only cause more paradoxes to appear. It would be harmful to us. "There is also a high chance Fate will take harsh measures to stop us from taking advantage of future knowledge." The flickering firelight cast dancing shadows across Kronos''s face, emphasizing the gravity of his warning. Around the room, the council members exchanged uneasy nces. Their expressions ranged from reluctant eptance to grim determination. As soon as the meeting ended, Zeus approached Jack, his towering presence dominating the hallway. His piercing gaze bore into Jack as he demanded answers about Neo''s whereabouts. Jack, maintaining hisposure, firmly told Zeus that he didn''t know where Neo was. However, Zeus''s expression twisted with disbelief which made his distrust clear. The tension between them grew thick, and the charged air was almost crackling. Zeus took a step closer, his voice lowering but carrying a dangerous edge. Their confrontation might have escted into something far worse if not for Emma''s timely interference. She stepped between the two and took Jack''s side much to Zeus'' annoyance. Her calm butmanding demeanor forced Zeus to reconsider his options. Zeus reluctantly backed off, though the frustration in his eyes was clear. Despite Emma''s intervention, Zeus didn''t stop. He continued to approach Jack over the following days, persistently asking for any information about Neo and his father. Each conversation was as strained as thest. Zeus''s suspicion never wavered. It took Jack dozens of days, countless firm denials, and a great deal of patience to finally make Zeus understand the truth: Jack knew nothing about what Zeus wanted to know. Only Neo had the answers, and they had no idea where Neo had disappeared to. After the problem with Zeus was solved, Jack was absorbed into the routine of a normal awakener working under the Awakener Association. It was not a good experience for Jack. The days in the association were long and grueling, with constant missions that pushed him to the brink of exhaustion. However, the physical strain paled inparison to the social hostility he faced. Most of the awakeners in the association didn''t like Jack. Their disdain was palpable, from the whispered gossip behind his back to outright criticism hurled in his face. The association''s crushing loss against Jack and Neo had brought immense shame to its members, and many awakeners directed their bitterness at Jack. This resentment led to outright bullying. Jack, of course, wasn''t the type to tolerate bullying, especially not when his bullies were weaker than him. Any physical confrontations ended quickly and decisively in Jack''s favor. Yet, the constant hostile atmosphere at the association weighed heavily on his mind. The distrustful nces, the venomous words, and the sense of istion created a mental burden that even Jack found difficult to bear. Eventually, Jack¡ªnow known by his alias, Erebus¡ªdecided he had enough. He left the Awakener Association and joined the Titans, much to Emma''s dismay. She tried to stop him, but he remained firm in their decision. The Titans, always opportunistic, didn''t stop with Jack. They also managed to recruit Daniel, the brother of thete Child of Mana, into their ranks. From what Jack understood, the Titans had brought Daniel aboard for the World-Time Project. The World-Time Project was to inscribe a giant magic circle ¡ª World-Time Spell ¡ª at the Earth''s poles. The purpose of the spell was to allow multiple people to travel 30 to 50 years into the past. Such extreme maniption of time was beyond even Kronos, which was why the project required the construction of a massive magic circle to aplish it. The process of building the World-Time Spell was filled with challenges and tragedies. Numerous trials and errors marked its development, and the experiments involved frequent attempts to travel into the past. These experiments came at a steep cost. Many time mages¡ªalready a rare and valuable resource¡ªlost their lives in the process. Time Deaths, such as Unremembrance and Time Slipping, were not umon. Even Kronos himself wasn''t immune to the dangers of Time Deaths. This was where Daniel came in. Though Daniel''s control over time was poor, he possessed very high resistance to Time Deaths.N?v(el)B\\jnn In simpler terms, his job was to be Kronos''s experimental dummy. Time seemed to pass in a blur as everyone worked tirelessly to build a functioning society and stop the looming Cmity. Thirty-nine years passed in this manner. Chapter 276 Time Skip! First Appearance Of Thanatos 39 yearster, Savage Expanse. The barrenndscape stretched endlessly, marked by jagged cliffs and scorched earth. The air shimmered with faint traces of mana, creating a disconcerting hum that resonated in Emma''s ears. Ash clouds loomed overhead and casted an ominous shadow over the thousands of awakeners gathered below. "Dammit." Emma bit her nails as her gaze darted over the assembled forces. Her brows furrowed as she scanned the faces of the awakeners geared up for battle. Their armor glinted faintly in the dull light and they had grim expressions. Today, Typhaon would wake up. Everyone had been preparing for this day for decades. The tension in the air was palpable, broken only by the asional ng of weapons and nervous murmurs among the awakeners. But¡­ "Do they think this is a joke?" Emma hissed under her breath. Typhaon''s root had been burrowing deeper each day. The Father of Anomalies drained the energy from the earth itself. This relentless absorption allowed it to grow at a pace far faster than any awakener could ever hope to match. Its growth pace was second to none. Despite the colossal threat, Emma was the only heavy hitter in today''s roster. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as a sense of frustration surged through her. However, she knew it was no one''s fault. Poseidon was with the Titans, holding back the hordes of monsters pouring out from the Bermuda Triangle. Apparently, the ce had a portal connection to another. The''s environment was not inhabitable for humans and only powerful bloodthirsty monsters existed there. The monsters from there had been relentlessly invading Earth. Zeus was on the moon. The damned natural satellite had gained a mind of its own due to the evolution caused by mana. Zeus had to go there and stop it before it decided to crash into Earth and end everything. Gaia was preupied with the World Core Synchronization. It had reached its final stages, and Gaia couldn''t leave it unattended. Ares and Athena were locked inbat with the Five Emperors¡ªa rebellious group of awakeners led by five powerful leaders. They worshiped Typhaon and sought to sabotage the Awakener Association''s efforts to defeat the monster. Today, it was just Emma, Apollo, and Jack against Typhaon together with a few hundred awakeners. The other awakeners were far from Emma or Jack''s level and they job was only to deal with the minions of Typhaon. The n was simple: hold back Typhaon until reinforcements arrived. Once Ares and Athena defeated the Five Emperors and Zeus finished his task on the moon, they would rush to the Savage Expanse to assist in taking down the Father of Anomalies. Jack¡ªnow Erebus¡ªwas a reinforcement sent by the Titans. If the Awakener Association couldn''t hold their ground, more reinforcements would follow. Still, it was reckless, bordering on suicidal, to leave only Emma, Apollo, and Jack to face Typhaon. But there was no other choice. Every powerful awakener was tied up elsewhere, fighting battles just as critical. "The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off. Why is Apollo still not here!?" Emma''s voice cut through the tense silence, making several nearby awakeners flinch. They exchanged nervous nces and whispered amongst themselves. "Hey, do something, or we''ll get scolded because Sir Apollo isn''t here." "What am I supposed to do!?" "Guys, just remind her Sir Erebus ising. That might improve her mood." While they deliberated on how to pacify Emma, she suddenly raised her device and began speaking into it. Her voice was sharp, and edged with irritation. "Apollo, where are you!?" It seemed Apollo had finally picked her call. She cocked her head, her expression shifting from anger to confusion as she listened to Apollo''s reply. "You aren''ting¡­?" Her voice faltered, and disbelief shed across her eyes. "Neo will handle Typhaon¡­? That guy has been missing for four decades! What do you mean¡ªHey, don''t hang up!" Emma''s voice rose in exasperation, but the line went dead before she could say more. Her hands trembled as she lowered the device, her face contorted in fury. The other awakeners took a cautious step back. "It''s all that bastard''s fault," she muttered through clenched teeth, her toneced with venom. Apollo had changed after his defeat by Neo 39 years ago. Emma had no idea what Neo had told Apollo. But it changed Apollo. From a disciplined warrior who did what was necessary, he had turned into a deadbeat who did only what he wanted to do. And now, of all times, he had chosen to be unreliable. He was busy partying at this moment!? "I don''t understand. Why is everyone always ''Neo this, Neo that''? Even Jack pays more attention to him than me¡ª" Emma''s words came to an abrupt halt as a violent tremor shook the ground beneath her. The barren expanse quaked. Dust rose in chaotic swirls as cracks spider-webbed across the terrain. The awakeners began shouting in rm. "Typhaon is waking up!" "Shit, it''s earlier than the estimated time! Our guys are still not fully geared up!"N?v(el)B\\jnn Emma''s expression darkened and her lips were pressed into a thin line. The ground beneath her boots vibrated with ominous intent, and a deep sense of foreboding settled in her chest. She reached out to summon her Darkness powers, but a sudden, crushing pressure crashed down upon her like a tidal wave. Her knees buckled. A ripple of agony spread through the ranks of awakeners. Most copsed and became unconscious. The few who managed to remain standing retched violently. Their faces were pale and drenched with sweat. The forest around them groaned as if alive. Trees twisted grotesquely. Their bark split to reveal monstrous faces and limbs. The ground cracked open, releasing swarms of hideous creatures that wed their way to the surface. ''Shit!'' Emma''s mind raced as adrenaline surged through her. ''This feeling¡­ Typhaon''s strength is far higher than the predictions!'' She recalled Gaia''s briefing: Typhaon''s root system absorbed energy from the earth, allowing it to grow at a terrifying pace unmatched by any awakener. "Call for reinforcements!" Emma barked the orders. Her voice rose above the chaos. "This isn''t something we can handle with our current numbers! Go! I''ll buy time for you guys¡ª" "There is no need for that." The calm voice cut through her shout like a de through the haze of panic. A figure wearing tattered ck robes stepped forward. His appearance was detached and almost surreal amidst the chaos. Unlike everyone else on the battlefield, he seemed entirely unaffected by Typhaon''s overwhelming presence. Emma turned to him. Her eyes narrowed. "Who are you?" The figure tilted his head slightly. His face was obscured by the shadows of his hood. It was as if Darkness itself masked his features, making them impossible to discern. Yet his voice was strangely familiar. "Gaia sent me," he replied evenly. "My codename is¡­" He hesitated, his posture stiffening slightly as if embarrassed. Then, through gritted teeth, he added, "Thanatos." Emma''s eyes widened in shock. She wasn''t aware the Awakener Association had someone like him in their ranks. But she kept her doubts to herself. Rumors about Gaia''s so-called knight had circted within the Association for years. They went like this: A knight protected Gaia from the shadows and he killed without fail whenever Gaiamanded it. Gaia never confirmed or denied these rumors and allowed them to fester in ambiguity. Chapter 277 Time Skip! First Appearance Of Thanatos [2] ''Gaia must''ve told him to intervene if Typhaon proved too much to handle.'' "Okay," Emma said cautiously. "The two of us should be able to hold back Typhaon until reinforcements arrive¡ª" "I don''t need reinforcements." Thanatos interrupted her, unsheathing a ck de that radiated an eerie, consuming aura. The moment he shed, a wave of destruction rippled outward. Typhaon''s minions, who had almost reached the awakeners'' position, were bisected in a single strike. A moment of stunned silence enveloped the battlefield.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Everyone, retreat," Thanatosmanded. His voice was as cold and sharp as his de. "Gaia has sent me to deal with Typhaon." Before anyone could react, he raised his sword again and swung downward. The sheer force of the strike obliterated everything in its path, carving a direct route to Typhaon''s Core. As he walked forward, one of the awakeners whispered shakily, "T-that ck sword¡­ isn''t it the one Sir Apollo told us to watch out for?" Emma''s heart skipped a beat. Her gaze snapped to the weapon in Thanatos'' grip, but before she could study it further, he was gone, disappearing into the haze of the battlefield. "Dammit, how could I be so stupid! If his name is Thanatos, then of course it''s ''him''!" Emma muttered under her breath. Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet rumbled violently. All heads turned toward the source of the tremors, and they saw Thanatos thrown high into the air. Dust and debris scattered around, creating a smoky haze. Before Thanatos could retaliate, a burning tornado enveloped him. It spiraled upward like a pir of fire and scorched the air around it. "You''re finally here!" a booming voice roared. Standing at the source of the mes was Oni, the Sovereign of mes, one of Typhaon''s direct servants. His molten eyes glowed with malicious delight as he pointed a wed hand at Thanatos. "Master has told us to kill ''you'' with special attention!" "It''s always amusing to hear a monster call another monster ''master.''" Thanatos'' voice rang out from within the burning vortex, calm yet dripping with disdain. A beatter, the fiery tornado fractured. Uniform cracks appeared on the burning mes. They split into countless pieces as if cleaved by an unseen de. The scattered mes dissipated into dying embers, revealing Thanatos standing atop a massive shadow summon in the shape of a bird, its wings spread wide as it hovered in the ash-choked sky. "Don''t speak in humannguage," he said coldly, his gaze locked on Oni. "It''s disgusting." Oni flinched. A bead of sweat rolled down his temple as he processed what had just happened. His mes¡ªmes that no ordinary awakener could withstand¡ªhad been effortlessly cut apart. Thanatos'' piercing eyes briefly flicked to the two other Sovereigns lurking in the shadows. They were biding their time for the perfect moment to strike. "It''s not me you should be fearing," he said, his voice cutting through the air like a razor. The ground shuddered again, more violently this time, as though responding to his words. The Sovereigns tensed. The tremors, which they had dismissed as the aftereffects of Typhaon''s overwhelming aura, now felt¡­ different. They weren''t caused by Typhaon. It was something else. Something dangerous. "It''s him." The northern region of the Savage Expanse copsed in on itself. The earth caved in as though devoured by an unseen force. A shrill, bone-chilling cry reverberated through the battlefield. And then it emerged. A monstrous worm,rger than a fifteen-story building and ten times as wide, burst forth from the copsing ground. Its segmented body gleamed with an unnatural sheen, and its circr maw was lined with thousands of razor-sharp teeth that glinted like bloodied knives. The air grew thick with the worm''s bloodthirsty aura, suffocating everyone nearby. The creature let out another deafening shriek before lunging at the nearest cluster of monsters. Its colossal movements crushed the forest and the beasts beneath it, leaving a path of absolute destruction in its wake. Trees snapped like twigs, and the earth groaned under the sheer weight of its body. Emma''s jaw tightened as she watched the carnage unfold. "What¡­what is that thing?" one of the awakeners stammered, his voice trembling with terror. Thanatos didn''t answer. His gaze remained locked on the Sovereigns, his expression as cold and unyielding as the de in his hand. "Devour them," Thanatosmanded. The worm opened its gaping maw, revealing an thousands of razor sharp teeth. A low, guttural sound reverberated from its depths as it began to inhale. The force of its suction moved the air. The trees closest to it were the first to go. Their trunks groaned and splintered as they were uprooted and pulled into the giant worm''s mouth. The soil followed next,. Great chunks of earth crumbled and vanished into the worm''s maw. But it didn''t stop there. The very essence of the Savage Expanse seemed to be consumed. The worm started to devour Time. Monsters and the Sovereigns froze, unable to move, as the worm was eating their Time. Then, something astonishing happened. The monsters and the forest began to age backwards. They grew younger. And younger. And younger. Monsters howled in agony as their forms distorted and disappeared. The proud Sovereigns of Typhaon could do nothing. They realized, toote, the true nature of the worm''s power¡ªit wasn''t merely consuming matter. It was devouring their Time. Their bodies shuddered as the horrifying process continued. The Sovereigns'' forms grew younger. Their features regressed with each passing second. Their mighty auras diminished. Their strength faded as they were forced backward through the sands of time. Panic flickered in their eyes, but they couldn''t move. The worm''s suction had them utterly paralyzed. And then, they vanished. First, their physical forms dissolved into the void. Then, their very existence was erased, as if they had never been. The suction intensified, and the surrounding forest began to disappear too. Leaves grew into buds, trees shrank into saplings, and finally, the ground itself aged backward into barren wastnd. Emma and the awakeners, standing far enough to avoid the worm''s immediate attack, watched in stunned silence. The air around them felt heavy, suffused with an unnatural stillness. "What just¡­ happened?" one of the awakeners whispered in a barely audible voice. Emma''s fists clenched as she surveyed the devastation. In mere moments, the lush expanse of the Savage Expanse had been reduced to a deste wastnd. The vibrant greenery, the sprawling trees, the teeming life¡ªall of it had been devoured, leaving behind only a barren desert. At its centery Typhaon''s Core. The giant tree pulsed like a beating heart, the only remnant of the once-vast forest. The worm let out a final, ear-splitting cry before coiling into itself. Its body disappeared into the sands as quickly as it had emerged. Emma swallowed hard. What she had just witnessed shook her to the core. "That thing¡­" she whispered. Her voice trembled with a mix of fear and awe. "It''s beyond anything we''ve ever faced." The barren wastnd stretched out before them. It was a reminder of the worm''s terrifying power. Of Thanatos'' terrifying power. Thanatos'' ignored themotion of the awakeners andmanded his shadow summon to take him to the Typhaon''s Core. Chapter 278 20 Hours Left For The Worlds End Thanatos'' shadow summonnded gracefully before Typhaon''s Core. The bird, a massive creature formed of shifting, liquid-like shadows, dissolved seamlessly into his shadow as he stepped onto the barren ground. The air itself began to tremble. Waves of invisible energy rippled outward as Typhaon stirred. Its aura caused the space around it to distort. The giant tree at the center of the wastnd groaned and creaked and its massive roots pulsated with pale light as it prepared to strike. Space twisted unnaturally, stretching the distance between Thanatos and Typhaon''s Core to near-infinite. But.... "It''s useless," Thanatos said. He killed the warped space with a casual snap of his fingers. It snapped back to normal and the distortion vanished as if the had never existed. "Stretching space is like stretching a ribbon," he muttered,. "It only makes it easier to tear." The giant tree shuddered violently. The tremors caused cracks to form in the dry, brittle ground. "Why are you even trying to fight? You, of all beings, should know it''s impossible for you to defeat me," Thanatos said. The immense tree seemed to recoil. Its branches curled inward as if the words had struck a nerve and made it recall unpleasant memories. For decades, Typhaon had focused on a singr goal: defeating Neo. After Neo''s Concept of Eternal Sleep had forced it into prolonged slumber, Typhaon had dedicated all its strength to breaking free. Its roots had burrowed deep into the earth, absorbing the''s energy to elerate its growth. With this newfound power, it had reduced its forced slumber from 30 years to just 8¡ªa feat that once filled it with hope and pride. Yet, each time it awoke, Neo returned to force it back into slumber. The cycle had repeated for decades. The air trembled again, but this time, it carried Typhaon''s Intent¡ªa raw, furious energy thatshed out like a storm. You daree here again! The voice was not heard but it resonated in the minds of all present. Its tone was dripped with murderous rage. Have you not done enough by humiliating me again and again? Why do you persist? It''s not as if you can kill me! "It''s not like I can''t kill you¡­?" Thanatos tilted his head. The corner of his mouth twitched. "Wait, I think there''s been some confusion." Typhaon''s branches quivered violently, its rage boiling over. What are you trying to say, spawn of Death? "I haven''t killed you because I wasn''t sure if your death wouldn''t cause irreversible damage to the Earth, not because I couldn''t." Typhaon froze. For the first time, it had no words. Its roots had not only been its lifeline but also the source of its power. They had formed a parasitic link with the World''s Core, allowing Typhaon to draw energy directly from the. The reason Gaia had been increasing the synchronization with the World Core hastily was to cut Typhaon''s link with it. W-what? Thanatos ignored Typhaon''s confusion and nced at the device strapped to his wrist. "It''s a message from Gaia. Looks like she has cut your link with the World''s Core." Panic surged through Typhaon''s branches. No! Typhaon roared. I''ve gained resistance to Death itself after decades of your relentless tyranny! You cannot¡ª Thanatos ced his palm the tree''s trunk. "Darkness¡­." The True Darkness hidden with Thanatos'' shadow bloomed. "Devour." ck ink-like tendrils erupted and crawled up Typhaon''s trunk with terrifying speed. Typhaon''s desperate attempts to resist were useless. Monstrous creatures spawned from its bark. They tried to attack Thanatos, but the Darkness swallowed them all like a tsunami. As the inky tendrils climbed higher, Typhaon let out a hysterical, gratingugh. It''s all ording to the memories! It screeched in a voice filled with manic glee. I saw it in the Child of Mana''s mind! I knew I would lose! It didn''t matter if you were here or not! I could never win! The memories showed me my future! Typhaon''s voice, filled with a mix of anguish and triumph, echoed. But! You won''t win either! I''ve made sure you can''t win! The Fatherughed. Its Intent was filled with unshakable confidence. I did it long ago! Now, there is no way you can win! You will die! Thanatos'' expression hardened. The Darkness finished devouring the tree, letting out a deep, almost human-like burp before retreating into Thanatos'' shadow. A series of notifications shed. [Agility +1] [Strength +1] [Mental Resistance +1] [Right Hand Magic Circuit +1] [Partial Memories Acquired] "I gained a whole lot of nothing." Thanatos shook his head in disappointment. Despite Typhaon''s overwhelming strength, the disparity between them had been immense. "Well, let''s check the memories¡ª!?" A sharp pain tore through Thanatos'' head as he attempted to ess the fragments of Typhaon''s mind and was rejected. A spiritual barrier, thick and imprable, blocked him. He gritted his teeth, forcing his will against it. His expression grew strained. Finally he shattered the seal. "Dammit," he muttered as he saw the memories. "The seal was there to buy time." The memories were gone. Destroyed. Typhaon had left behind a spiritual parasite that consumed the memories the moment Neo killed him. Worse, the parasite turned its focus on Thanatos, attempting to invade his mind after eating Typhaon''s memories. "Don''t overestimate yourself." Thanatos obliterated the parasite with a single thought. After ensuring it was truly dead, he opened his quest window. [Time remaining until world''s end: 19 hours, 37 minutes, 46 seconds.] His jaw tightened. The world would end in 20 hours. Despite all their efforts, the countdown hadn''t slowed. Thanatos had meticulously covered every possible threat: Zeus was convincing the moon to remain in orbit. Thanatos had dealt with Typhaon. Gaia was calming the World Core. The Titans were sealing the Bermuda Triangle. Ares and Athena were purging the Five Emperors. "No matter what we do, the countdown still goes on¡­" Thanatos muttered, frustration evident in his voice. Suddenly, he froze. A ripple of distortion in the air caught his attention. His eyes darted upward. "Thanatos, get back!" Emma''s voice rang out. She was sprinting toward him with a panicked expression. The air above them shattered like ss, revealing a massive sphere ofpressed energy. The sheer density of it made the space around it shimmer unnaturally. Thanatos'' face twisted. "That thing looks like it could put a hole in Irnd''s map." The sphere had been hidden within a subspace maintained by Typhaon. With Typhaon''s death, the subspace copsed, and the deadly energy ball was unleashed. As if on cue, the sphere detonated, releasing an explosion of catastrophic magnitude. Thanatos, standing closest, had no time to dodge. Even if he''d been farther away, escape from its massive range would''ve been impossible.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "Dammit," he muttered as the searing heat began to melt his body. "I should''ve given some Defensive Intent to this body." .... B-6, Basement, Awakener Association Headquarters (New), Turkey Neo was in deep meditation. Suddenly, his brows twitched. His eyes snapped open and a spark of irritation shed within them. "That bastard Typhaon left behind a nasty gift," he said. A cold metal of a coffee can touched his neck and he heard a familiar voice. "Here, take this," Gaia said casually, cing the coffee can next to him before sitting across from him. Neo nced at her. He frowned as his eyes swept over Gaia, who was loungingfortably in a baggy shirt that barely reached her thighs and wore nothing else. "You can wear something proper when Ie here," he said. "I''ll wear whatever I want in my house." Gaia scratched her belly with a yawn. Neo shook his head. The esteemed Gaia, the paragon of elegance andposure to the outside world, was apletely different person in the privacy of her home. "Anyway," Gaia said, flopping down onto the couch with a slight bounce, "what happened with Typhaon?" "My Intent defeated him," Neo replied. "But the monster had left behind a powerful bomb." "Were there casualties?" she asked with slight furrowed brows. "No," Neo assured her. "I sacrificed my Intent to absorb the explosion." He had used Thanatos¡ªhis Intent ''clone''¡ªto devour the explosion with its Darkness. However, the Intent had overexerted itself and perished as a result. "I still don''t understand how that technique works. How can you create physical, tangible bodies with Intent? Only Zeus and Athena can use Intent, and even they can use it just for telepathy." It was a huge praiseing from Gaia who was responsible for creating almost all techniques used by Association. Even she was not able toprehend the mechanism behind Intent. Neo''s eyes lit up as if he''d been waiting for this question. Gaia froze mid-sip of her coffee, realizing her mistake. "Oh no," she muttered, already regretting her curiosity. Read exclusive adventures at empire Neo leaned forward. The air demeanor shifted into that of an enthusiastic teacher. "It''s normal. After all, I''ve created this technique myself. "You see, Gaia, it''s all about Intentpression and maniption. Normally, we funnel pure Willpower into a specific form which creates Intent and fill them with thoughts. But if you fill the Intent with techniques instead of normal thoughts¡ª" "Stop. Stop right there." Gaia held up a hand in a borderline pleading tone. "I''m too tired for one of your lectures right now." "But¡ª" "No buts," she cut him off, sinking deeper into the couch. "Just tell me, have you managed to break the barrier separating our World and Underworld?" "Not yet." He clicked his tongue when her words reminded of his current predicament. "No matter what I do I can''t go to the Underworld anymore." He looked around, noticing dead souls only he could see. "It''s not just me. No one can enter Underworld. Dead souls, spiritual monsters, and..... Grim Reapers too," he muttered while holding the ck badge in his hands. Chapter 279 True Despair [1] "Even Grim Reapers can''t?" Gaia asked. "No." Neo looked at the ck badge in his hand withplicated gaze. The badge had a scythe emblem on the front, while his name, "Thanatos," was etched on the back in an ancientnguage. Since he had decided to hide the fact that he was from the future, following Barbatos'' warning, Neo needed an alias. Back then, Gaia had suggested the name "Thanatos." Though he had initially found the name exaggerated ¡ª he still did ¡ª, circumstances forced him to adopt it, and it stuck. Neo shook his head again, recalling the embarrassment he felt when choosing "Thanatos" as his pseudonym. "This badge is given to all Grim Reapers," Neo exined to Gaia. "I got it when I became a Grim Reaper a few months ago. "With this, any Grim Reaper can travel freely between the world of the living and the Underworld¡ªprovided they have a valid reason." The reasons typically included hunting down spiritual monsters that had escaped from the Underworld or capturing ghosts that lingered in the world of living. Unlike most Grim Reapers, Neo had the privilege of unrestricted travel between the two realms. He didn''t need to submit exnations to the higher-ups to use the teleportation arrays. For a time, it had been amazing. Neo could finally leave the Forest of All Beginnings, cross the Blood Sea, and meet others¡ªespecially his father. But then, everything changed. Suddenly, Neo could no longer enter the Underworld. His badge had stopped working. Even killing himself to ess the Underworld failed. And it wasn''t just him. Anyone who died now wandered the earth as ghosts. For reasons unknown to him, the Underworld had closed its gate to all. "It''s okay. Everything will be fine," Gaia said softly. While Neo was lost in his thoughts, Gaia came closer and hugged him, gently patting his head. "Can you stop treating me like a kid?" Neo asked, exasperated. "I will¡ªwhen you grow a bit older." "I am old. I just don''t look like it." Gaia chuckled as she saw Neo frown. She had the urge to pinch his cheek but knew it would only irritate him further. "When will Beelzebub return?" Gaia asked, changing the topic. "I''ve received messages about a giant worm appearing at the Savage Expanse. Looks like he performed spectacrly today." "...I don''t know." "What?" "I don''t know where that damned bastard is," Neo admitted with a sigh. Beelzebub¡ªanother grand name bestowed by Gaia¡ªgained the ability to transform into a massive worm after Neo achieved Adept mastery in Time. Over the years, Beelzebub had grownrger andrger. And older. Puberty hit him hard, and eventually, he rebelled. Thest time Neo saw Beelzebub was 23 years ago. Before leaving, Beelzebub had called Neo an "asshole" because his ability to eat had been limited to mimicked Shadow elementals, thanks to Neo''s stay in the Shadow World. He left, dering he wouldn''t return until Neo offered him something better to consume. "I think you''re misunderstanding something," Neo told Gaia. "I didn''t call Beelzebub to help me. He came on his own and did it just to steal my glory for defeating Typhaon." Beelzebub had left immediately after devouring the Savage Expanse. Consuming such a vast amount of shadow elementals had disgusted him. Otherwise, Neo was certain Beelzebub would''ve devoured Typhaon''s core as well. "..." Gaia was left speechless. Finally, she chuckled and said, "You two are like a father and son." "Stick to one thing. Call me a kid or a father," Neo said, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, did you get what I asked for?" he asked. "Yes. It should be delivered any moment now..." As if on cue, the door opened, and a robot carrying arge parcel entered. It ced the parcel on the table and left. "Perfect timing," Gaia said, opening the parcel. Inside was a cube made of ss. Suspended within the cube was a golden stone, rhythmically pulsing like a heartbeat. Powerful lightning sparks crackled around it. "The Lightning Qilin''s heart," Neo remarked. "I didn''t think you could get it so quickly." "I told you, I have quite a few connections," Gaia replied. Lightning Qilins were elemental beasts originating from the Elemental World of Lightning. They rarely appeared on Earth. Although Neo would''ve been fine with the heart of any elemental beast, not just lightning-based ones, he still felt a sense of gratitude. Gaia had gone out of her way to capture a Qilin just because it was his original request. She carefully opened the ss cube. Lightning shot out of the heart, wild and untamed. Gaia suppressed the energy with her mana and handed the heart to Neo. "Are you sure you can handle this?" she asked. "I should be able to," Neo muttered, only half-confident. "My Concept of Darkness is ''True Darkness.'' It should let me gain the affinity of lightning from this, but... luck still ys a part." For the past four decades, Neo had focused on deepening his elemental masteries rather than increasing his rank. He was proud to say that all his Concepts were unique and powerful. The Concept of True Darkness allowed him to devour anything, unlike ordinary Darkness, and make it his own. Talent, element mastery, affinity, Traits. Neo could devour everything. Just like how Darkness absorbed every color without discrimination and painted them as its own, Neo could now do the same. The only problem was... luck. ''Using Darkness is like pulling from a gacha system,'' Neo thought. ''I can now roll for premium summons thanks to my Concept, and the drop rate has increased by 20%.'' ''But the total chance is still only 21%!'' Neo wanted to cry but had no tears. Taking a deep breath, he devoured the Lightning Qilin''s heart. Darkness bloomed from his shadow, enveloping and consuming the golden stone. A notification appeared: [Mimicked Lightning Mastery +33] Neo sighed deeply. Since this was a Shadow World, even the Lightning Qilin had been made of mimicked shadow elemental energy. Even though Neo had been lucky enough to acquire the lightning affinity, he couldn''t gain it from this heart! ''Dammit!'' He had suspected this would happen, but it still made his heart heavy. ... Savage Expanse (destroyed) Emma stood frozen in shock. One moment, the explosion was about to annihte everything. The next, Thanatos absorbed it with his Darkness and disappeared. "He devoured pure energy?" she mumbled. "How?" Shaking off her shock, she regrouped with the other Awakeners and helped them calm down. A few minutester, the sky darkened for a split second. Emma tensed, sensing a presence behind her. Turning around, she saw Jack standing there, silent and unreadable. "Sorry for beingte," Jack said, surveying the barren wastnd. "I rushed as soon as I sensed Typhaon waking up, but I was still too far away." "It''s fine. Typhaon was defeated by... Thanatos." "Thanatos who?" Jack asked. "It''s the name of the Gaia''s knight," Emma replied. Continue your saga on empire "Oh him." Jack nodded with a calm expression. He had heard rumors about an Awakener who protected Gaia from the shadows. Emma chewed her lip. Hesitation was clear on her face. After a few seconds of struggle, she finally spoke. "I think Thanatos is Neo. Their abilities were simr." "I see." Much to Emma''s surprise, Jack remainedposed. She had expected a more intense reaction. Noticing her confusion, he offered her a faint smile. "I''ve suspected for a while now that Neo was the Awakener working with Gaia." "...?" Emma blinked.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om "I''m pretty sure quite a few Awakeners have thought the same," Jack added with a knowing look. Emma''s cheeks turned red as the implication hit her. Jack''s subtle hint was clear¡ªshe had been oblivious to something that was practicallymon knowledge. ''I''m not stupid!'' she wanted to yell. Before she could defend herself, the other Awakeners nearby began snickering. "Boss, looks like you''re happy since Sir Erebus is here!" one of them teased. "You should just propose to him already, boss!" another chimed in. Jack chuckled softly. "I guess everyone''s feeling relieved now that Typhaon''s been stopped," he remarked. It was D-Day. The Day of Judgment. Gaia had warned them that the world would end on D-Day¡ªtoday. The Awakeners had been tense, believing Typhaon to be the harbinger of doom. Now that he was defeated, the tension melted away, leaving them rxed enough to tease their superior. "We should regroup at headquarters," Jack suggested. "We might have defeated Typhaon, but there''s still the Moon, the Bermuda Triangle, and the Five Emperors. The others might need our help." Jack turned, ready to leave. Before he could take another step, darkness stretched beneath Emma''s feet, swallowing both her and Jack into a dome of shadow. "What are you doing?" Jack asked. His voice was calm but it had an uncertain edge. "Something I should''ve done a long time ago," Emma replied with a firm tone. "You know the world is going to end today?" she asked. "Yes, I do. That''s why we are working hard to stop it. To make sure the world doesn''t get destroyed," he said with an uneasy expression while backing away. "So can you take down these walls? We need to go and help others." "You don''t need to worry about them. They can handle their tasks. Besides, we are too far to reach their locations on time." While she talked, tendrils of Darkness sprang from ground and wrapped around Jack''s limb. "Erm, Miss Emma? What are you doing?" "Making sure you don''t run away like you always do." She stood close to Jack. "Year after year, I''ve been trying to remain give you space. But you never gave me a proper answer," she said while fiddling with his tie. "...." "Even my patience has limits." "...." "Yes or no," she said. "I won''t take an ambiguous answer today. After all, today might be ourst day. So, I need to know." Chapter 280 True Despair [2] Jack had a terrible expression on his face. Confronted like this, even he could not keep smiling. "Look, I''m not from this timeline. I''ll have to leave one day, so¡ª" "Yes or no." He gritted his teeth, and his jaw tightened visibly. Seeing his struggling expression made Emma''s heart flutter strangely. She felt something weird awakening inside her, but she suppressed it. This wasn''t the time or ce for it. "You are my ancestor," Jack finally admitted the truth he had been hiding for decades. "The closeness you felt when you saw me was because of our bloodline resonance. "You asked why I could use multiple phcteries like you, right? It''s because it''s the ability I inherited from¡ª" "Yes or no." Her voice cut through his confusion like a de. Emma wasn''t stupid enough not to understand Jack had her bloodline after seeing how simr his abilities were to hers. The emotions she felt at first might have been due to bloodline resonance, but everything after was not. She stared into his eyes, seeing the turmoil within, and she decided to push ahead. "You know, Jack¡­" she whispered. "There are mostly two types of Darkness users. The first ones are like me, who have their emotions suppressed. "The others are like you. They have chaotic emotions, and they give in to their desires easily. It''s the second type who aremon, and they are the reason why Darkness users are seen as evil." Jack struggled to break free from the chains of Darkness. His expression faltered when he heard Emma''s voice, which sounded like the temptation of a devil. ''Is she using some kind of spell?'' he thought, his mind muddled by an unseen force. "What are you..... doing?" he asked as his breathings started to turn heavy. "Don''t worry. It''s a spell that lowers others'' guards and makes them more honest," she replied. She continued, stepping closer. "As I was saying, it''smon for Darkness users like you to lose control of your emotions," she said. "The world is already ending. No one will me you if you let go of your duties now and indulge in your fantasies." Her voice was alluring, like honey dripping with venom. The same Emma who had been angry at Apollo for skipping his duties was now telling Jack to do the same. However, she couldn''t be med for it. Forty years! She had been trying to court Jack for forty years! The damned bastard had not given her a straight answer even once. He neither agreed nor denied her.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om It was clear he liked her but couldn''t say yes. Continue your journey with empire That''s why Emma, knowing today might be thest day of the world, decided to be a hypocrite and force an answer out of Jack. "W-wait, Emma. This isn''t the time for these things¡­." He spoke in between ragged breaths, his eyes darting nervously. Whatever spell Emma was using made it hard for him to think straight. Her beautiful eyes and red lips were starting to look enticing. He gulped. "Jack, isn''t it weird? My family name is Cater, but yours is Hanma even though you are my descendant." "Y-yeah." Jack nodded with a muddled gaze. "But if we get together, my family name would be Hanma too. Doesn''t that answer the problem?" "It does?" he answered, confused. "It does," she nodded, as a soft smirk tugged at her lips. Jack held her shoulders, using her as support, and opened his mouth. "You sound right," he spoke slowly. "Maybe it should be okay¡ª" Knowing what Jack would say, Emma didn''t wait any longer. She pulled him down by his tie and locked lips with him. .... B-6, Basement, Awakener Association Headquarters (New), Turkey Neo felt a chill crawl up his spine. He looked around with furrowed brows. "What''s wrong?" Gaia asked. "Nothing. I just felt disgusted. for a second" "¡­?" While the two were talking, the metallic door hissed open, and Kronos entered. H e moved with a deliberate slowness. Exhaustion was clear on his face. Without a word, he sat next to Neo and massaged his brows. The tension was visible in the lines of his face. "Since you''re here, I guess the Titans were sessful in closing the portals in the Bermuda Triangle?" Gaia asked, her tone clipped and professional. Before Neo knew, she was wearing a formal attire. "Yes. We were sessful. Only barely though," Kronos replied, his voice heavy with fatigue. "How are the preparations for the World-Time Spell?" she questioned. "I''ve run the final check. It should work as intended." The World-Time Spell had to be upgraded twenty years ago due to foundationalplications. Other than the two giant magic circles on the North and South Poles, a new magic circle had been drawn in the space of a line running over the equator. If today they failed to save the world, they would activate the World-Time Project and send all the top-ranked awakeners into the past. It was a desperate and risky project that could earn them the wrath of Time and Fate. But they had no other choice. "Only 18 hours are left," Neo muttered. He stood up and left the room. "I''ll meditate a bit. You two should get your battle gears ready too. We might have to join battles suddenly." Currently, they had no idea how the world would be destroyed. Neo knew the Angel of the Outers would attack. But from where would it strike? Nothing had entered the sr system yet. It didn''t seem like they woulde from space. Spatial Gates? There was no wormhole about to be formed on Earth. No matter how much they searched, they couldn''t find an answer. "Dammit." Neo clicked his tongue and entered the first basement floor. He stepped into the third door to the stairs. His surroundings changed instantly, reced by an ethereal realm filled with clouds that glowed faintly in the dim light. A soft, dreamlike haze enveloped the area. Countless people were sleeping inside those clouds. Their expressions were peaceful yet hauntingly still. They were dreaming. "I guess you''re still alive," Neo said with a smirk as he stood beside the sleeping Kane. "And here you were thinking you would die soon." Anomaly #79 had been a headache. It still was. For the first nine months, it kept appearing daily, and every time it did, its strength and numbers increased sharply. From the tenth month to the twelfth month, it appeared once a week, and its numbers and strength increased tremendously each time. After the twelfth month, it appeared once a month. After the fifth year, it appeared once a year. After the twentieth year, it appeared once a decade. Each time it came back, it''s strength and numbers had a significant increase. ording to Gaia''s analysis, the dy in appearance was due to the "preparation time" the Anomaly #79 needed. It couldn''t gather minions endlessly and make them stronger without limits. "Isn''t it surprising, Kane?" Neo muttered. "Back when we first encountered Anomaly #79, everyone feared it. But now? No one even bats an eye." He paced slowly around the sleeping figure. His steps made no sound on the ethereal floor. "These days, the Association providesplete protection against Anomaly #79. It''s be one of the easiest anomalies to deal with. They''re even considering removing its name from the official list of anomalies." Chapter 281 True Despair [3] Kane, trapped within eternal dreams, showed no reaction to Neo''s words. His peaceful expression was a painful reminder of Neo''s past mistakes. Neo clenched his fists. His jaw tightened as he stared down at Kane''s still form. "If only I had created my Concept faster, I could have ced you into a deep sleep¡ªnot this ''dream'' from which you can never wake up." The regret in his voice lingered in the air. After a few more words to the silent Kane, Neo felt his heart lighten slightly. He turned and left the room. The soft mist swirled behind him as the door closed. Neo stepped into the shadows and disappeared, hiding his presence. Shadow Movement Spell allowed him to roam the Association Headquarters uninhibited. The scale of the headquarters had grown tremendously over the years. Towering spires stretched high above, connected by shimmering bridges. Inside, countless people moved with purpose, their voices blending into a constant hum of urgency. [Time Remaining Until the World''s End: 8 hours, 17 minutes, 59 seconds] Ares and Athena returned with their team. Their arrival was marked by triumphant cheers. They had been sessful in defeating the Five Emperors. A festive atmosphere swept through the Association as news spread that three of the four cmities had been sessfully diverted. Typhaon, Bermuda Triangle, the Five Emperors, and the Moon. They were the Four Cmities that could bring about the world''s end¡ªor worse, summon the Angel of the Outers to Earth. Neo watched from the shadows with an unreadable expression before he turned around and left. [Time Remaining Until the World''s End: 2 hours, 38 minutes, 19 seconds] Neo stood alone on the rooftop. The night sky stretching endlessly above him. Stars shimmered like distant memories, and a cold breeze carried the faint sounds of revelry from below. The door creaked open, and Gaia entered, her steps unsteady. She carried a half-empty bottle of alcohol and leaned heavily against Neo''s shoulder, her cheeks flushed from the effects of the drink. "There''s good news," she said with a lopsided grin. "Zeus was sessful in his negotiations with the Moon." Neo raised an eyebrow but didn''t reply. Gaia slouched further, almost copsing against him. Her drunken state made her words slur and her usual sharpness was dulled. "We did it," she mumbled, a soft hup escaping her lips. "We stopped all four cmities." She tried to raise her bottle in a mock toast, but Neo sighed and summoned shadow monsters to act as a chair for her. The dark forms coalesced beneath her, gently holding her up. "What are you doing? Come, drink with me~" she teased, waving the bottle in his direction. Neo ignored her and took the documents she clutched in her other hand. His eyes scanned the pages, which detailed Zeus''s deal with the Moon. The Moon had demanded human settlers¡ª80% of them female¡ªto popte its surface. The request was bizarre, almostughable, but it was part of the agreement. "Neo, Neo." Gaia tugged at his shirt, trying to frown but failing to hide the giggle bubbling up. "Let''s party~" "Gaia." Neo''s voice was cold, but his trembling eyes betrayed the emotions he was trying to hide. "Are you giving up too?" Gaia froze, her drunken cheer fading slightly as she met his gaze. To Neo, it was painfully clear¡ªthe world''s end had not been stopped. The timer was still ticking. [Time Remaining Until the World''s End: 2 hours, 37 minutes, 42 seconds] "It''s clear now that the Four Cmities won''t be responsible for summoning the Angel of the Outers," Neo said. "We need to redirect our focus to¡ª" "I know." Gaia''s voice was clear, free of the drunken slur she had maintained moments before. Her act dissolved for an instant, revealing a sharp rity. Then, just as quickly, she resumed her yful drunken demeanor. "But we did our best~ It''s not like we can do anything now, so might as well enjoy ourselves~" She took another swig from the bottle andughed softly. [Time Remaining Until World''s End: 5 minutes, 23 seconds] Neo stood motionless with an unreadable gaze. His eyes were fixed on the starry sky. Their cold light mirrored in his own distant gaze. The chill of the wind brushed against his skin, but he remained still, leaning against the rooftop fence. ''If only I could ask Father for help,'' he thought bitterly. The memory of his failed attempt to reach Hades surfaced. He had nned to request the Lord of the Underworld''s intervention if all else failed. But he didn''t even have a chance to ask for an audience.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The Underworld had been sealed before he could leave the Forest of All Beginning and enter the ce where Grim Reapers and his Father lived. [Time Remaining Until World''s End: 49 seconds] "Hehehe, you''re quite like Zeus, you know." Gaia''s voice broke through his thoughts. Neo didn''t turn. His focus remained on the night sky. Using his inattention, Gaia crept closer and her cold fingers brushed his cheek. Her yful tone faded, knowing Neo wouldn''t drink no matter what she did. Dropping her pretense entirely, she spoke with her usual calm, serious voice. "Zeus thinks the attack wille from space. That''s why he''s still on the Moon." Neo let out a resigned sigh. His breath formed a faint mist in the cold air. "As expected," he murmured, "There was a reason he insisted on handling the Moon himself." Gaia nodded, stepping beside him. Her expression remained unreadable. "He hasn''t given up. He''s nning to intercept the Angel of the Outers in space¡ªbefore it reaches Earth." "He can''t do it alone." Neo''s voice was firm. Zeus thought the Angel of Outer woulde from space. That''s why he was there. "I told him the same," Gaia replied. "But he said he''d do it, even if it cost him his life." Neo''s grip on the parapet tightened. His knuckles whitened under the strain. Zeus''s arrogance was unparalleled, but so was his determination. He was consumed by guilt¡ªa guilt he masked with bravado and unrelenting strength. Heshed out at anyone who dared mention his sister''s role in the apocalypse. But although he didn''t show it, the reason he was obsessed with saving the world was to make sure no one criticized his sister anymore. And now, he stood alone on the Moon, the Earth''s first and perhaps thest line of defense. [Time Remaining Until World''s End: 10 seconds] Neo nced at the countdown with a calm gaze. [9 seconds] The stars above remained serene, oblivious to the turmoil on the ground. [6 seconds] The wind howled, carrying distant cheers andughter from those indulging in their final moments. [4 seconds] Neo exhaled slowly, centering his senses. [3 seconds] Gaia stood quietly beside him. Her expression a mixture of hope and dread. [2 seconds] Neo''s shadow flickered unnaturally, as if reacting to his rising tension. [1 second] A single breath filled the silence. [Countdown Finished.] Neo expanded his senses, scanning the surroundings for any shift, any ripple in the world that signaled their doom. His perception stretched far and wide. But nothing happened. The stars continued their tranquil dance across the sky. The wind still swept through his coat. The Association members below carried on with their revelries. "Nothing changed," Gaia whispered, breaking the silence. Their eyes met, both filled with cautious uncertainty. "Maybe¡­ maybe D-Day really stopped," she spoke hesitantingly. "Because we defeated the Four Cmities?" Neo didn''t respond immediately. Chapter 282 True Despair [4] "Maybe you are right," Neo spoke after a few seconds. His voice carried a faint note of unease. He closed his eyes and tried to sense any change in the surroundings. The rooftop was eerily quiet, save for the distant rustling of leaves and the faint hum of city noise far below. Minutes passed, and nothing happened. Just as he was about to let out a sigh of relief, Gaia coughed. Her coughs grew violent. She doubled over, and blood spilled from her lips as grabbed Neo''s hand with a trembling grip. "N-Neo¡­.." Her eyes were bloodshot. She kept opening and closing her mouth, as if trying to say something, but unable to do so due to the coughing. Before Neo could react, her eyes went wide with panic, and her body slumped forward as she lost consciousness. There was no time to rest. The air grew heavy, and Neo felt an unnatural shift in the world around him. A cold shiver ran down his spine as his instincts screamed that something was terribly wrong. "The Divine Energy disappeared from the air¡­?" Neo muttered, his voice barely audible. The rooftop doors burst open with a deafening crash, splinters of wood scattering across the floor. Kronos stormed in. "There is bad news! None of us can use mana anymore!" Kronos eximed. "We can''t use any ability without mana¡ª" His words faltered as his gaze fell on Gaia. His eyes widened in shock as he crouched beside her. His hands moved swiftly to check her pulse. Before long, his brows creased and his face hardened. "It''s just as I thought," Kronos said gravely. "Something happened to the World Core." "What do you mean by that?" Neo asked. He nced around, sensing themotion below. Inside the building, the awakeners were panicking. The disappearance of mana had rendered their abilities useless, and confusion spread like wildfire. For reasons Neo couldn''t understand, he could still sense the Divine Energy within himself. He hadn''t lost his Divine Energy like others "The World Core is responsible for creating ambient mana. Since the mana has disappeared, it means something happened to the World Core," Kronos exined with a heavy tone. "Gaia is connected to the World much deeper than any of us. The damage to the World Core must''ve been transferred to her too." As the two talked, faint purple cracks began to spiderweb across Gaia''s pale skin, emitting a faint, ominous glow. ''Beelzebub,'' Neo called telepathically, his mind''s voice urgent. ''Come back here. Quick!'' The caterpir spirit, startled to hear Neo''s voice after years of silence, hesitated briefly before sensing the urgency in his tone. It abandoned the notion of protest and rushed toward Neo''s location. "What is this¡­." Kronos muttered. His brows furrowed as he noticed the cracks spreading across Gaia''s body. He carefully lifted her into his arms. "We need to get her to the healers," Kronos said. Without mana, he couldn''t use his time affinity to halt Gaia''s injury or regress her condition.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om The two rushed into the headquarters. Their footsteps echoed through the halls. The air inside was charged with tension as the awakeners, though initially thrown into chaos, began regaining theirposure. Veterans of countless battles, they understood the importance of staying calm in a crisis. When they saw Kronos and Neo enter, murmurs rippled through the gathered crowd. "Is that Kronos? And¡­ who is that with him?" "What are they doing inside the association?" Ignoring the curious whispers, the duo entered the medical wing. Kronos gently ced Gaia on a bed. The doctors worked swiftly. However, no matter what they tried, they could neither determine the cause of Gaia''s condition nor devise a treatment. Ares and Athena arrived soon after. Their expressions turned grim as their eyes fell on Gaia''s fragile state. The dim light of the medical room mirrored the deep concern inside their hearts. Hourster, the highest-ranked awakeners present within the association headquarters convened in an emergency meeting. The tension in the room was palpable, thick as a storm cloud. Many of them exchanged uneasy nces when they noticed Neo among them. His presence both a surprise and a mystery. However, they kept their doubts to themselves, knowing this wasn''t the time for such questions. The meeting stretched on for hours as Kronos outlined the situation to the grim-faced assembly. The summary was short and direct: Mana had vanished from Earth a few hours ago. Gaia had lost consciousness at the exact same moment. The group swiftly agreed on an emergency evacuation. Citizens were to be relocated into fortified bunkers designed for worst-case scenarios. ''The bunkers are useless. No ce is safe if the world is getting destroyed.'' Everyone in the room shared the same grim thought, but no one dared voice it aloud. Exactly one dayter, Neo sensed Beelzebub''s arrival. The air around the headquarters was heavy with foreboding as Neo stepped outside to meet him. The sky was overcast, a pale gray that seemed to reflect the growing unease of the world. Far in the distance, the ground began to tremble violently before caving in on itself. With an earth-shattering roar, a massive worm erupted from the ground, its segmented body glistening with an otherworldly sheen. The creature twisted in the air before shrinking. Its colossal form copsed and transformed into a tiny caterpir norger than a pinky finger. Beelzebubnded gently on Neo''s outstretched palm. "Thanks foring back on such short notice," Neo said, his voice soft but grateful. He rubbed the top of Beelzebub''s head in a gesture of praise. The caterpir let out a small, yful groan, though it had initially nned to act annoyed. The affection melted its pretense, and it squirmed happily in Neo''s hand. Neo''s expression turned serious as he quickly shifted the conversation to business. "We''re going to the North Pole," he announced. Kyuu? Beelzebub tilted its tiny head. "The World-Time Spell can''t be activated since mana has disappeared. But I can still use my Divine Energy. So¡­" Neo believed he could activate the World-Time Spell. Theoritcatlly at least. Practically, the energy required to cast a spell capable of sending dozens of people 30¨C50 years into the past was not something he possessed. Chapter 283 True Despair [5] It was a problem he would confront when the time came. Neo activated his Shadow Movement Spell without further dy. He removed his bloodline debuff and activated his blessing. His speed increased exponentially, and in the blink of an eye, he began his journey northward, cutting through the destendscape with swift speed. Half a dayter, Neo was forced to stop when the entire world shook violently. The ground beneath his feet fractured with deafening cracks. Oceans churned and boiled, releasing thick plumes of steam, while the frigid air grew sharp and bitter, freezing everything in its path. An ancient cry tore through the air, echoing across the globe. The sound carried a power that seemed to shake the very foundations of the continents. Far beneath the Antic Ocean, the seafloor buckled and split open, creating an enormous chasm. A colossal bone dragon,rger than the mountains, emerged from its depths of the chasm. The dragon''s skeletal form radiated an oppressive aura. It swam upward, breaching the ocean''s surface with a thunderous roar that sent shockwaves rippling across the seas. In one swift motion, it soared into the sky, spreading its cracked, broken wings. The creature''s bellow shook the world and shattered mountains. Despite its injuries¡ªbroken wings, a missing leg, and a partially crushed skull¡ªit exuded an aura of overwhelming menace and power. The ancient bone dragon, Veldora, extended his senses across the globe. His perception was vast and unrelenting, brushing over every living being on Earth like a suffocating wave. The awakeners froze in ce, paralyzed by fear. Weaker ones copsed to the ground. Their bodies trembled as they felt the dragon''s gaze pierce their very souls. Then, as quickly as it hade, the oppressive feeling disappeared when Veldora retracted its aura. Having located his target, Veldora pped his tattered wings, sending powerful gusts rippling through the air, and flew straight toward Neo. Neo, who had already sensed Veldora''s approach, stood motionless. He frowned, not out of fear but due to the arrival of Veldora''s on Earth. Veldora was the guardian of the Forest of All Beginnings in the Underworld. He wouldn''t leave his location unless it was absolutely necessary, not to mentioning to the world of living wasn''t something Veldora was allowed to do. It didn''t take long before the dragon appeared on the horizon. Neo saw Veldora, who seemed to cover the sky every time he opened his wings. The giant dragon was flying towards Neo when suddenly its injured wings brokepletely, and it crashed. Neo''s eyes widened. He rushed towards Veldora. "Veldora! What happened to you?" As he neared the giant dragon, he noticed purple cracks on its bones. "Y-young master¡­" Veldora''s voice was like an old tree. Ancient, but filled with wisdom. He tried to raise his broken body and bow before Neo. "Stop it. Don''t force yourself," Neo said. The giant dragon chuckled.N?v(el)B\\jnn "I can''t not give a proper greeting to the Child of Monarch." He lifted his upper body with his single front leg and lowered his head. "I''m happy to s-see you in health, O Great Child of Monarch." Veldora was one of the few people in the Underworld who knew Neo was Thanatos and that he was from the future. Before Neo could ask why he hade to the world of the living, Veldora dropped shocking news. "The Underworld has fallen, and the Monarch has been in." "¡­" Neo''s mind nked. He couldn''t process the meaning of Veldora''s words. The god of the Underworld, the Monarch who had looked over the Afterlife since ancient times, had fallen¡­? Veldora chuckled despairingly. "I''m sorry." He lowered his head further. "We couldn''t protect the Monarch. I came here to warn you o-of the iing danger." Hades had sealed the Underworld to make sure ''they'' couldn''te to the world of the living. No, that was only a half-truth. The real reason the Underworld had been sealed was to protect Neo. Hades and the Grim Reapers didn''t want Neo to participate in a battle that could endanger him. But. They had lost. Disgustingly easily at that. "I''m sorry," Veldora repeated his words again, his voice choking. "The sole reason for my existence was to protect you. But I am leaving before you." It was as if Neo could see the tears flowing down the bone dragon''s face. Regret was clear in his voice. "Please, stay alive, young master." Veldora crumbled into dust before Neo''s eyes. It wasn''t just his body that was destroyed. His soul and his Seed of Existence ¨C the core of one''s existence ¨C disappeared too. Veldora had died a true death. Having his Seed of Existence erased, he couldn''t be revived, not even by Hades. ''Veldora waspletely erased,'' Neo thought mechanically with a nk face. He knew who were capable of such feat. As if on cue, the world shook again. Giant pirs, as wide as cities, sprang from the ground all over the globe. They emitted a nauseating presence. Their purple surface looked like a mesh of decayed flesh of unrecognizable monsters. The pirs shook. They let out an ear-piercing noise, and suddenly hundreds of eyes opened on their surfaces. The eyes looked around erratically. Neo felt as if his eyes were set on fire when he met the gaze of one of the eyes on the pir near him. Blood began to leak from his eyes and a sharp pain stabbed into his head. The air around him grew heavy and oppressive, filled with a thick, nauseating stench that seemed to cling to his skin. The once-vibrant skies turned into a swirling mass of dark purple clouds, shing ominous lightning. [The Void corrupts you.] His skin began to crack, and his Seed of Existence trembled. The ground beneath him fractured, leaking an eerie violet light. Neo sensed the living presences around him die helplessly. Cries of help entered his ears. But before he could move, those living presences were snuffed out with no hopes of revival. A simple gaze from the pirs killed them. The mental attacks caused the living beings to explode, or the corruption from the gazes erased them. [The Void corrupts you.] The eyes on the pir nearest to Neo turned to him after killing everyone around him. Under their focused gazes, the pain attacking Neo''s mind increased severalfolds. Chapter 284 True Despair [6] His mind started to be muddled and blood came out of his nose. But that was all. The mental attacks were far from capable of killing Neo. He withstood them with sheer will. The towering, grotesque pir trembled violently as if angered by Neo''s defiance. It began to shed chunks of decayed flesh-like material. Thousands of mouths opened on its surface, releasing a deafening cacophony. They puked countless maggots which advanced towards Neo, eating everything in their path. The terrain they devoured turned into lifeless dust, leaving behind barren, ash-colored scars on the earth. While Neo was busy concentrating and fending off the mental attacks, Beelzebub came out of his pocket to protect Neo. He started to devour time. His actions caused the maggots to freeze mid-air, and it bought Neo much-needed time. Neo bit his lips, hoping to use the pain to clear his mind. He could withstand the mental attacks and corruption of the Void thanks to his Eternal skill and his experience with the maggots in the fourth vision of Sphinx. However, the body he inhabited in the fourth vision was much stronger, unlike his current one, thus it took him time to shake off the mental attack from the Angel of Outers. [The Void corrupts you.] The pain tearing through Neo''s mind increased, but now he could move. He clenched his teeth and turned around, rushing towards the North Pole. [The Void corrupts you.] Purple cracks began to appear on Neo''s skin, much like the ground and the objects around him. The cracks emitted a faint, sickly glow that pulsed rhythmically, as if alive. Before the cracks could spread to the rest of his body, he shed and cut away the corrupted parts. He triggered the partial third-stage blessing and regenerated his wounds. The maggots appeared on his path wherever he turned. Their writhing, grotesque bodies squirmed relentlessly, emitting a faint, wet sound that made his stomach churn. He shed at them, but his attacks did no damage. The best he could do was push away the maggots to clear a path. [The Void corrupts you.] ¡­ Association Headquarters, Turkey Dark clouds loomed heavily over the sky, casting an ominous shadow over thendscape. Five grotesque pirs of fleshy mass surrounded the association building. Their surfaces pulsated as if they were alive. Quite a few awakeners had their heads burst open due to the powerful mental attacks. Several dozen more were writhing in agony. Purple cracks spread across their skin like a deadly gue. Inside the headquarters, Ares and Athena worked tirelessly. The holy aura emanating from them shone dimly. Two awakeners tried their best to alleviate the pain of the injured awakeners. Although they couldn''t use mana, their Concepts still.worked. After all, Concepts could manipte thews of the world. However, the absence of mana severely weakened the power of a Concept.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Even with their efforts, they could hardly heal anyone. Outside, the flesh pirs heaved unnervingly and began spewing forth maggots. The maggots varied greatly in size¡ªsome no bigger than a fingernail, while others were asrge as skyscrapers. They consumed everything in their path, leaving behind trails of devastation. Ares tightened his grip on his greatsword. "Athena, keep healing everyone. I''ll stop those things," hemanded firmly. "But¡ª" "We are the only ones who can fight, but we need to leave someone behind to heal the injured." Ares'' tone left no room for argument. Most awakeners had focused on upgrading their traits rather than mastering their elements. Even fewer progressed far enough to form a Concept, since it was harder than upgrading trait ranks. Ares stepped toward the main doors of the headquarters with heavy, but firm steps. He noticed dozens of awakeners gathered near the entrance. Their expressions were a mix of fear and hesitation. "What is happening here?" he asked. "Sir Ares¡­" One of the awakeners began hesitantly before pointing to someone standing far outside the building. "He ordered us to remain inside the building." Following their gaze, Ares spotted ''Neo'' standing resolutely far outside the headquarters. Ares eyes widened in surprise. ''Why is he still here!? We need him to go to the North Pole!'' Before Ares could take another step, a voice resonated directly inside his head. ''I''m not Neo. I''m Thanatos, his intent clone he left behind to protect the Association Headquarters.'' Ares frowned. ''Telepathy?'' ''Yes,'' Thanatos confirmed through the same mental link. Ares scrutinized the figure carefully, trying to confirm if it was truly Neo. He didn''t stop walking. Thanatos'' voice echoed again in his mind. ''I''ve been given permission to stop anyone who tries to act foolishly and leave the building.'' ''I can help you in the battle,'' Ares replied through his thoughts. ''Please do that after this body dies,'' Thanatos said curtly, cutting off further argument. ''Until then, my job is to protect you, not ask for your help.'' The darkness beneath Thanatos stretched ominously, enveloping the entire association building. It solidified into a protective barrier of shadows, trapping everyone safely inside. Thanatos turned around. He faced the encroaching sea of maggots. As Neo''s intent clone, Thanatos could either be controlled directly by Neo or act independently within predeterminedmands. Currently, he had been ordered to protect everyone until Neo activated the World-Time Spell. The maggots, now covering half the distance, devoured everything in their way. Thanatos began weavingplex hand signs, and chanted a Spell under his breath. Two massive magic circles materialized on either side of him, glowing with an eerie light. From them two SSS-ranked shadow summons emerged. The first was a towering humanoid figure with a charcoal-ck body and the head of a dog. The second resembled a massive lion with wings and a snake for a tail. Both summons exuded a menacing presence as they stood ready for battle. "Stop those things," Thanatosmanded. The lion-shaped shadow summon roared fiercely before leaping into the sea of maggots, attacking with brutal ferocity. The humanoid summon raised its arms. It conjured massive tornadoes that pulled the maggots into their swirling depths. Despite the summons'' best efforts, Thanatos'' eyes darkened. ''It''s not working,'' he thought grimly. The lion-shaped shadow summon was overwhelmed and destroyed within seconds. Meanwhile, the tornadoes only temporarily halted the maggots'' advance and failed to inflict anysting damage. Thanatos had expected it. Even though the shadow summons were as powerful as SSS-ranked awakeners, he knew they were not strong enough to harm the maggots. Chapter 285 Last Stand Their only job was to buy time. ''Please hurry, Neo. I can''t hold these things for too long.'' The battlefield became chaotic as the tornadoes tore across thend and maggots consumed everything in their path. The air was heavy with the stench of decay, and the flesh pirs continued to puke maggots. Thanatos'' expression was far from good. An Intent clone was formed by fusing powerful Intent withplex techniques. It had a specific number of techniques stored inside it, functioning as its ammunition. Once an intent clone exhausted its techniques or sustained irreparable damage, it would cease to exist. Thanatos had to use his techniques sparingly if he wanted tost for a long time. Suddenly, purple cracks started to spread across the shadow summons'' bodies. The unblinking eyes on the pirs locked onto the shadow summons and obliterated them. Two SSS-ranked shadow summons were eliminated in seconds. If it had been a few decades ago, those two shadows could have conquered the world. But before the [Angel] of an Outer God, they were no stronger than insects. Thanatos gripped his sword tightly. Red lightning crackled around him, illuminating the battlefield and the sky turned darker. He summoned ck tornadoes¡ªformed from mimicked air elementals¡ªraged across thend, temporarily stopping the maggots'' in their path. Thanatos entered the fray. He shed at the maggots and unleashedrge-scale attacks. However, his efforts inflicted no damage. As the battle dragged on, purple cracks began to creep across Thanatos'' own body. Unlike Neo, hecked the ability to heal. The physical strength and blessings that Neo wielded could not be stored within an Intent clone. Thanatos had weak defences due to being an Intent Clone. Those defenses were weakened further at the moment as Neo had divided Thanatos into two Intent clones, sending one to rescue Jack and Emma while the other protected association headquarters. The pirs trembled again as if enraged, noticing Thanatos'' continued resistance. Instantly, the spread of purple cracks on Thanatos'' body elerated. His leg exploded in a burst of dark mist. The sudden loss of his limb caused him to lose bnce, and the maggots capitalized on the opportunity. A particrly massive one lunged at him. Its gaping maw aimed to tear apart his upper body. Thanatos was toote to react. At thest second, Kronos appeared beside him, and grabbed his arm. In a blink, the two teleported away to a safer distance. "Why are you outside?" Thanatos asked calmly, leaning on his sword like a crutch. "To help you," Kronos replied. He had used his Concept of space element to teleport himself and Ares outside the association building. "Let me look at your injury," Ares said, stepping closer. "It''s fine," Thanatos interrupted. "This body has physical matter, but it is not a living body. It can''t be healed with holy or life elements¡ª" "Then let me do it," Kronos said firmly. He activated his Concept of time element, reversing the flow of time on Thanatos'' injury. The destroyed limb reformed as though it had never been damaged. "See, we can help. There''s no need to¡ª" A maggotunched a surprise attack before Kronos could finish his sentence. Its enormous jaws mped down, biting away Kronos'' entire body in an instant. What remained of Kronos'' corpse fell lifelessly to the side. Thanatos'' gaze shifted sharply. Ares was supposed to be covering them while Kronos healed him, but¡ª "He died too."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om Ares was killed before he could warn them. There was no time to mourn. The maggots closed in from all sides. Their grotesque forms continued to writhe and shift. Knowing they couldn''t breach the building filled with humans until they eliminated Thanatos, they attacked him without.a break . ¡­ Savage Expanse (destroyed) Jack''s grip on his twin swords tightened as he scanned the approaching swarm of maggots. Just looking at their grotesque forms caused him.a headache. Emma stood next to him. She summoned a staff that seemed to glow with a pulsing shadowy aura. The sky above them was shrouded in darkness. "Stick to the n," Jack said, his voice sharp and steady. "I''ll handle therger ones. Keep them off me," Emma said after she nodded. The maggots surged forward like a relentless tide. At the same time, Jack''s shadow bloomed. His legion of undead crawled out from the depths of the shadow''s darkness. Tens of thousands of skeleton soldiers, skeleton mages, duhans, several bone dragons, and thousands of other undead type of monsters stood behind him. "Attack!" Jack shouted. His legion moved at hismand like a well trained army. They shed with the maggots. Following them, the awakeners who hade to subjugate Typhaon roared and rushed ahead. They shed with the maggots. Jack wasted no time. He dashed into the battlefield. His silver swords cut moved with ruthless efficiency. His face happened when he realised his attacks were doing no damage. "This isn''t doing anything!" "Let me try." Emma raised her staff, using her Concept tomand the Darkness elementals. "Veil of Despair." The ground beneath the swarm turned pitch ck as a shadowy mist rose, swallowing the smaller maggots. While the darkness failed to devour them, it temporarily tied them down and they couldn''t continue their advance. The ineffectiveness of attacks took Jack and Emma by surprise. They were overwhelmed by the maggots and had no time to help other awakeners. The awakeners continued their desperate struggle. des shattered and arrows bounced harmlessly off the grotesque creatures. Theck of mana had caused their strength to plummet. One by one, they fell¡ªconsumed, crushed, or torn apart. Screams filled the air, quickly silenced by the relentless swarm. Jack''s sharp eyes caught sight of the two awakeners, both twins, about to be eaten by a giant maggot near him. He dashed forward without hesitation. "Get back!" he roared, shing at the maggot. His strike pushed the grotesque creature back. One of the twins Jack rescued tumbled. Jack nted himself between her and the monster. He summoned a shield made of Darkness. The maggot struck with a powerful force, sending Jack flying backward. Blood sprayed from a gaping wound on his shoulder as he mmed into the ground. Chapter 286 Last Stand [2] Jack gritted his teeth. His face was pale and strained. Shadows and Darkness stretched unnaturally long around him, twisting as if alive. He tried to use his phctery. But it didn''t activate. Panic seeped into his expression. He couldn''t revive himself in another body. ''What is happening...?'' Several seconds passed while he was stunned by theck of his unique trait activation. The ground beneath him cracked, as the corruption spread. The oppressive atmosphere seemed to sap the strength from his very core. ''Is it because of this¡­?'' He thought while staring at the screen before his eyes. [The Void corrupts you.] [The Void has corrupted a portion of your Seed of Existence.] Void. He had no idea how it worked. It wasn''t taught in the Academy and this was his first encounter with it. Slowly, Jack''s abilities were sealedpletely. He could only watch with a stunned expression as a maggot pounced on his head, its multiple eyes gleaming with hunger. There was no time for Jack to dodge or for Emma to help him. Her focus was split as she tried to help other awakeners from the writhing abominations. Sweat dripped down her brow as she clenched her fists, her limited abilities pushed to their breaking point. Just as Jack was about to be eaten, Thanatos came out from his shadow. He grabbed Jack and dodged the maggot with him. "Neo?" Jack''s voice was hoarse, and filled with disbelief. There was a lot he had to say. He wanted to ask if Neo was truly so busy that he couldn''t use five minutes to meet him. Was it only Jack who thought of Neo as a friend? Before he could voice his thoughts, he noticed something. "You are not Neo¡ª" "I am though," said Neo as he temporarily took control of the Intent clone. His voice was calm but carried a weight of urgency that left no room for argument. Without waiting for Jack to say anything, Neo rushed toward Emma. His movements were sharp and decisive, like a de slicing through water. "Give me cover," he told her. "Got it." Sheplied without asking anything. The ground beneath her feet trembled as she summoned more walls of Darkness. They rose like jagged obsidian, blocking the advancing swarm of maggots. For a moment, the noise of the battlefield became dim as the trio was protected with the walls of Darkness. Neo crouched in front of Jack with an unreadable expression. He inspected the purple cracks spreading across Jack''s body. "Can you use your traits or abilities?" "¡­" "Jack, we don''t have time." "¡­I can''t." Jack''s expression was grim. He had stayed behind to help Neo stop the end of the world, but now he had be useless as soon as the battle started. The cracks pulsed, and Jack''s body convulsed briefly as the corruption spread further. Meanwhile, Emma''s situation grew dire. The walls of darkness began to crack under the relentless assault of the maggots. One broke through, lunging at her with horrifying speed. She barely managed to dodge, retaliating with a shadow spear that pushed the creature out of the walls. Neo''s gaze snapped toward her. "Hold on a little longer." Emma gritted her teeth. Her legs trembled due to exhaustion. "Don''t worry about me. Just focus on your task," she muttered, summoning another wall to rece the shattered one. Neo''s hands glowed faintly as he ced them on Jack''s chest. "Don''t worry. Your abilities can be healed," Neo said. "Your Seed of Existence has been corrupted by the Void that''s why you can''t use anything. "Check your status; you should''ve gained Void affinity. "Now you need to start from the bottom again to gain all of your abilities back." No one was born with Void affinity. Only those corrupted by the Void gained Void affinity. When it happened, the awakeners'' abilities would revert to zero. After being corrupted, Godblood could be awakened again, but it was tough to achieve. Thanatos exined everything to Jack. "You aren''t needed here anymore. Go back," he added. "The Shadow Supreme would send you to a different world." "No." Jack answered with a clenched jaw. He was prepared to die there. Besides, he could tell Neo was not going to escape either. "I wasn''t asking. It was an order." Thanatos ced his hand over Jack''s shoulder and activated his trait [Mind Control]. Mind Control was the evolved version of the Mind Invasion trait he took from Anomaly #33.n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om Divine Energy flowed out from Thanatos'' hand and seeped into Jack''s forehead. "Leave this world." "N-no¡­.." Thanatos frowned when Jack managed to resist the mind control. Hesitation appeared on his face. He could increase the power of mind control, but it had a high chance of leaving permanent brain damage on Jack. This destructive nature of Mind Control was why Thanatos rarely used this trait. It would fry the person''s brain and turn them stupid almost every time. "Jack...." Emma turned around and spoke to him. She had noticed what Neo was trying to do. "Please leave." "No, I w-won''t." Emma bit her lips, noticing Jack''s resistance. "I''m sorry," she whispered. She used her Concept and called upon Darkness. Using Darkness, she tried to wear down Jack''s mental defenses, allowing Thanatos'' Mind Control to work properly. Jack''s eyes grew hazy. He opened his mouth. "I¡­. want¡­ to go¡­." Even though under Mind Control, he struggled to not say the words. However, it was useless. "¡­back.." A door made of Shadows appeared next to the trio. Its surface rippled like liquid darkness. The oppressive air seemed to shift slightly as the portal materialized, offering a sliver of hope amidst the chaos. However, only Neo and Jack could use it. Without wasting any time, Thanatos grabbed Jack and threw him through the door. Jack barely had time to react as the shadows engulfed him, pulling him into the unknown. The door closed behind him with a faint, echoing thud, leaving no trace of its existence. Emma''s tense shoulders rxed slightly as a look of relief crossed her face. She didn''t know where Jack had gone, but judging by Thanatos'' expression, she knew he was safe now. The swirling sea of maggots around them, however, didn''t allow her much time to dwell on her thoughts. Suddenly, the wall of Darkness shielding them shattered with an explosive crack. The maggots surged forward, their shrieks deafening. Thanatos reacted instantly, scooping Emma into his arms and leaping back to avoid the onught. "Aren''t you going to leave too?" Emma asked. "No," Thanatos replied with a firm tone. "This is my world. I''ll either save it or die along with it." "Isn''t this Jack''s world too?" "It is, but I''m a hypocrite." Emma chuckled lightly, despite the gravity of their situation. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 287 [Angel of Void] She didn''t immediately return to the fight; instead, she leaned against the rocky wall to catch her breath while Thanatos kept the maggots at bay. His sword moved like a storm. "You were desperate to send Jack away, but you don''t seem to care if I die here," Thanatos said suddenly,. "¡­?" "I mean it," he continued. "Do you hate me?" Emmaughed softly, shaking her head as she retrieved her staff, having rested enough. As she stepped forward to rejoin the battle, she answered him while swinging her weapon to release tendrils of Darkness that attacked the maggots. "Yes, I don''t like you," she admitted. "It''s because I feel like Jack cares more about you than he cares about me." Thanatos, still under Neo''s control, chuckled, as he deflected a maggot''s lunge. "You sound like a jealous wife." Emma smirked and retaliated against wave of creatures. "And you sound like an arrogant ass." "I do?" Thanatos smirked. "I don''t like you either to be honest. Jack is going to be in despair because he left everyone to die. Especially you, whom he cared about a lot." "Wouldn''t he worry about you too?" Emma countered. "No, he won''t," Thanatos said. "Because I''m immortal." Despite the grim situation, the two bantered as they fought, throwing quips and insults back and forth. Thanatos did it purposefully. He didn''t want Emma to drown in regret during her final moments. He couldn''t protect her. The least he could do was make sure she wasughing before her final moments. Before his eyes, Emma''s limbs were torn apart by the maggots. "Emma!" Thanatos roared. He fought harder, pushing the maggots back, but it was toote. She was gone. Momentster, his own body shattered. The maggots swarmed him, and ate him. ... Awakener Association Headquarters, Turkey Thanatos gasped for air. His chest heaved as he leaned against the blood-streaked walls of the broken headquarters. His right hand had been destroyed, hanging uselessly at his side. Corpses of awakeners littered the ground around him. Their faces were frozen in expressions of pain and determination. Despite the losses, the awakeners hadn''t given up. Even after the deaths of Ares and Kronos, they fought relentlessly, refusing to despair. Thanatos gritted his teeth and raised his sword with his remaining hand. The de trembled under the strain, but his resolve remained the same. Divine Swordsmanship Seventh Stance: Tenraizan The sword descended with ferocity. It carried enough force to level a hill. But the maggots were unrelenting. Their grotesque forms absorbed the blow easily. ''Not¡­ yet¡­'' Thanatos thought. His vision blurred. He gripped the sword tighter, shing again with all his remaining strength. Gaia and a few surviving awakeners were still inside the headquarters. He had to protect them. He had to hold the line¡ª A massive maggot rammed into his abdomen, sending him flying into the cracked walls. His sword slipped from his grasp as he crumpled to the ground. Blood dripped from his mouth. Despite his injuries, Thanatos gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his feet. His legs trembled, exhausted. He gripped his sword tightly, the de glowing faintly with residual energy. ''Wh# d* y{u f+ight?'' The voice echoed from every direction. It sounded like an unearthly cacophony of painful screeches, like nails grinding against a chalkboard. The sound was unbearable, and Thanatos'' ears began to bleed. He winced. "Shut the fuck up," he said. Thanatos, now under Neo''s control, surveyed the situation quickly. His eyes darted to the horde closing in, then back to the five-pirs figure looming in the distance. He raised his sword and pointed it at the writhing mass of maggots.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om "Fuck you mean why do I fight," he muttered while gasping. "It''s to kill you." ''You can''t,'' the voice retorted. Its tone was a mixture of mockery and scorn. ''That World-Time Spell requires an enormous amount of energy to activate. That''s why you people were using the World Core itself as a battery. But now, the energy of this world¡ªits mana¡ªhas disappeared.'' The voice paused, its sinisterughter echoing through the battlefield. ''Are you saying you alone can generate enough mana for it?'' Thanatos'' grip on his sword tightened. He clenched his jaw, ignoring the creeping numbness spreading from the purple cracks across his body. "So it was Typhaon," he replied. ''What¡­?'' "Only that damned fucker knew about the future, thanks to the Child of Mana," Thanatos continued, "He must''ve been the one who told you about the World Time Spell and how to take us out." The voice hesitated for a moment. The shifting clouds above darkened further as if reflecting its growing frustration. But then, itughed again, louder and more menacing than before. ''So what?'' it sneered. ''You can''t do anything about it anymore.'' But Thanatos'' gaze didn''t waver. He hadn''t given up. The voice, sensing this, grew angrier. Angered, itmanded the maggots, an extension of its body, to tear apart Thanatos. ... Neo frowned. The connection with both Intent Clones had been severed. "Dammit," he muttered under his breath. His grip tightened on his sword. Each step he took toward the North Pole felt heavier than thest, as the exhaustion caught up to him. The biting cold of the deste tundra wrapped around him, but he paid it no mind. Snowkes fell gently, their purity a cruel contrast to the chaos and corruption spreading across the world. Thend was eerily silent, save for the distant, guttural screeches of the maggots hunting him. He couldn''t save anyone. As if mocking his efforts, a translucent screen flickered into existence before his eyes. [80% of the poption has been killed.] [Quest ''See the End of the World'' has beenpleted.] [Reward: Level up {Mind Invasion} x3] The notification remained in front of his eyes. It was a bitter reminder of his failures. [Trait {Mind Invasion} is already at max level.] [The EXP will be converted and used to level up the evolved version of {Mind Invasion}.] [Mind Control, Grade 3 Mythic.] [Progress: 30% ¡ú 90%.] Chapter 288 True Immortality Neo could hear theughing voice of the [Angel] when his expression faltered. At that moment, a maggot managed to reach him and bit his hand. He cleaved away the damaged part before using his blessing to regenerate the wound. His breathing was bing heavy as he kept healing himself. However, he had no other choice. To fight the maggots, he needed to be in his best condition. He tried to use the Essence Breath Spell to refill his empty Divine Energy reservoirs. It was useless. The world core, having been corrupted, could not generate mana anymore. There was no energy present in the air that Neo could absorb. Days passed as he kept moving northward with no rest. [The void corrupts you.] [The void corrupts you.] [The void corrupts you.] [The void corrupts you.] The purple cracks continued to spread on his limbs. But Neo ignored them. He had void affinity because he had been infected by the Void since long ago. It probably happened when the Void window wiped out the Hephaestus n. Unlike Jack, Neo wouldn''t lose all of his abilities. However¡­ ''How long do you think you canst? Your Seed of Existence is about to be destroyed.'' The angel stopped paying attention to him when he didn''t respond. Days passed. Neo kept moving forward with a single goal in his mind. He had to reach the north pole and activate the World Time Spell. He had to¡ª His thoughts came to a stop, and his body stopped moving. Exhausted, he fell into the snow. His limbs wouldn''t move, and his thoughts were slowlying to a stop. Dying to Void would destroy his Seed of Existence. The Immortal Skill wouldn''t revive him from such death. ''I¡­ can''t¡­ fall here¡­.'' Neo wed at the snow and tried to pull his body forward. He gripped the ground. He moved forward. He gripped the ground. He moved forward. His body mindlessly repeated the same actions. Neo''s Willpower was nigh infinite, and he refused to give up. However, without power to back him up, his Willpower was useless. Purple cracks fully covered Neo''s skin. Four dayster, his body shattered, and he died. ¡­. Gap of Dimensions, Between Shadow World and Earth Dimension Jack appeared in an empty space. rity slowly returned to his hazy eyes. He turned around, looking from where he hade, hoping to find the door of shadows. However, it was not there. He covered his face with both hands. "Argh¡­ ah¡­ aah¡­" A look of despair was present in his eyes as he groaned. His nails dug into his skin, and he started to pull out his hair without realizing what he was doing. His mind was in chaos, and it failed to register the physical pain. The pain of losing everyone was tearing him apart. A human-sized doll materialized before Jack. She ced a hand over his hand, and a foreign power entered Jack''s head through her hand. "Calm down." Instantly, rity returned to Jack''s eyes. The chaos swirling in his mind subsided. He looked at the doll in front of him. "We are J #48, a Gatekeeper of Shadow World," she introduced herself. "Since you have left the Shadow World, we will be sending you¡ª" "Send me back to the Shadow World. Please," Jack pleaded. "That isn''t possible." "I¡ªI''ll do anything that the Shadow Supreme wants from me. Just send me back. I can''t let them all die." "We can''t do that." Jack didn''t shout or get angry. After J #48 calmed his emotions, he could think clearly, and he understood that shouting at her would only make the other party reluctant to help him. "Besides¡­" J #48 looked at him with a confused gaze. "Why are you so sure everyone will die? For one, Neo Hargraves will definitely survive." Jack #48 seemed sure of her words. "He is an Immortal." ¡­ Shadow World Neo''s body crumbled into dust. His soul and Core suffered the same fate. The same thing happened to his Seed of Existence when suddenly something astonishing urred. A little less than half of his Seed of Existence still remained. The corruption from the Void red again. His Seed of Existence, which was now ? of its original size, shrank again. However, for some reason, it couldn''t be destroyedpletely. It shrank to 1/8 of the original size of his Seed of Existence. The same thing kept on repeating. Instead of beingpletely erased, a small portion of Neo''s Seed of Existence remained before it got reduced again. [Eternal] Currently, the skill was at the peak of Grade 2. It reduced all types of harmful effects and damages by 40%. To understand how it was protecting Neo''s Seed of Existence from being destroyed, one had to understand how corruption killed anyone. As an example, Corruption of Void could bepared to a gun. If someone was shot at their heart, what would be the cause of their death? The bullet? Or the stopping of the heart that pumped blood? One could say the person died due to the bullet. But the actual reason, in the given example, was death due to damage to a vital organ necessary for survival. After all, if the heart could be saved, the person wouldn''t die. But if the heart stopped, the person would die even if the bullet had stopped.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om It was the same for Neo''s current situation. The bullet was the corruption, and his heart was his Seed of Existence. The corruption of the Void was too strong for Neo to resist. It destroyed his Seed of Existencepletely. Or it was supposed to. The [Corruption of Void] and the [destruction of his Seed of Existence] were two different events. They were rted events, but they were still different. Eternal reduced the corruption of Void by 40%. However, the remaining 60% of corruption was strong enough to kill Neo. In this case, Eternal couldn''t help him. The remaining 60% of corruption caused his Seed of Existence to be destroyed pletely.'' This was another type of attack. Eternal again reduced the damage by 40%. Instead of being destroyedpletely, only two-thirds of his Seed of Existence was destroyed. Of course, it didn''t change his current situation. The corruption continued to attack the remaining portion of Neo''s Seed of Existence. What Eternal did was dy its destruction. To exin it with another example, we could think of Neo''s Seed of Existence as the number ''1.'' Corruption was supposed to reduce his number ''1'' to number ''0'' instantly. However, Eternal resisted the damage, and the number ''1'' was reduced to only number ''0.4.'' Again, corruption attacked him, and Eternal protected him again. The number reduced from 0.4 to 0.16. Then to 0.064. Then to 0.0256, and so on¡­. Eternal turned the instantaneous destruction of Neo''s Seed of Existence into an infinitely long process. The skill would keep a small portion of his Seed of Existence alive. It by itself was nothing special. A portion of the Seed of Existence could not do anything. However, Neo had another skill that was perfectly synergized with the Eternal skill. [Immortal] The skill could revive him as long as his Seed of Existence remained. [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 59 minutes] [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 58 minutes] [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 56 minu¡­.] [Time Remaining: 11 hours¡­.] [Time Remaining: 10 ho¡­.] [Time Remaining: 6 ho¡­.] [Time Remaining: 4¡­.] [Time¡­.] [¡­.] [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] Chapter 289 Unique Skill Eternal Has Been Mastered [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 59 minutes] [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 58 minutes] [Time Remaining: 11 hours, 56 minu¡­.] [Time Remaining: 11 hours¡­.] [Time Remaining: 10 ho¡­.] [Time Remaining: 6 ho¡­.] [Time Remaining: 4¡­.]n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om [Time¡­.] [¡­.] [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] A surge of power burst forth from Neo''s Seed of Existence. It enveloped the Seed of Existence, and the Seed of Existence started to regrow. Then, his soul materialized, like pieces of shattered ss being glued back together. Bones appeared, followed by organs, muscles, nerves, and finally, skin and hair. Neo gasped. He looked at his arms in surprise. "That fucking worked?" This was the main reason he had chosen the Eternal Skill. However, he wasn''t sure it would work, and he had never tried it due to the dangers associated with it. ''How?'' The voice of the Angel entered Neo''s ears. ''How are you alive?'' Itmanded its maggots to eat him. Neo didn''t wait for them to attack and fought back. Being surrounded by maggots, he was eaten quickly without being able to put up proper resistance. However, the same situation repeated. Eternal saved his Seed of Existence from being destroyed. And¡­. [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] ''How are you alive!?'' The sea of maggots attacked him as soon as he was revived. Unlikest time, he quickly got into a stance. But there wasn''t much he could do. [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] As soon as he was revived, he activated the Shadow Movement Spell and moved towards the north pole. His goal wasn''t to fight the Angel. It was to activate the World-Time Spell. The maggots caught up to him and tore his body apart. [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] Hemanded Beelzebub to devour the maggots'' time. The caterpir was revived together with him. He started to suck time from the monsters. However, no matter how much time he devoured, it didn''t seem like it was having any effect. ''Dammit, how old are these things?'' Neo cursed under his breath as a giant maggot crushed him. [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] The situation repeated again. And again. And again. The Angel started to get irritated. No matter how much it attacked, Neo was revived, and he kept moving towards the north pole. And¡­ He was getting stronger. Each death of his strengthened the Death surrounding him. [Time Remaining: 00 hours, 00 minutes] [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] [Error! You do not have stacks left for Immortal.] The skill failed to activate. It didn''t matter. Eternal still worked, and it kept his Seed of Existence from being wiped out. Once it was midnight, the Immortal skill gained a new stack. Then¡­ [12 hours have passed since your Death] [You will be forcefully revived.] He was revived again. ''Just die!'' The wall of maggots crashed on top of him. Neo, however, having experienced it time and again, moved out of its path. He dodged the maggots. The process of dying, reviving, and taking a small step towards the north pole continued for an unknown amount of time. Neo didn''t give up. He refused to give up. Every time he was revived, he instantly moved toward the north pole. Even though he was killed quickly. Even though the progress he made each time was small. He kept moving forward. Step by step. Unrelentingly. But one day, he received another message: [100% of the poption has died.] [Quest ''Be thest human alive''pleted.] [Reward: Level up {Eternal} x 1, Whisper of Time x1] A powerful blow struck Neo. He flew back, his body bouncing off the snow. After he came to a stop, he didn''t stand back immediately to dodge the maggots. [Would you like to use Whisper of Time?] [Tip: Whisper of Time can leave behind a {Voice of Time}.] Neo recalled the moments when he had been close to dying from Time Deaths while awakening his Time element. Back then, he had started to hear voices of time as he came close to dying from Unremembrance and Time Slipping. ''I can leave behind a Voice of Time like that?'' ''But won''t only those who are about to die from Time Deaths hear the voice I leave behind? Even then, it depends on my luck if they can hear it or not.'' Still, Neo used the Whisper of Time. There was no guarantee the World-Time Spell would activate. He didn''t have the energy to activate it either. The Voice of Time, although a gamble, could help him send a message to the past, present, and future. It could turn around the current situation. [{Whisper of Time} x 1 has been activated.] [Please leave your message.] Information flowed into Neo''s head, informing him of the length of the message he could leave behind. "I''m Neo Hargraves, who interfered with the past for my own gains. Due to my actions, the past changed, and it caused the world to be destroyed. If you want to save the world, protect the Child of Mana from Typhon." His breath left white mist in the cold air. "Please." [{Whisper of Time} x 1 has been used.] Neo kept staring at the sky. Nothing changed. As the maggots ate his body, only a single sentence left his lips. "Looks like no one got the message, or they failed to change the past." Instead of falling into despair, Neo started to move again. The Aura of Death and Darkness exploded out from his body, throwing back the maggots. He used Obitus as a crutch to stand. As he fought the maggots while moving northward, the screen shed before his eyes again. [Would you like to use {Eternal} Level up x 1 card?] "Yes." [Eternal, Grade 2 Mythic] [Progress: 100%] A powerful aura exploded from Neo''s body. His body started to evolve. He didn''t stop to meditate or focus on his breakthrough. His actions caused his Divine Energy to go wild during the breakthrough and destroy his body. The energy raged unchecked, shattering his bones and rupturing his veins. His body was destroyed repeatedly. However, he regenerated it again and again using the third stage of his blessing. He looked like a monster, red lightning and ck muscles swirling around him as his muscles and body broke and continuously healed while he fought the sea of maggots. [Eternal, Grade 1 Mythic] [Progress: 100%] After the trait was upgraded, the screen appeared before his eyes. He was surprised to see his trait''s progress had carried over. ''It must be because I used the system to upgrade the trait and because the trait was about to evolve anytime now.'' [Unique Skill Eternal has been mastered.] [Three Unique Skill evolutions have been unlocked.] Chapter 290: Choose A New Unique Skill Chapter 290: Choose A New Unique Skill ? Neo stared at the screen shing before his eyes. [Please choose one unique skill.] [1. Infinite: Increase your energy reservoir by the power of 2.] [2. Primogenitor: Allows modification of the direction of the traits, skills, or even physical and magical attributes, to a certain degree, as they evolve and grow.] [3. Finality: Allows user to use the power of Ultimate End.] Neo frowned when he saw the options for his Eternal skill evolution. "Those are... quite surprising options." His body kept dodging the maggots as he focused on understanding the difference between the skills. He died, but he didn''t pay it any mind and shifted his focus to reading it again when he was revived. Infinite was the best suited for his current need. World-Time Spell required a huge amount of energy to activate. Energy he didn''t have. The Infinite Skill would increase his Divine Energy reservoir by the power of 2 at every rank- up. This increase would be done after his Divine Energy increased naturally due to his rank-up. If he had 2 units of total Divine Energy when he was Grade 5 Empyrean Demigod, he would have a total of 3 units of Divine Energy reservoir at Grade 4. Then the Infinite skill would activate, and his Divine Energy reservoir would be 9 units at Grade 4. While other demigods would have only 3 units of Divine Energy reservoir at Grade 4 Empyrean, Neo would have 9 units. It was a huge difference. At Grade 3 Empyrean, others'' Divine Energy would increase from 3 to 4 units. Neo''s Divine Energy would go from 9 to 10, the Infinite would activate. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 291: Reaching North Pole Chapter 291: Reaching North Pole ? Neo checked his traits. [Monarch of Bloodline] *Death *Immortal Eternal *Primogenitor [Mind Invasion] Mind Invasion Mind Control [Primogenitor, Grade 5 Empyrean] [Progress: 0%] [Effect: Allows modification of the direction of the traits, skills, or even physical and magical attributes, to a certain degree, as they evolve and grow. (Max number of modification paths searchable at once: 3)] The skill seemed quite dubious. However, in Neo''s opinion, it was better than Infinite and Finality. Primogenitor allowed him to control his growth path. He could use it to grow his Divine Energy reserves and increase his mastery of Death, thus getting something simr to both Infinite and Finality through it. Before using the skill, Neo checked his other trait. [Mind Control, Grade 2 Mythic] [Progress: 0%] [Effect: Allows user to forcefully control the mind of others as long as they have sufficient Willpower and Divine Energy. (Number of minds that can be controlled at once = 4)] "The max amount increased from three to four." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 292: Unending Pain Chapter 292: Unending Pain ? World-Time Spell was created using the ley lines that were naturally born inside the earth. They had made the Spell specifically like this as it increased the magic circle''s durability. Unless the whole continental crust was blown away, the magic circle could not be damaged. The portion of the magic circle on the North Pole and South Pole were coreponents. The Spell could be activated anywhere from the two. The magic circle drawn on the equator was a stabilizer of sorts. Neo came to the North Pole as it was near his location. "It''s time I activate this." His heart beat loudly. If the World-Time Spell didn''t activate, his hopes would be doomed. He pushed his Divine Energy deep into thend. The World-Time Spell began to devour his Divine Energy greedily. It was like an endless pot. No matter how much Divine Energy he gave it, it demanded more. Neo pushed Divine Energy into it. More and more. And more. His Divine Energy reached half of its capacity. It didn''t take long before it was drained to 10% of its limit. However, the energy was not even a fraction of what the World-Time Spell needed. Neo stopped, breathing heavily. Beads of sweat rolled down his corbone. He sat on the ground. "Dammit." Since the world lost mana, he couldn''t use the Essence Breath Spell to consume the ambient Divine Energy/mana. Until now, he had been using the potions to recover Divine Energy, This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 293: Skyfall Chapter 293: Skyfall ? He ced his palms on the ground. The cold, cracked earth trembled beneath his touch, and the stifling scent of ash filled the air. The Darkness hidden within his shadow bloomed, writhing like a living entity. It crept onto him, tendrils of ck seeping into his flesh. Devouring his skin, muscles, and reaching his bones. Neo kept his mouth shut despite the ming pain burning through his body. Suddenly, a familiar voice entered his ears, echoing faintly. How long are you going to keep that up? Neo swiftly reacted. His head snapped upward as he saw the clouds parting, revealing a sky painted in shades of crimson and violet. "Zeus-" The words were stuck in his throat when the pieces of a broken moon fell through the clouds. Shattered fragments drifted downward. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 294: Meeting Zeus Chapter 294: Meeting ''Zeus'' ? His grip on his sword tightened. Dust swirled around him, the scent of blood still sharp in the air. ''No time toin about pain.'' He turned around, preparing to return to the location of the core of the World-Time Spell''s magic circle. "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure all of you return to your everyday lives," he said, leaving the parting words. He had taken only a few steps when a cold presence brushed against his senses, halting him. The voice voice rang. I waste in my breakthrough. If only I had been a few seconds faster, I would''ve be impervious to their attacks first and wouldn''t have lost my head. Zeus-no, not the corpse, but ''Zeus''-stood there. His figure was transparent yet imposing. Faint traces of lightning crackled along the edges of his form. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 295: Enlightenment of Intent Chapter 295: Enlightenment of Intent ? Neo, do you know about World Energy? "...No." It''s the energy generated directly by the World Core. We''ve named it mana. Zeus exined it in simpler terms. World Energy and the mana used by awakeners were the same yetpletely different. The most eye-catching difference was purity. If World Energy was the river water at the beginning of the river stream, then mana would be the river water when it''s about to enter the sea. The start of the river and the end of the river both have water, but the purity difference ispletely different. Now do you know how World Energy is created? Zeus asked. "Why are you telling me all this?" Neo questioned instead of answering. I can tell you aren''t going to escape. Then, I will help you get strong enough to fight, Zeus replied. World Energy is created when the world awakens its consciousness. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 296: Awakening World Energy Chapter 296: Awakening World Energy ? Lightning Dragon Art: Dragon''s Roar! Lightning shot out of his fist, transforming into ferocious eastern dragons with shimmering scales of pure electricity. The dragons surged forward. Their piercing roars merged with the thunderps as they coiled around the writhing mass of maggots. Their long, serpentine bodies twisted, forming a barrier that trapped the creatures and stopped them from reaching Neo. ''You damned corpse!'' Angel''s voice roared. ''Move out of the way!'' Its voice shook the skies. ''Do you think I won''t kill you just because you are the Sacred Treasure of this world?!'' rms red in Angel''s mind as it sensed the growing power coiling around Neo, swirling like a tempest on the verge of eruption. That power-it had to be stopped. At all costs. That power mustn''t be awakened by mortals. In response to Angel''s roar, Zeus'' corpse taunted it further, beckoning with a bloodied hand. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 297: Quest Completed Chapter 297: Quest Completed ? Sword Techniques of Neo were made of three parts: Incantation, action/attack,nding of attack. As soon as the Eighth stance''s Incantation waspleted, the attack hadnded. No one saw Neo strike because he never did. That was the Eighth Stance. The action of swinging the sword was erased from time. Only its effect remained. After injuring the maggots, Neo stepped over their remains. His shoes left scorched prints on the ruined ground. He approached Zeus'' broken corpse. "You okay?" The corpse stood up, headless, and left without responding. Then again, it was not like it could talk without a head. Screens appeared before Neo''s eyes. [You have inflicted a wound on the Angel of S@!$W.] This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 298 Growing Insanity Chapter 298 Growing Insanity "I know just what I should do to piss off that thing." Neo moved toward the east, where he could see the golden lightning shes. The air around him crackled with energy. "The Angel said something about Zeus'' corpse being Sacred Treasure¡­" "It''s definitely targeting him." The Angel was ignoring Neo. It couldn''t kill him, and it couldn''t trap him now that he had awakened World Energy. Since Neo wouldn''t stay down, the Angel decided to ignore him. But Neo knew just what to do to piss off the Angel. Neo arrived at the location where Zeus'' headless corpse was fighting the Angel. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 299 The Shadow Trial Continues Chapter 299 The Shadow Trial Continues He continued to fight without breaks. ''Will you stop already!? ''Give me a break!'' The voice of the Angel echoed through the skies, reverberating off the shatteredndscape. ''It''s not like you can defeat me! Stop pestering me!'' No matter how many times it crushed the human, he rose again. And again. "Why should I stop?" The red-eyed human walked towards the countless pirs scattered across the battlefield. His naked feet left deep, bloody marks on the crackednd. His long hair reached the ground. His body was covered in scars. The injuries left by Void repeatedly ended up bing permanent, not healing even with the revival. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 300 Professor Daniel Chapter 300 Professor Daniel His voice was low yet filled with warmth. "I can assure you, your will to continue forward is unmatched. "You might not be the most talented student I''ve had, but I''ve never seen someone with a more indomitable spirit. "I''m proud of you, Neo." Professor Daniel hovered his hand behind Neo''s nape, and a faint glow of Divine Energy began to emanate from his fingertips. The air around them seemed to still, the distant chatter of other students fading away as if the world itself was holding its breath. The energy crawled over Neo''s back, burning his skin. It traced a pattern of a dragon biting its tail, forming a loop. Neo frowned. His brow furrowed at the unfamiliar sensation. "What did you do?" he asked. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 301 How To Save A World 101 (Planning Currently In Progress) Chapter 301 How To Save A World 101 (nning Currently In Progress) Professor Daniel''s expression contorted. His eyes were filled with grief and pain. What had Neo gone through for him to say he was fine with those injuries? "There is a lot I would like to say, but I guess time''s up," Neo said. "We''ll meet next time." The world around Professor Daniel shifted. When he could see again, he saw Neo surrounded by countless writhing maggots and towering, thousand-eyed pirs. Every time the scene changed, Professor Daniel only saw Neo fighting. He could guess a few hundred years passed every time he ''blinked''¡ªthe name of the phenomenon where scene around him changed again and again. He saw Neo go from barely fighting against the maggots to being able to sh against them as an equal. The scene shifted once more. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 302 Fourth Stage of Blessing: Hell’s Descent Chapter 302 Fourth Stage of Blessing: Hell¡¯s Descent He appeared in a ce with a heavy atmosphere. Red lightning streaked through the roiling ck clouds above. Gigantic red swords descended from the sky while parting the clouds. They struck the thousand-eyed pirs¡ªtowering, twisted structures that seemed both alive and ancient. Each impact sent a shockwave rippling outward. The resulting explosion engulfed the area in a blinding inferno, reducing everything in the vicinity to cinders as the air filled with the scent of burning ozone and scorched earth. Far into the distance, beneath a storm-choked sky where thunder rumbled like the drums of war, Neo was fighting a hundred-headed giant maggot. The ground trembled with every sh. Fissures spread like spiderweb across the earth. Mountain peaks in the distance crumbled as shockwaves rippled outward. The intensity of the battle was far higher than what Professor Daniel had seen between Neo and Angel before. If previously they were fighting, now a full-scale war was raging between the two. Neo had grown strong enough to force the Angel to fight at full strength. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 303 For A Better Foundation Chapter 303 For A Better Foundation But Neo was different. "You can send my Intent back, right?" Neo questioned. "...I can try." Losing his enlightenments and masteries didn''t matter to Neo. He could easily get them back. ''This is a good choice. I lost too much while rushing to grow stronger,'' Neo thought while looking at his scarred hands. His goal had always been to be the strongest. And yet he was giving away his powers. There was a reason for it. The Angel grew stronger as the two fought for centuries. If the Angel''s strength had not grown, Neo could''ve defeated it 2,000 years earlier. To match up with the Angel''s pace, he had to make a lot ofpromises. It led him to make mistakes, which made his foundation weak. It was just like with his Concept of Darkness. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 304 Divine System Chapter 304 Divine System "Don''t be like that. This is the best for both of us," Neo said, knowing why the painful look was present in Professor Daniel''s eyes. The time around the ball of Intent warped. It disappeared and reappeared in the past. ¡­ Age of Gods A ball of light floated above the bedroom of a young boy. The room was silent except for the soft whisper of the wind outside. Moonlight filtered through the window, casting pale streaks across the wooden floor and the disheveled bed where the boyy. Unaware of the ball of light, the boy was peacefully floating in the sea of dreams. His cheeks were stained from dried tears. His face expression continued to change as if the sea of dreams were turning into stormy nightmares. The ball of Intent floated into the chest of the boy. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 305 Guide To Raising A Hero Chapter 305 Guide To Raising A Hero Fortunately for Daniel, the ball of Intent had bonded to him. Since it had appeared in the past by using Professor Daniel as an anchor point, it could exist only around the younger self of Professor Daniel. "St...status," the young Daniel muttered. [Daniel Caelum] [Level: 0] [Exp: 0/10] [Stats] ¦éStrength: 3 ¦éSpeed: 1 ¦éDexterity: 4 ¦éConstitution: 3 [Trait: ???] [Skills: None] [Quests: None] [Items: Time Stop Slip x3] "These stats are good or bad?" Daniel whispered. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 306 Guide To Raising A Hero [2] Chapter 306 Guide To Raising A Hero [2] He wanted to force Neo to stop. But deep down, he knew what Neo was doing must be done. To save the world. To save the past. Neo had to carry the burden alone. Cracks started to appear on Neo''s body. Each crack brought searing pain, but Neo did not let out a singleint. He had to concentrate, or he couldn''t maintain consciousness in both ces. The passage of time became uneven for him. If he stopped concentrating even for a moment, while one second passed in the ''present,'' an hour¡ªor even a day¡ªcould have gone by in the ''past.'' The disjointed flow of time was tearing apart Neo''s existence. However, Neo refused to stop. ''Just a bit more,'' he thought, gritting his teeth. ''I have to make sure he saves the world.'' Neo clenched his jaw and increased the output of World Energy, trying to strengthen his crumbling body with it. A faint, almost imperceptible light surrounded him, flickering weakly like a candle in a storm. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 307 Main Quest Chapter 307 Main Quest He couldn''t believe his eyes. "Why would someone want to kidnap my sister?" Daniel had no idea who Typhaon was, but he did know Anomalies was a name for the dangerous types of monsters. If Typhaon was called ''Father of Anomalies,'' he had to be much more dangerous. "Why is someone like that targeting my sister?" His joy of leveling up was reced by newfound worry. He started to go out on longer hunts to increase his leveling pace from that day. As time ticked on, he decided to confront his sister. "Do you know anything about Child of Mana?" he asked her. ording to the System, his sister was the Child of Mana. It sounded important. Unfortunately for Daniel, Selene did not know anything about being Child of Mana. She asked why he was asking her something like this, but he dodged the topic. A few dayster, he decided to tell his sister about someone targeting her. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 308 Emergency Main Quest Chapter 308 Emergency Main Quest ''Y¡­ ess¡­'' A healing power, much stronger than before, burst forth from within Daniel. A radiant golden energy surged through his body. His heart regrew, followed by lungs, organs, muscles, and skin. Each cell knitted back together with glowing threads of light. "Activate Overclock!" [Overclock Lv7 activated.] [Host''s stats will be enhanced by 7 times for 20 minutes.] Chrybdis'' surprise only increased when a red aura materialized around Daniel, crackling with raw, unstable energy. "Iai sh!" Daniel returned his sword to its sheath. The world seemed to slow as he drew the de in a single, fluid motion. The steel sliced through the air cleanly. The dended on Chrybdis'' body and¡ª It shattered. The fragments scattered like shards of ss, unable to break through the defenses of the Sovereign of Winds. A barrier of wind rippled where the strike hadnded,pletely unscathed. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 309 Typhaon Awakening Chapter 309 Typhaon Awakening Daniel''s injuries healed in front of the doctor''s eyes. "See, I''m okay." Daniel stepped out of the medical tent. He left behind surprised gazes on others'' faces. After leaving the city, Daniel forwent everything that wasn''t needed to keep himself alive. He only ate and slept the bare minimum. All of his time and focus went towards monster hunting. His fame in the city increased as he hunted more, stronger monsters. Rumors spread of a lone hunter like wildfire. As much as he wanted to rush out and save Selene, he understood he had to grow stronger first. He couldn''t defeat Typhaon alone either. He needed more Awakeners to support him. ''I need to join an organization, and get their support.'' This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 310 Advantage Of Information Chapter 310 Advantage Of Information His voice echoed through the mind of all humans. To show their allegiance and enter under Typhaon''s rule, humans would have to let Typhaon transform them into monsters willingly. The news brought both terror and relief to the survivors. Some wept, clutching their loved ones in fear, while others, broken by despair, considered surrendering to the darkness. "So, all of you are alive?" Kronos asked. He was having a meeting with the few remaining high-ranking Awakeners. The atmosphere was grim. The dimly lit room was filled with the scent of damp earth and the faint crackling of a dying hearth. "Zeus, Kronos, Daniel, and me, that''s all?" Gaia asked. "Kronos, where are the other Titans? There is no way you two are the only Titan left." "A portal to another world with hostile aliens opened in the Bermuda Triangle." The air seemed to grow colder with his words. "We had to divide our forces between Typhaon and the portals, which¡­ dividing our forces weakened us, and we lost on both fronts." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 311 Last Hope Chapter 311 Last Hope "So we will send the kid to the past? I don''t think he can survive the strain of time travel if you can''t either." "Believe me, he can. His trait increases his resistance to Time Deaths." Daniel was able to hear them. But he couldn''t do anything. Gaia, after hearing Kronos, looked at Daniel with a solemn expression. "Good luck, kid¡­.and sorry "You are thest hope of our world." She left the room along with Kronos. Left alone, Daniel could do nothing but curse himself for his past mistakes. If only he had done better. If only he had not been selfish. ''System, can you remove the Time Prison?'' This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 312 Attempting Once More Chapter 312 Attempting Once More "Wait, what do you mean¡ª" Before Daniel could question him, Kronos activated the World-Time Spell. A blinding light erupted. The once deafening sounds of monsters faded. The world around Daniel went dark. Silence engulfed him. Suddenly, a powerful current smashed into him. The waves surged stronger with time. Daniel tried to stay afloat desperately. The current twisted and turned, dragging him along. Days, weeks, months¡ªhe lost track of time as he swam against the river of time. His body ached, his mind screamed, but he refused to give up. Just when Daniel thought he could not continue any longer, he heard a voice. "I''m sorry. There is no one named Selene in the rescued people list¡ª" "Amanda! What are you saying to a patient who just woke up!?" The smell of antiseptic filled his nostrils. The beeping of medical monitors echoed softly. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 313 Whisper Of Time Chapter 313 Whisper Of Time Kronos told Daniel to sit while he prepared tea. The room was dimly lit. Watching Kronos retrieve tea cups from a cab, Daniel mentally prepared himself. His fingers tapped anxiously on the armrest of the worn leather chair. ''I need to exin everything about the previous loop.'' ''But will Kronos believe me?'' Suddenly, a screen flickered to life before him. [Host should not reveal the information about the future.] ''Huh? Why?'' Daniel was baffled. [Fate.] [Revealing about the future will turn Fate against you.] Daniel frowned deeper. He didn''t understand how Fate could attack him, but knowing the System, it wouldn''t have warned him unless the danger was real and immediate. ''If I don''t reveal I''m from the future, how will I gain Kronos'' trust?'' [Host needs to think about it himself.] Daniel''s mind churned like a stormy sea. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 314 Paradox Loop Chapter 314 Paradox Loop "Yes, I think he managed to send the Voice of Time to the past, and he hopes we can save the world." Kronos chuckled "In fact, I think the one who sent you thepleted World Time Spell is also him. "The World Time Spell would''ve beenpleted in the future and that''s where he is." Daniel neither denied nor agreed to Kronos'' im. The World Time Spell came from the system, not from the guy in Kronos'' dream. "Are you sure those dreams are real and not¡­ dreams?" Daniel asked again. "Those with time affinity can see unaltered pasts through dreams," Kronos replied. "I see." Daniel turned his head. He stared at the clear sky through the window, where streaks of pink mixed with the blue of twilight. ''A guy who is fighting alone.'' He shook his head. ''No way that''s true.'' ''It''s too absurd. No way someone can stay sane after experiencing that much loneliness and pain.'' After Kronos trusted Daniel, the two joined hands. They revealed the news of Typhaon collecting energy to awaken. At the same time, they began preparing the World Time Spell as a backup n. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 315 Becoming A God Slayer Chapter 315 Bing A God yer The Angel understood that if Neo managed to save the world, the present would change. A lush world filled with life would appear instead of a world filled with maggots and decay. Vibrant forests, clear skies, and rivers singing with life¡ªthe opposite of the rotting, gray husk they stood upon. What would happen to Professor Daniel, Neo, and the Angel? Professor Daniel would return to the future, from where he hade. Since it was a paradox loop, nothing would change for him. However, Neo and the Angel had nowhere to go. They were ''errors.'' They existed in the destroyed world, not the world filled with life. If Neo seeded in saving the past, the present would change. The destroyed world would vanish, along with Neo and the Angel, and be reced by a world filled with life. ''Stop it, you self-sacrificing asshole¡ª'' "You¡­ don''t need to worry," Neo suddenly spoke. His voice was weak, trembling like a dying ember. "I''m not¡­ dying until I¡­ be the strongest¡­." ''You can''t even talk! Stop faking¡ª'' This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 316 Making A Deal With The Angel Chapter 316 Making A Deal With The Angel The threat of Death. Until now, Neo couldn''t kill the Angel. Only angels or gods could kill other angels. Neo was neither a god nor an angel. But he had awakened World Energy. He was a God yer now. ''You think I''m afraid of death?'' "Maybe, maybe not," Neo said. "Shall we find out?" Neo raised his sword. The crimson glow of his broken body intensified as arcs of red lightning crackled around him. Divine Swordsmanship Seventh Form: Tenraizen A white sh shot out from the sword, radiant and devastating. It split apart the ground, causing the world to shake violently. The air churned, and the ashen white clouds were bisected, revealing the deep, endless void beyond. The Angel roared in pain. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 317 Heavenbreakers Chapter 317 Heavenbreakers "Yes, he was my dad." ''I see.'' Angel''s voice was bitter. It had not expected a God to be present on a backward like Earth, let alone a 5th-stage God. ''Honestly, seeing your dad freaked me out back then.'' ''We would''ve needed our main forces to take out a 5th-stage God, but I was just a scout.'' ''Of course, I got scared.'' Angels like Velkaria were scouts who conquered weakers. If they found a stronger, they would retreat and bring the information to the main forces. The Outer God Azthulon would then send its army and wage a war. The mere memory of encountering Hades was the biggest shock the Angel, Velkaria, could''ve expected. "Then how was Dad... defeated?" This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 318 Ouroboros Chapter 318 Ouroboros System''s words made Daniel freeze. Daniel opened his mouth and closed it multiple times. He couldn''t say he didn''t want revenge for his sister. "Fine, you win." He put the bottle on the side and stood up. The wind howled around the rooftop, carrying the scent of rain-soaked concrete and distant smoke. "I''ll regress again and again until I fulfill my goal. "But¡­. "Now I''ll do it by conditions." [Huh? What do¡ª] Daniel jumped off the building before the system couldplete its words. The wind roared in his ears as he plummeted. Hended with a deafening crash, cracking the pavement beneath his feet. Before the dust could settle, he had already dashed forward. With each step, he covered thousands of meters. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 319 Ouroboros [2] Chapter 319 Ouroboros [2] The worst one was when he was lost in space. Travelling the cosmos for years, not knowing where was going, was not fun at all. He might or might not have gained a slight fear of space after the incident. [Since the host has enjoyed as much as he wanted, it''s time he focus again on saving the world.] "What do you mean, enjoying? I''ll tell you. Everything I did was to find a way toplete the Odyssey quest." He chuckled while drinking in the middle of the night. The moonlight filtered through the open window and cast a silvery glow on the dusty wooden floor. [Everything?] [What about the orgy you had in thest loop? How was that useful for the Quest?] "Ahem." Daniel cleared his throat. Drunk, he looked around for an excuse and his eyesnded on the moon. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 320 Chosen Of The Second Prince Chapter 320 Chosen Of The Second Prince The air in the Underworld was like stones, dense and suffocating. Daniel had trouble breathing. Each inhale felt as if his lungs were filling with gravel. "This ce¡­ is as bad as¡­ I expected¡­" The Underworld was drowned in a perpetual night. The sky looming above was an endless expanse of pitch ck, void of stars or moonlight. Jagged rock formations jutted from the ground, casting faint, distorted shadows in the dim glow of Daniel''s flickering me. He had to create fire just to see his surroundings. Yet the light barely extended beyond a few meters. It was as if the darkness itself was devouring the mes. The oppressive silence pressed in on him, broken only by the asional distant echo of something moving beyond sight. Daniel raised his head. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 321 Hardheaded Grim Reapers Chapter 321 Hardheaded Grim Reapers Paimon''s gaze shifted back to Daniel. "We can''t allow you to meet the Monarch." "But¡ª" "This rule cannot be changed. Only the bloodline of the Monarch can step into the pce." Daniel frowned. "What about the World Core?" "The Monarch will take care of it." "He can''t¡ª" Suddenly, his words caught in his throat as a suffocating pressure surrounded him. The air thickened, pressing down on his chest. Paimon''s gaze turned sharp. Her crimson eyes narrowed. An oppressive aura spread out from her. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 322 Successfully Saving The Past Chapter 322 Sessfully Saving The Past The power twisted his mind, and soon he grew cocky, leading his armies in a quest for world conquest. In every timeline, it ended the same. Either Typhaon killed everyone, or Daniel was forced to kill Typhaon. Daniel ran his hands through his damp hair. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" He was frustrated. "If I force him to stay normally, he kills himself. "If I let him do what he wants, he gets killed by other awakeners or he kills the world." The cycles dragged on. Failure after failure. Eighty loops went by but nothing changed. Daniel was pissed. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 323 Not Every Fairytale Has A Happy Ending Chapter 323 Not Every Fairytale Has A Happy Ending Professor Daniel looked at Neo with a concerned gaze. He squeezed words out of his mouth. "How are you going to survive this?" "I can''t." Neo smiled bitterly. "My n failed." Professor Daniel''s face hardened. He had been feeling guilt for leaving so much responsibility on Neo. But he had hoped Neo would be able to change the past and survive. Because Neo had been confident about his survival. "What changed now¡­." Professor Daniel stopped speaking, The realization dawned on him. "Neo, are you in the Shadow Trial right now?" This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 324 If Its Not A Happy Ending Then Its Not The End Chapter 324 If It''s Not A Happy Ending Then It''s Not The End Age of Gods "System?" Daniel called out. There was no reply. "System, where did you go?" The voice that had been with him for thousands of years did not reply back. Silence pressed against his ears. Daniel''s heart was beating loudly. The absence of the System only meant one thing. It had left. "Divine System, my ass. You left as soon as I saved the world." Daniel''s voice was bitter. He had always had an inkling the System''s goal was not to make him the strongest but to save the world. He was just a tool for it. And now, discarded. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 325 If Its Not A Happy Ending Then Its Not The End [2] Chapter 325 If It''s Not A Happy Ending Then It''s Not The End [2] The man behind the System existed in a timeline that would soon get erased. It was a timeline that shouldn''t exist. Daniel could feel it. Time was telling him not to go there. Time had always showered Daniel with care. If not for it, Daniel couldn''t have regressed thousands of times and not get punished by a Time Death. Time never asked Daniel forpensation. This was Time''s first request for Daniel. Don''t go to the time that shouldn''t exist. Going there would be an insult to Time. Daniel would fall out of favor with Time if he did not stop. There was a high chance he would never be able to regress again. Time warned him. If he didn''t listen to it, he would regret it. "Sorry," Daniel said. His time elementals red. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 326 First Child Of Mana Chapter 326 First Child Of Mana As he stayed there on the ground, the realization dawned on him. He couldn''t regress anymore. He no longer had infinite tries. There was only chance. If he failed, Neo would die. He stood up after he had recovered and moved with haste. The Underworld was where the dead ended. After countless inquiries, Daniel confirmed that Selene''s soul never came to Underworld. The cause was obvious. Typhon had destroyed both her soul and body. "I apologize for it," Typhon said as he and Daniel sat at a small, round table in a quiet, dimly lit caf¨¦ within the Underworld''s neutral zone. The air smelled faintly of bitter coffee and burnt wood. The walls lined with old tomes and half-melted candles. "It''s fine. That''s already water under the bridge," Daniel responded, suppressing the his inner turmoil. He exhaled slowly before adding, This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 327 Creator Of Akashic Record Chapter 327 Creator Of Akashic Record Athena frowned, ncing over the texts. "It''s fantasy?" "Yes, it''s all fantasy.But if we think about it the other way, you took inspiration from the dreams and everything you saw there was fantasy." He continued. "What I think is¡­. The Records contain information about everything that happened after the Apocalypse Era. "They don''t have all information, just the information of the time after Apocalypse era, not from before." "How is my novels being fantasy rted to the information of the Records?" she questioned. "If your novels were based on information before the Apocalypse Era, the genre would''ve been realism, urban, war military, teenage romance. "My point is, the genre couldn''t have been fantasy as no fantasy elements existed in the era before the Apocalypse." Daniel exined. "Huh-uh." She nodded, signaling for him to continue. "The only realism genre story idea your diary has is this," he said, pointing at the Euphemia short story scribbled in faded ink. "What about her?" Athena asked, curiosity mingling with confusion. "Now, if all information in the Records is from the Apocalypse Era and the eras after, why is Euphemia''s story here? She exists in an era that is thousands of years before the Apocalypse." "Maybe that Euphemia story is just a normal idea and not from the Record," she suggested. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 328 Saving Neo And Selene Chapter 328 Saving Neo And Selene Author''s Note: For those who are unaware, a chapter''s price is determined by the chapter''s length, not by author. ¡­ Daniel steeled his resolve. He wasn''t going to give up. "How do I put knowledge into this?" Daniel''s brows furrowed. He had to put information about the present and future into the cube. The Records he would create were different from the Records that existed and were used by Children of Mana. Or maybe they were the same. Daniel didn''t care which of the two it was. After he created his Records, he nned to connect them with the existing Records and bring out Selene through them. "The n is good, but how can I find all the information about the present and future to put into the cube?" Daniel had an answer and a n. It was just risky. His trait. He could see the future through it. Daniel met with Athena and looked into her future. The sensation of being in the future in his soul form was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. When his soul returned to his body,he used the transfer technique he had received from the system. Wisps of white energy traced along his fingertips. He took out the memories of the future he gained from Athena and ced them carefully inside the cube. The crystalline structure absorbed them, glowing brighter. He did the same with Emma, Zeus, Apollo, Kronos, Rhea, Perses, Poseidon, Ares, As. Not just awakeners. He looked into the future of anyone he could meet and poured the knowledge of future he gained through them into the cube. The process was excruciating. Repeatedly tearing apart his memories began to leave holes in Daniel''s consciousness. Daniel ignored the pain. A twisted smile appeared on his face as the glow of the cube intensified. His n was working. "I just need more information... This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 329 Typhaons Warning Chapter 329 Typhaon''s Warning Typhaon helped Daniel sit on the chair. The seat creaked as Daniel slumped back, utterly exhausted. His body had given out after he finally rxed. The dim light from the cube illuminated his pale face, streaked with tears that he wiped away whileughing softly. "I''m fine now. We should go and meet the leaders of the Awakeners," Daniel said. "Is it about giving them exclusive ess to the Akashic Records?" Typhaon asked. "Yes. I couldn''t build the exclusive ess before since it isplicated. "But now that I''vepleted the Records, I have free time. "I can make them exclusive ess like they wanted," Daniel exined. Typhaon''s brows furrowed. Daniel''s condition was clearly at the verge of a breakdown. "No need for that now. The leaders of the Awakeners said you can do it at your own pace," Typhaon reassured him gently, cing a hand on Daniel''s shoulder. "Huh? Really?" "Indeed, it is true." "That''s nice. I guess I can finally take a vacation." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 330 Leaving Shadow World Chapter 330 Leaving Shadow World Present. Neo stood at the edge of the crumbling world. He watched the spot where young Daniel had vanished. "You think he can do it?" Neo asked. ''I don''t know, but I won''t have my hopes up,'' the Angel replied. Neo''s lips curled into a faint smirk. "Then shall we make a bet? If he seeds, you''ll listen to me when I return to my world. "If you win the bet¡­ well, I don''t think you need a reward for that scenario," Neo added, folding his arms. ''Fine. Let''s make the bet,'' the Angel said. Neo wasn''t worried Velkaria would break the verbal promise. The Angel noticed Neo''s trust in Daniel and asked, ''You trust him a lot.'' "Yes, I do." Neo had watched over Daniel for thousands of years. He knew Daniel enough to know Daniel would not stop until he had found a way. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 331 Reward Of The Shadow Trial Chapter 331 Reward Of The Shadow Trial "What do you want as the reward, Neo Hargraves?" A #22 asked again. Neo didn''t answer immediately. He could ask for anything. Power, wealth, status. The Supreme Deity of Shadows would give him anything. Among the three, what was it that Neo wanted? Neo thought back to his goal. Apex. He wanted to reach the zenith and be the strongest there was. His goal had never changed. Should he ask for strength from the Supreme Deity? Neo shook his head. He would not feel satisfied, even if he became the strongest, if that strength came from somebody else. Sure, the strength granted to him would be a reward of the Shadow Trial. But it was ''granted.'' "What I want is¡­" Neo had always chased after ultimate strength. But. What was ultimate strength? Gods? They were rulers ofs. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 332 Damned Shadows Chapter 332 Damned Shadows The Gatekeeper knew Neo would refuse the reward. He was a stubborn person who would never change his stance once he formed it. A #22manded the orb of ink. It floated towards Neo''s Seed of Existence and fused into it. "You''ve earned it, Neo Hargraves." Surviving after taking a look at a Supreme Deity was no simple feat. The surrounding empty expanse pulsed gently. [Time remaining: 11 hours, 59 minutes] [Time remaining: 11 hours, 2¡­] [Time remaining: 7¡­] [Time re¡­] [T ¡­] [12 hours have passed since your death.] [You will be forcefully revived.] Neo''s body and soul regenerated. He was brought back to life with a gasp. His chest rose sharply as cold air filled his lungs. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 333 Crack In The High Sky Chapter 333 Crack In The High Sky Library, Demigod Academy, World of the Living, Earth Dimension Present The library''s massive oak doors mmed open. Felix burst in with ragged breathing. Her face was flushed, and strands of damp hair clung to her skin. Arthur and Mars were seated at a long wooden table near the center, surrounded by a dozens of books. Arthur had an old Spell book opened before him, while Mars scribbled notes furiously on paper. Morrigan was swinging back on a chair near the corner. She munched on a crumpled bag of chips. Crumbs littered herp. ra, on the other hand, was fast asleep. Her head rested on an open book. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 334 Wandering Gods Chapter 334 Wandering Gods When such ''aliens'' ended up on Earth, they were called Wanderers. To exin how strong a Wanderer was, a single Wanderer of a Dragon-ranked Window was as strong as the entirebined armies that woulde out of a Dragon-ranked Portal. Needless to say, Wanderers were, more often than not, Gods of other worlds. "Sorry, from here on it''s confidential information. You can''t record it," Signora told the reporter. The reporter hesitated. Mars, Felix, and Arthur frowned as they saw on the news how worried Signora''s team member looked. "If it''s a Dragon-ranked Window, I guess it''s not Neo," Mars muttered. "But the timing¡­." Felix''s words trailed off. Arthur was worried too. His attention was shifted to the reaction of Signora''s team member in the news. "It''s the worst-case scenario. A Wanderer, probably someone who has reached 1-Stage God, ising through the Crack." "Huh?" Felix turned to him. "So it can''t be Neo?" "I think so, yes." Felix deted like a balloon. She was relieved it wasn''t Neo. After all, something must''ve gone wrong if Neo, who was Mythic rank, wasing from a Dragon-ranked Crack. "I guess we can rx," Felix said. "¡­.?" Arthur tilted his head. "I just said a 1-Stage God ising. Why are you so rxed? Shouldn''t we worry?" "Oh, I guess there is something that even Sir Arthur doe This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 335 Return Chapter 335 Return Author''s Note: In thest chapter, it should be the Temple of Space that is helping in the evacuation, not the Temple of Void. ... Signora watched the evacuation process with trepidation. Half of the country ¨C 250 million people ¨C had been evacuated. The high speed of evacuation was mostly thanks to the Temrs from the Temple of Space. Their used their powers to create portalsrge enough to ferry entire city blocks at once. "Ma''am, the Crack is going to transform into a Window within an hour," a team member reported. Signora nodded. Her expression was grim, knowing it was not be a normal Window but one that would bring out a Wandering God. "Where are the reporters?" she asked. "They''ve been escorted outside of the country," the team member answered promptly. "Make sure no one can see or record the battle that will happen soon." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 336 Return [2] Chapter 336 Return [2] ''He'' stood on the same rooftop as Signora and Dorothy, only a few meters away. ''When did theye out of the Window?! I sensed nothing!'' He wore an overcoat that hid most of his body, but Signora could see the scars on his palms, fingers, and neck. Another short scar ran over his lips and another over his eyebrow. His gaze was empty, like that of a blind, helpless person. Yet the way he carried himself gave Signora shivers. Another man stood behind him. He had ck hair, green eyes. He looked to be in his early twenties, but the wisdom behind his gaze said he was much older. Signora spent less than a fraction of a second judging them by their appearance. ''They are at least Grade 5 Paragon or higher! Dammit, it''s really Wandering Gods,'' she thought mistakenly. She tapped on her inte with a swift speed. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 337 Hungry Chapter 337 Hungry "It''s the rules! How many times are you going to ignore the Senate''s orders!?" Her re could''ve bored holes into him if it could. Neo clicked his tongue. He could''ve left without paying her any heed. It wasn''t like she could stop him with force. He, however, decided to confront her. "Rules," Neo pursed his lips. "You are saying I should let myself be interrogated by you, and maybe even be imprisoned since it''s a rule to capture the Wanderers?" "Yes." "Then, that solves the problem." Neo''s smile disappeared. "ording to the rules, you don''t have the authority to interrogate me." "Huh, what do you¡ª" This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 338 Uncle Alabama Chapter 338 Uncle bama Neo, on the other hand, looked like a caveman, thanks to his wild long hair, disheveled and tangled like a lion''s mane. "Why the academy?" Neo asked as the cab drove towards the towering gates of Demigod Academy. "The order was to escort you safely to the principal," Dorothy replied, her gaze fixed out the window. Neo closed his eyes after hearing the answer. He made it clear he had no intention to talk. ''System,'' he called out mentally. [Status Screen cannot be opened during update.] [Time remaining: Indefinite.] His lips twitched. This thing was still updating after two millennia! He wanted to grab the system''s creator by the cor and demand a software update. Thankfully, a screen would pop up when he used his Primogenitor skill, allowing him to use the skill without any problem. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 339 Resemblance Chapter 339 Resemnce Neo felt a powerful Intent crash into him as soon as the door opened. The hair on his back stood, and his heart started to beat loudly. The spacious office was brightly lit. Charlotte, sitting behind the desk, smiled faintly. She was not releasing her aura. It was her Intent. Like everyone else, she did not have good control over her Intent, and it allowed Neo to sense the true depth of her strength. He felt as if he were standing in front of a sun. Its scorching presence was pressing against his very soul. ''So this is what an Exalted Demigod feels like.'' Neo''s feet refused to move. Jack, unable to sense her Intent, took a step into the room and turned around. "Youing?" This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 340 Talent Chapter 340 Talent Neo spoke aloud this time. He saw no point in using telepathy since Velkaria was practically shouting like a rooster in the morning. ''But¡­ but she feels weak.'' "She is holding back her presence. "This is an academy with Awakeners and Mythic Demigods. "They would suffer damage if the Exalted Demigods like her in the academy weren''t holding back their auras." Velkaria turned back to Charlotte. Her voice took a submissive tone. ''I apologize for my earlier outburst.'' ''I have a mental condition that makes me stupid.'' ''Please don''t take offense to my words.'' "Uhh¡­." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 341 Thousand-Eyed Despair Chapter 341 Thousand-Eyed Despair "...?" "You were a containment target." Charlotte''s voice was steady, as she noticed Neo''s confused expression. "Void Window #8477. It destroyed the Hephaestus n." She paused and looked towards the window. A massive swirling tornado stood on the horizon. "The only survivors of it were Henry Hargraves and Neo Hargraves. "Both of you brothers must have gained Void Affinity from that incident," she stated. Neo''s expression remained unreadable. "Henry never tried to awaken his Godblood. "We don''t need to worry about him awakening his Void Affinity. In fact," she looked at Neo in the eye, "I think that''s the reason Henry doesn''t try to awaken. "He knows he risks awakening Void Affinity if his God Blood awakens. "You, Neo Hargraves, were different. "The moment you applied for the Academy made your intentions of awakening your Godblood clear. "With Hargraves Corporation''s resources, you could''ve awakened your Godblood even without our help and, maybe, even Void Affinity," Charlotte exined. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 342 New Goal Chapter 342 New Goal The trio ate together. The atmosphere remained light and casual. The sound of utensils scraping tes and murmured conversation created aforting backdrop. Jack noticed Neo''s crumpled expression a whileter. "Why are you frowning?" "I am thinking how many dishes I can cook with these same ingredients." "You can cook?" Jack was surprised. It was his first time hearing about this. "Yes, I can. Think of me as a royal chef," Neo said with a chuckle. The corners of his lips rose upward. He didn''t notice Morrigan''s curious gaze when he spoke. The trio left the cafeteria after having their fill. The sun outside cast long shadows across the cafeteria''s courtyard. Suddenly, Jack spoke up. "You guys go meet others. I''ll go to Professor Rundel first and have him alter my physical age." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 343 Haircut Chapter 343 Haircut Her movements were precise, as if she had done this a hundred times before. "I always wanted to try this," she said, noticing his expression. Neo nodded with a stiff smile when her hand brushed against his neck. The Morrigan in the novel was interested in cutting people''s head, not hair. ''Calm down. She is different from the Morrigan in the novel.'' Neo nced at his reflection in the nearby mirror. His expression was one of resignation. "If this goes wrong, I''m ming you." "Don''t worry. I''m a professional." ''A professional with zero job experience.'' Neo kept his thoughts to himself. Morrigan summoned aura scissors made of lightning. Her control of her aura was excellent¡ªevident in the way the lightning danced precisely along the shape of des. But lightning would burn his hair! Neo stiffened, his body slightly leaning away from her. Before he could voice his protest, Morrigan condensed her aura further. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 344 At Deaths Door Chapter 344 At Death''s Door Still, it was obvious what he would say. Morrigan clicked her tongue and looked straight at him. "Yes, that was the n. What about it?" Neo didn''t know whether tough or cry, seeing her re. "Nothing. I was just curious," he said. "Let''s go. There is something else I need to do before we can return home." Neo left the dorm building. The crisp, cool air greeted him as he stepped outside. He walked with Morrigan toward a small shop nestled between two tall buildings. He went into the shop and bought a mermaid plushie. "What''s that for?" Morrigan asked. "Professor Anna," Neo said, recalling Elizabeth used Anna as an alias in the academy. He moved toward the building where Elizabeth was being treatedst time. The guard at the gate stopped them. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 345 He Has Changed Chapter 345 He Has Changed "You met her?" Morrigan asked. "Yeah," Neo answered. The duo returned to the Hargraves mansion. The media was lining outside the gates of the academy and the Hargraves Mansion. Cameras shed incessantly, and reporters mored for information. It was not a problem for Neo and Morrigan. They used a cab, and the media didn''t realize it was them in the cab. It didn''t take them long to reach their destination. Times like this made Neo think it was a good choice that the academy and Hargraves Mansion were in adjacent cities. As the cab approached the mansion, the towering gates, wrought iron and gilded with the Hargraves family crest, slowly opened. Neo and Morrigan stepped out of the cab. The cool evening breeze carried the faint scent of freshly trimmed hedges from thendscaped gardens. Felix, Mars, Sean, ra, Arthur, and the butler were waiting outside the door of the main building. A faint smile appeared on Neo''s face. Memories of theirst meeting surged in his mind. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 346 Tell Me Everything About Mom And Dad Chapter 346 Tell Me Everything About Mom And Dad Henry didn''t show much reaction. He kept his eyes on the screen and opened his mouth. "Yeah, what about them?" "Our dad was Hades and our mother was Persephone." Henry stopped. His fingers froze over the keyboard, and he raised his eyes to look at Neo. The tension in the room thickened. "Who told you that?" "That doesn''t matter. What I want to know is if you know what I am talking about?" "¡­.I don''t." "I guess you do. It''s clear by your reaction." Neo leaned closer. "What I want to know is why our parents ¨C who were Gods ¨C lived and died like mortals, and why the fuck no one had any idea they were Gods?" Neo''s voice was sharp. "As far as I know, everyone from the Hephaestus n and their acquaintances used to treat them like normal unawakened demigods." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 347 Battle Chapter 347 Battle The group exchanged wary nces. Neo studied them for a moment before continuing. "I''ll suppress my strength to peak Awakened Demigod. "It''s a rank you all can defeat easily if you fight together." As Neo spoke, a dark, oppressive energy began to emanate from him. The grass at his feet wilted slightly, as if recoiling from the aura. His aura surged like an invisible tidal wave. He condensed his Death aura into a solid pendant and he tied it securely around his neck. The pendant, dark as obsidian, glimmered faintly. "If you guys can break this pendent before I take all of you down, you will win. "Is that enough for a handicap?" The groups expressions turned grim. Even if Neo suppressed his stats, he was leagues beyond them. His advantage in reaction speed,bat experience, stamina, and physical defense made him nigh undefeatable. "Are you really nning to fight us?" Mars suddenly broke the silence. "Why are you asking? Worried?" "No," Mars replied with a wide grin. "I''m just excited." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 348 Battle [2] Chapter 348 Battle [2] ck mes surged from one hand, twisting into a massive tornado of burning darkness. It descended upon the fire dragons like an hammer and crushed them. From his other hand, ck lightning crackled and shot toward Arthur''s golden lightning. The collision shook the air. Shockwaves thrashed around wildly. Neo and Arthur were thrown off course by the sheer power of the st. Neo flipped mid-air andnded gracefully on the scorched ground below. Meanwhile, ra quickly swapped Arthur''s position with a stone using her Space Affinity, teleporting him safely back to the ground. "Yourst attack was better¡ª" Neo began, but his words were abruptly cut off. A silenced bullet tore through the wall of mes and struck Neo in the temple. Neo barely flinched. "Tsk, I missed," Felix muttered, lowering her sniper rifle. She had been made invisible using Arthur''s spell, and was waiting for the perfect moment to take her shot. The bullet was meant to destroy the pendant Neo wore, exploiting his distraction after he dealt with Arthur''s and Mars''sbined attack. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 349 Venyth Chapter 349 Venyth "I did use it," Felix said. She held up her sniper rifle for Neo to see. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and spoke in her mind. ''Venyth, change your shape to a handgun.'' ''Okay~,'' responded the snake-shaped Spirit restingzily around her neck and shoulders. Only Felix could see the snake-shaped Spirit. It was the spiritual manifestation of Venyth, the youngest spirit among the four sister spirits used to create the four True Soul Weapons. The sniper rifle began to shift. Its form morphed and transformed into a sleek handgun that fit snugly in Felix''s hand. "The bullets are formed from my Divine Energy, and Venyth can change its shape depending on¡ª" "Is that how you told her to use you?" Neo asked the spiritual manifestation of Venyth. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 350 Killing Felix Chapter 350 Killing Felix Arthur flinched as he caught sight of Neo''s face. Neo ignored him and spoke to Felix. "Felix, I think you understand why True Soul Weapons are precious?" he asked with a serious tone. "I do!" Felix eximed, still excited. She failed to notice the coldness in Neo''s gaze as he continued. "That''s why you need to prove to me you are worthy of that weapon." "Huh?" Felix blinked in confusion. Her excitement faltered. "Venyth can make a beggar into a king. "I can''t waste on someone who has no drive to improve," Neo said. Felix stared at him, stunned. Neo, of course, understood how wrong his words were. Mars had bought Venyth with money and given it to Felix. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 351 New Challenge Chapter 351 New Challenge The tform spanned half the size of a football stadium. Neo manifested an Intent Clone in the center of the tform. "If you guys can defeat that, you can get an Exoskeleton surgery," Neo announced. The group''s shock over Neo''s treatment of Felix dulled their initial surprise at seeing the clone that looked exactly as Neo. "That clone is as strong as a Grade 3 Mythic Demigod, so stronger than the me who fought you guys now." Neo stepped onto the tform. "This tform is made of Death elementals. Stand on it for too long, and you die. This will force you to defeat my clone as quickly as possible. "You can fight my clone from outside the tform too, but then, the Clone will use the strength of a Grade 5 Empyrean Demigod." The rules were clear. The group exchanged uneasy nces. Neo finally retracted his aura. The oppressive energy dissipated. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone! Chapter 353 Corpse of Oceanus [2] Chapter 353 Corpse of Oceanus [2] "We have powerful defenders," Neo said. Silence descended in the room. Jack stood up and paced around the room. The wooden floor creaked beneath his steps. He had found the truth behind many secrets¡ªsecrets someone like him wasn''t supposed to know¡ªin just a few minutes. His mind raced with the implications of everything he''d just learned. A few minutester, he returned to his seat. His face was pale. "Sigh, there is a lot I still don''t understand, but let''s focus on why you called me here. "Why do you want me to go excavate the bones?" Jack questioned, trying to bring the conversation back to the immediate issue. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 355 Neos Elemental Masteries Chapter 355 Neo''s Elemental Masteries [Death] Mastery: Savant (High) Concept: Eternal Sleep . [Darkness] Mastery: Savant (High) Concept: True Darkness . [Time] Mastery: Savant (High) Concept: Nullhour . [Water] Mastery: Savant (Mid) Concept: Aqua Nihil . [Shadow] Mastery: Adept (Peak) Concept: 60% . This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 356 Cereberus Chapter 356 Cereberus Cerberus'' ears drooped when he sensed Neo''s pain. The three-headed monster whimpered and tilted one of its enormous heads. "Woof?" "Intent." Neo struggled to speak. "Hold back a bit." A blind man could not be hurt by a bright sh of light, and a deaf man wouldn''t be hurt by a powerful noise. Simrly, most beings never awakened their Intent Senses and could not sense the Intent of others. Even if they did awaken senses of Intent, their senses were weak. Neo, on the other hand, had trained to strengthen his Intent Senses for centuries. He felt like he had pressed his ear against a very powerful speaker. Cerberus'' whimpers and barks rattled his brain. His knees trembled, and his vision blurred. Blood dripped from his ears and eyes, staining his clothes. ''I need¡­ to learn how¡­ to close my Intent Senses.'' Neo closed his eyes. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 357 Meeting Leonora Chapter 357 Meeting Leonora "Looking for me?" Neo heard a familiar voice. He turned around and saw Leonora. She had grown, emotionally and physically, after spending months in Underworld. Physically, the biggest change were the two thick horns on her forehead. "Oh¡­" Her eyes widened, and she let out a smile. "Neo?" "Yeah, it''s me." Leonora passed a bag to the spider-shaped monster next to her. "Can you get these materials checked on the counter while I talk to him?" Leonora spoke to the spider monster, Selene, who was her teammate. "O-okay," Selene answered, her voice trembling slightly. Leonora beckoned Neo toe out of the building to talk and went out first. Neo followed behind her. As he passed Selene, he spoke up, "It''s nice to see you." "S-same." Selene struggled to speak. Neo''s aura was too powerful. The others in the hall were the same, unable to handle Neo''s presence. Even though he kept his presence at a minimum at all times, he was still a Heavenbreaker. It was normal for low-ranked beings to feel afraid of him. The outside air was cooler. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 358 True Names Chapter 358 True Names Neo had a dumbfounded expression. "She wants to kill me?" "Yes," Leonora replied with a bitter smile. "She thinks you killed Kendrick and wants revenge." "But I reincarnated him. That was what he wanted too." "Gwen doesn''t know that," Leonora said softly. In Gwen''s eyes, Neo had killed Kendrick brutally. Her anger was justified in her mind. Leonora noticed Neo''s troubled expression. She reached out and patted his back sympathetically. "It''s better if you don''t meet Gwen now. She¡­ well, she is quite motivated about her revenge." Neo sighed and nodded slowly. "I doubt she will listen to you if you tell her that you didn''t kill Kendrick," Leonora added. "That sounds about right," Neo admitted. Leonora immediately spoke enthusiastically, trying to lighten the mood before it could worsen. "Don''t worry! I will try to tell her that you might''ve helped Kendrick pass on, instead of killing him. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 360 Palace Of The Monarch Chapter 360 Pce Of The Monarch "It''s the ability of the first-ranked Grim Reaper, Grand Duke Bael," Veldora exined. "First-ranked¡­ You mean the oldest Grim Reaper?" Neo questioned. Grand Duke Bael was a legendary figure. He was called the Sword of Night. And the Bastard Grim Reaper. No one had seen Bael in centuries. He had disappeared long ago, leaving behind myths of his unmatched power. "If not for the [All-Seeing Eye] that hangs in the sky of the Underworld, everyone would''ve thought Grand Duke Bael had perished somewhere," Veldora said. Funnily enough, no one was concerned about Bael''s absence. He was so strong that it was impossible for him to be defeated. Everyone assumed that his disappearance was voluntary. They predicted he had gone missing as he didn''t want to work and was hiding somewhere, hence his infamous title: the Bastard Grim Reaper. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 363 World Core Condensation Technique Chapter 363 World Core Condensation Technique Their current fight was like an Awakened Demigod trying to challenge an Exalted Demigod. It was a fight where let alone victory, even inflicting damage was impossible for Neo. And yet, Neo managed to do the impossible. "Heavenbreakers really are monsters," Bael said with a smirk, shaking his head in grudging admiration. He decided to let Neo rest. With a casual snap of his fingers, the massive hall reverted to its original pristine state. The towering walls and ornate pirs reappeared as if they had never been damaged. The wreckage of the earth vanished entirely, leaving behind only silence. Only a single maggot had survived. ''H-hello, sir,'' Velkaria spoke while sweating profusely. "Sir?" Bael scoffed. "Thest time we met, you wereughing over my dying body." "T-that was a different timeline''s me, sir! It wasn''t me!" Velkaria lied without a second thought. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 365 Unique Ability of Obitus, How To Create A World Core Chapter 365 Unique Ability of Obitus, How To Create A World Core He moved swiftly through the hallways. The ce was too big for its own good. It was like abyrinth that seemed determined to lose anyone who dared to enter it. He had to ask Velkaria for help. "Where is the main hall where we met Bael?" he asked. ''Turn left here, then go straight and take the third right, and¡­'' Velkaria''s voice echoed in his mind. He followed Velkaria''s words. It took him a few dozen minutes to reach the location. The grand hall stood before him. Its massive double doors were slightly ajar. The hall was empty. "Where did he go?" Neo muttered as he looked around. His brows furrowed in irritation. It seemed Bael had no intention of meeting him. ''Might as well try to meet the other guy who is here,'' he thought. "Velkaria, where is the World Core?" he asked. ''Above you,'' Velkaria replied. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 366 Angels of Death Chapter 366 Angels of Death Neo''s eyes narrowed. "You know where I can find them?" There was no response. The Sphinx had vanished. It''s message was clear: Neo had toe meet it if he wanted answers. Neo clicked his tongue and stood up. "Let''s go. We are leaving." ''To where?'' Velkaria asked. "To the World of the Living." Neo sent Velkaria back into his Shadow Space. He took onest sweep through the pce, searching for Bael, only to be unsessful. With a faint sigh, he turned around and exited the pce. Outside, the Underworld''sndscape stretched before him. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 368 Meeting Sphinx Again Chapter 368 Meeting Sphinx Again [Author note: I made an error a few chapters ago. The reward for the Family Quest is two levels of the Empathic Bond skill, not one.] ¡­ When he didn''t say anything, she realized he was not joking. "You want something in return?" "Yes." Charlotte frowned. Neo had nock of wealth. Aside from mythical treasures inside Academy''s Vault, he could obtain almost anything with ease. "What do you want? Something from the academy''s Vault¡ª" "I don''t want those scraps," Neo interrupted. "S-scraps?" Charlotte stammered. Those "scraps" were treasures that could make anyone drool! They were only given to the top-ranked students, and even then, only when they achieved rare and extraordinary feats. Her hands curled into fists for a moment as she tried to suppress her irritation. She took a slow, steadying breath, realizing she had almost let her emotions slip. After a brief cough topose herself, she returned to her stern expression. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 369 Limitless Potential Chapter 369 Limitless Potential Neo''s thoughts churned as he watched the Sphinx. ''Veldora told me the names of Grim Reaper.'' ''Tree of Tyranny is Typhaon''s title after he became the 81st ranked Grim Reaper.'' ''From what Sphinx said, Typhaon knows Daniel wanted to save me, but Typhaon never revealed this to Sphinx.'' Was Typhaon hiding the news to protect Neo? His train of thought broke when the Sphinx pped its hands once. "Seems like you are not him. It''s all water under the bridge then," the Sphinx said. "Oh, and don''t worry, the thing about me having a task for you was real." Neo nodded. After receiving his confirmation, the Sphinx shifted its stance and returned to the topic for which it had summoned Neo. "I want you to do a task for me, and I will answer three questions for you." "What''s the task?" "This," the Sphinx replied, snapping its fingers. A giant hologram appeared between them. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 371 Neos Concepts of Life and Holy Element, Sphinxs Trap Chapter 371 Neo''s Concepts of Life and Holy Element, Sphinx''s Trap Neo stared at the reincarnations of his parents. The sight made his blood freeze. His chest tightened, and for a moment, even breathing felt like a Herculean effort. "Mira and George. The people who streamed my battle against the Minotaur." The realization made feel an emotion. Fear. "If I had not interfered¡­.." Neo had defeated the Minotaur, which caused a Tiger-ranked Window to open above the Labyrinth of the Minotaur. The Window had trapped a Mythic-rank Necromancer. In the original timeline, where Neo did not exist, the Tiger-ranked Window would''ve opened a few yearster. The Necromancer would''ve emerged. He would''ve kidnapped a few people. Mira and George, the reincarnations of Neo''s parents, were among them. The Necromancer would''ve used them to feed the Spirit Seed he was raising. ''George''s fate in the novel was a brutal death at the hand of Necromancer.'' ''He, like other people, was tortured for months so that the Spirit Seed could get to eat plenty of negative emotions.'' The traumatic experience would''ve allowed Mira to awaken her Godblood. ''Her awakening helped her snatch control of the Spirit Seed from the Necromancer and kill him.'' The Spirit Seed was one of Darkness. It would''ve corrupted her mind after it bonded with Mira. "Mira''s mind brokepletely in the novel, and she became one of the future big viins." This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now Chapter 372 Shocking News Chapter 372 Shocking News Neo didn''t bother trying to get a guarantee from the Sphinx. The Sphinx never lied. It could trick, but its words were always true. The Sphinx disappeared. It did not reappear anymore, as if saying their meeting was done. Neo took onest look at the empty hall. His footsteps echoed softly as he turned and walked away. A portal shimmered at the end of the hall. Without hesitation, he stepped through. He felt a shift. The cold stillness of the hall was reced by the familiar warmth of the evening sun. Neo noticed the principal''s puppets standing in front of him. "We hope your meeting with the Sphinx was good," the puppets said with a bow. "Yeah," Neo said. The meeting had been shit. This is the end of Part One. Upgrade Premium to read full content: Upgrade Now