《I Didn't Choose the Gangsta System, the Gangsta System Chose Me》 Chapter 1 - The Bad Guy Joren Vierei, his name is pronounced as "Horen" by the way, is a kind-hearted man. "Madam, let me carry your bag." "Thief!" However, due to his scary appearance, intimidating everyone who saw him, Joren was alreadybeled as "the bad guy" at first look. "No, madam, I''m just trying to help, that looks heavy." Joren insisted to the elderly. His voice was being covered by the loud noises surrounding them. "Stay away..." The elderly ced the basket full of dried fish behind her in an attempt to protect it. "Madam, I''m not going to steal it. We are still in the middle of the road and the cars are all honking at us." Joren leaned and slightly bent his knees to make him look shorter. ''He''s preparing to run after stealing my husband''s hard-earned fishes!'' However, the elderly misunderstood right away. Joren wore a simple t-shirt. But this was not enough to hide his lean and muscr body. The narrow eyes and the stiff eyebrows seemed like he was ring at the elderly. Coupled with his smile that looked devious to the eyes of others, no wonder he is seen as "bad" ''Olddy, the people in their cars are getting angry now. How long will we stay here?'' Joren''s patience was slowly ending. This made his smile stiffer. ''This young man is nning something!'' the elderly frowned in fear. "Haa... if that''s what you want, Madam, then I won''t help you." Joren sighed and walked away. The elderly cautiously let Joren cross the road first. She nodded with a tough look on her face. ''You think I''m a fool, young man? I didn''t live a long life to be scammed by people like you.'' So she tried to lift the basket and like like a lightning striking her, she realized-! "Ah... my arms are tired." But before she tried to lift it up again, a person shed and carry her and the bag. In an instant, she was out of the road and traffic soon flowing again. "That was a relief... Thank you, young ma-" the elderly froze when she saw who it was. Her eyes widened. ''It... it couldn''t be!'' Joren ignored the olddy''s exaggerated expression. He turned around without saying anything. ''I''ll just leave before any misunderstanding happens again.'' But when he was about to walk away, he felt a tug on his shirt. Joren turned around to see it was the olddy. Now, wearing a kind smile. "I apologize, earlier, young man. I misunderstood you." "Ah... ahahaha, it''s fine, it''s fine. I''m used to it." "No, it''s not fine. Here, take it, it''s my apology, don''t be shy to take it." "Oh, that''s so nice of you. Thank y-...!" Joren was about to take the olddy''s offer but froze when he saw what it was. ''Why would she offer a dried fish?'' Before he could retract his hand, the olddy already ced the greasy and smelly fish on his palm at the speed of light. "Cook it first, okay? Goodbye." Joren looked at the elderly who lifted the basket and walked away as if nothing happened. ''Huh? I thought she couldn''t carry it?'' But just shrugged his shoulders. A person who gives out dried fish as an apology shouldn''t be treated as a normal person he thought. ''What an entric olddy....'' He didn''t know what to do with the greasy and smelly fish in his hand. However, he couldn''t just throw away something someone gave him as an apology. ''My name is Joren Vierei and this is my daily life. Some may think that I''m unfortunate, however, I think of it as a motivation to do good. Once people know that I am not who they think whatever I am, they will be kind and caring. People are not bad, all'' "Excuse me." While Joren was walking down the sidewalk, someone grabbed his shoulder. Looking behind him, it was a police officer and behind that police officer was a cryingdy. "Stop your monologue, we''re going to need you for questioning." ''WHAT!???'' At the next moment, Joren was in front of the desk. He was still holding the dried fish he could let go of nor put in his pocket. "Let me ask you, Joren, have you had enough of society that you tried to terrorize them?" the police officer asked with a serious expression, "However, I don''t think a fish is enough as a weapon." "It''s not a weapon, officer!" On the other side, the cryingdy was being consoled by a policewoman. "I swear. I thought he was going to hit me with his horrendous weapon!" the cryingdy eximed, "After he hit me, he will then let me smell the stinky weapon and smear the disgusting grease all over me! ''Horrendous weapon!? Thisdy quite got an imagination!'' Joren was shocked. The police officer questioning Joren sighed. "Joren, everything you hold looks like a weapon so better be careful." "B-but officer, this is just a fish! Last time you forbid me to wear a jacket, a sleeveless shirt, a hat, and N*ke shoes because it causes panic! Isn''t this too much for me!?" "He''s shouting, he''s shouting! Wahhh!" the cryingdy hugged the policewoman tighter. "Don''t worry, Ma''am, that''s just Joren, he''s a frequent at the police station. He might look like a criminal with 73 criminal records but he is innocent." the policewoman consoled. "Is... is that so?" thedy then stopped crying and looked at Joren with pitying eyes, "What a poor guy..." "Yes, he''s a miserable guy who''s been here the fourth time this week." The policeman in front of Joren wiped a tear from his eyes. "And it''s only Tuesday. Who gets questioned by police on Tuesday? At least do that on Saturday. I know it''s the start of summer, but really?" "At this point, you''re just mocking me!? Can I go out now!?" After Joren''s shouting, he was let out. He was pale from exhaustion. Every district police already knew him. "Um, excuse me." Joren looked at thedy who was the reason why he got questioned by the police... again. "Yes?" however, he didn''t me her even though it was ridiculous. "I''m sorry for the trouble. Looking at you now, although scary, you''re a bit handsome. Want to get more handsome? Go to my salon, here''s the address." Joren then received a business card and coupon. "Th-thanks...?" Thedy then left, giving people business cards. "I guess I''ll just stay at home again. I thought I''d get some fresh air." A bead of tear dripped from Joren''s narrowed eyes. His ruffled hair didn''t help his looks. He only looked bored instead of being sad. Wherever he walked, people will stay away from him. ''This is one of the good things. I have my personal space. Although the stares are ufortable, no one will mess with me.'' While his mind was upied with thoughts, he didn''t notice that there were people in front of him. He was used to having a personal space in public that he didn''t expect to bump hard into someone. "Huh!?" Joren looked at the person who just eximed loudly. Because of his tall stature, he always had to roll his eyes down to look into people''s eyes. "You bastard, don''t you look at where you''re going?!" "Huh?" ''Scary!'' Joren thought. The group of people in front of him were thugs who were just loitering around the ce. Some of these men smoked while others walked in swag. They wore ck leather jackets, easily spotting them as a group. The bald man Joren bumped into shouted at him. But when the bald man saw Joren''s eyes looking down on him, the man internally shrunk. ''Scary!'' the man thought. This was the first time that Joren actually encountered such a group that people usually rte him to. ''So people saw me like this guys?! How!?'' Joren made a puzzled face. "Ah... so-sorry man... hahaha, I thought." In the next moment, the bald man suddenly became tamed, puzzling Joren even more. "What is that?" "Is that their boss?" "Scary... let''s get out of here." The crowd soon dispersed. "Oh, it''s okay..." Joren raised his hand to suggest that it was nothing. "Iek!" but the bald man covered his head in fright. "Pro-protect our bro!" the others suddenly pulled the bald man away, preparing to attack Joren. "W-wait..." But the closer they got into him, the slower they were. Joren''s gaze riled up their fear until they all turned around and ran away. "Retreat!" "..." Joren was left speechless. Tired for the day, he got home and realized he still had the dried fish in his hand. "I guess I should cook it and go to the salonter. I can''t disappoint thedy." He was too kind-hearted. When gifted, he would ept; when invited, he would agree. That was hispensation for scaring other people. Joren lives alone in a small apartment. He is already eighteen years of age. His family decided it was time for him to live by himself. These were the words of his parents: "Of course, we are not sending you off because the police raid our house yesterday searching for you. Hahahaha-" "Wouldn''t want the special force to our house, right? I mean, as your father, I don''t want you to be dependable to your parents. You should learn how to live alone." Thus, he was sent to the nearby neighborhood so that he wouldn''t be that far from school. ''If I saw any of them on the road, I swear, I would give them the cold shoulder!'' that was already Joren''s resolve. When he was finally about to put the dried fish on a chopping board, Joren saw something that he will never forget for the rest of his life. The head of the fish jerked towards him and, at the same time, a voice entered his head. The suddenness made Joren jumped away and dropped the fish on the floor. "Wha-what the hell!?" At the next moment, a holy radiance shone from the fish as it hovered in front of him. Joren kicked the floor to get away. "Whawhawhawha...!!" he stuttered a million times in one sentence. Joren''s eyes swirled from the confusion he was having. Chapter 2 - Life-Changing Day In Joren''s small apartment, it was forbidden to make loud noises. Or else, the cheap and strictndlord wille and tell the story of his life to make you feel guilty and annoyed for four hours straight. However, it is because of Jeron''sw-abiding personality that restrained himself not to scream. Just that, he had already screamed earlier from sheer shock. Hurried footsteps could be heard from the staircase. Joren''s neighbors have already prayed to bless this man''s soul to endure the story of thendlord''s life. ''What the hell is happening!?'' Joren felt dizzy from confusion. Tak! Tak!* "Joren, did you forgot how my children left me because I was noisy!? You want your future children to leave you too?" "The... thendlord...?" Joren quivered. He looked at the floating fish again and rubbed his eyes. "Joren, do you remember my second boy? He was very quiet and now, he''s had graduated from a prestigious university." "Lndlord, I''m sorry, it will never happen again." Joren replied with a forced voice. "Joren, I have a friend who died because he didn''te out to meet their guests." the fish suddenlymented. ''And you are not!?'' In thest five seconds, Joren''s brain suddenly bolted. Under extreme pressure, he would be calm and think. It was an easy decision. Although Joren is aw-abiding and kind-hearted man, in the end, he is still a man! ''I... I don''t know if this is just a dream or a hallucination, but...- ''I still want to lose my virginity to a big-boobed cute goth girlfriend in the future!'' "I''m not taking any chances that this is not real, so I ept." Joren finally said as his final decision. "Joren, my father talks to himself too and do you know what happened to him? He got in jail after getting caught doing drugs." the fish then got closer to Joren. This was the moment that would change Joren''s life forever. "Th-thug Underling...?" "Joren, after getting in jail, my father always asked me to bail him out. You know why? Because he had no visitors and is very lonely. Do you not appreciate a guest and not let me in?" The fish oscited toward the door. "Joren, do you forgot how low the rent cost here? Did you forget how my sister lost her house and has to live in the streets? I know she found a sugar daddy but can you tell that the same will happen to you?" A nerve popped out of the floating fish''s head. Osciting toward Joren, the voice entered Joren''s mind again. ''IT''s angry...'' Joren sweated, he still couldn''t follow, especially the part about the King of Thugs. "Sorry, but he''s myndlord. What if he kicked me out?" The kind-hearted Joren reasoned. Even though he doesn''t understand what was happening, he wouldn''t let the pressure change what he wants to do. "Or...?" Joren furrowed his eyebrows. He is prepared to resist whatever the fish will do to him. The fish then turned around and hovered towards the chopping board. On the side of the chopping board was a knife. Magically, when its fin touched the knife, the knife stuck to the fin as if the fish was holding the weapon. The fish then turned to Joren... menacingly. ''It just stepped over a lot of steps!'' Joren was startled. "Fine, fine! I just have to make thendlord go away, right?" "Is that necessary?" The fish became silent for a few seconds and got closer with the knife on its fin. it repeated. "Okay, okay, I will try." Despite Joren''s appearance, he was soft and is easily scared. His imaginations run wild. An image of a newspaper shed before his mind. [Headline: Man died from multiple stabs by a floating, greasy, and floating fish. Should the residents be scared that fishes can kill now or is Joren Vierei just too weak that he died from a dried fish?] ''I will just make up with thendlord after this.'' Meanwhile, thendlord outside raised an eyebrow. ''Are my stories not getting through him?'' he was about to knock when the doors opened ande out an intimidating tall man. Gulp* ''I forgot how scary this young man is, but no! I need to be strong!'' "You-" "Landlord..." "Y-yes?" "I don''t care about your life. I will not be noisy again. Go away." "You... you don''t care about my life?" "I... I don''t." "Fi-fine! I don''t care about yours either!" thendlord then ran away, crying like a heartbroken maiden, "Also, your rent this month will be doubled." Closing the door, Joren felt like crying from guilt and frustration. He turned around and saw that the dried fish dropped the knife. nk* ''S-sudden outburst!?'' Feeling depressed, Joren could only sit on the couch of the living room. The fish floated towards his front. Joren lifted his head and looked at the dried fish radiating holy light. The dried fish suddenly vanished. "Huh....???" Joren froze before dropping onto the couch. "I must be just tired... I hope I''m not turning crazy." While he was about to doze off, ck cars parked in front of him. Men in ck suits came out and this was noticed by the heartbrokenndlord. "Hey, who are you people!?" "We work for the government. We are here to get Joren Vierei." One of the men in ck came towards thendlord and showed a card. "Huh? tinum card for Sexy Angels Club?" "Oops, wrong card. I''m going to upgrade it to diamondter. Here." "Agents of the Special Department?" "Yes, so if you will excuse us..." The men in ck walked past the dumbfoundedndlord. Behind them was the only woman in the group under arge fedora. Sometimeter, Joren woke up in the darkness. But when the ck bag was removed from his head, he was temporarily blinded by a bright light. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw a table with amp in the middle and a beautiful woman with a long curled blonde. "Hello, Joren Vierei, how are you feeling?" "... huh? What? Where am I!?" When Joren''s senses came back, he looked around and panicked. He just saw darkness and some mysterious men in ck. "What!? W-where am I? Who are you!?" Joren struggled to get out but he found that his wrists were handcuffed behind the chair. "Calm down, Joren." the blonde said. "Okay..." "If you don''t calm down, we will have to-... you will?" the blonde frowned. "Yes" Thew-abiding Joren always does his best to keep people around himfortable. This is topensate for the appearance that he''s showing. Due to this, any request would be his pleasure to ept. What happenedst time with thendlord was a sh of requests. Although the dried fish is annoying, is thendlord not annoying as well? Not only that but he was also threatened. He only does it to the best of his abilities and will not sacrifice his precious life for it. "I-is that so... this is the first time someone actually calmed down after being said to calm down." The blonde couldn''t believe it. She had already prepared many ways to keep the subjects like Joren calm and listen. ''I guess my job became... easier?'' "Anyway, do you know why you are here?" the blonde turned serious again. "Here..? Where am I in the first ce?" "Hm, Joren, you are deemed as an Abnormal to the world. Before we tell you what will happen to you or where you are, I will give you a choice." "A choice...? Again?" Joren made a puzzled face. "Do you choose to live with the other Abnormals ore back to the society where you will forget everything that happened but you will be under 24/7 surveince!?" "W-wait! That seemed like an important decision! I don''t know about these Abnormals and 24/7 surveince, that''s practically no privacy!" "You will know once you answer!" "Such a heavy decision again..." Under pressure, Joren''s brain bolted to fast thinking! Once again, Joren is aw-abiding and kind-hearted man, however, he is still a man! ''24/7 surveince... that means she will see how I jack off to hentai with big boobs! I won''t be able to enjoy it anymore!'' "I-... I ept!" "Good!" the blonde stood up. At the same time, the lights turned on. Joren was shocked what he saw. "Hey! Isn''t this my apartment!?" he was so shocked, he shouted, "What''s the purpose of the bagging my head!?" Outside, thendlord crouched and yed with the soil while muttering. "He doesn''t care about my life and is still shouting. What could I ever do to him...." Chapter 3 - Scarlett Fross "I think Miss Candy is the greatest there." "How could you? Miss Lamiya has the thickest thighs!" "It''s because you''re a thigh-enthusiasts." "So what does Miss Candy have?" "She has that smile that awakens something inside me... and also she lets me touch her breasts from time to time if I give extra." While the men in ck were making themselvesfortable in the apartment room, Joren and the sexy blonde in ck sat opposite each other in the living room. "First, you have to learn about the world you are about to enter." The blonde said. Her slender legs were gracefully crossed. Her back was straight, making her chest stand out. She was wearing arge ck coat. Unfortunately, she was also wearing ck pants. Sexy but no chance of getting a glimpse. However, although Joren was greatly attracted to her, he has steeled resolve not to do anything that would make others ufortable! Therefore, his eyes only kept staring at the blonde''s eyes. ''Joren, focus! Although she''s sexy as hell, don''t be tempted! Remember your determination! It''s been two months free of such dirty actions and it will not stop there!'' Meanwhile, the blonde was already ufortable with his stare. As a beautiful woman with a great body, it was normal that she would get such stares and although she hates it, she was used to it. ''Now that I notice, this man is a little scary. Usually, people in his situation would panic and get nervous. Sometimes, not to brag but they would drool over me. However, what''s with that re? Did I do something wrong?'' It was the first time that a man she first met didn''t just look at her body. ''How intimidating.'' Since Joren was staring directly into the blonde''s eyes, he didn''t see that the dried fish came back, ogling at the blonde''s breast. the fish thought, not reaching to Joren''s head. It''s like a fish that saw food on a mossy stone from how the dried fish ogled at blonder''s chest. "... Is there anything you want to ask?" the blonde asked, wanting to know if she had done something. Completely oblivious to the fact that invading a person''s home, putting a bag over their head, and handcuffing them could be reasons why that person would hate her. She was doing it for such a long time that she thought it was natural and had already turned a blind eye to it. Joren thought for a moment before asking. "I haven''t known your name, miss." The blonde''s eyebrows furrowed. She didn''t expect the question to be so normal. "My name is Scarlett Fross. Since you have entered this world, I will tell you everything you need to know. In turn, you are to keep it confidential in public. If we found out that you''re to reveal this, a severe punishment will be immediately enacted." "Umm, Miss Scarlett, I thought I wouldn''t be able toe back... to the society judging from what you said earlier." "No, that was because you still haven''t decided. I''m just telling you the worst to let you know how heavy that decision is. Furthermore, it is true that you cane back once you are permitted." "Oh, then what is this other world you''re talking about... and especially the Abnormals?" Joren finally asked the most important question after the formalities. ''This is the best moment.'' Scarlett smiled and said, "You will know once you''re there. Come with us. Men, let''s go. Also, Miss Lamiya nor Miss Candy can hold up against Miss Rimma!" The two men in ck looked at each other and couldn''t refute their superior, they just followed her orders. ''What are they talking about?'' Joren failed to see the dried fish as it disappeared as soon as the men in ck were called. Coming out of the apartment, some random neighbors and thendlord saw Joren got to take out with handcuffs behind him. "Joren got take out again?" "He''s leveling up. It was the police back then, now it''s some secret agents, I heard." "Wow, I wonder what misunderstanding happened today?" The residents and thendlord were taking it too casual that Scarlett and the two men in ck felt less important. After they got into the car, they drove off. Sitting at the back were Joren and Scarlett. "Umm, will you not take off the handcuffs?" he was getting ufortable himself. "Not until you lose your hostility." "Hostility? No, no, I''m not hostile. This is just how I look." Scarlett looked at him and moved away. ''Even though I''ve seen my fair share of Abnormals, he''s pretty scary.'' Joren just sighed at this. ''This is why I still don''t have any girlfriend since birth.'' "So... where will you bring me?" "You will see." After driving for a few minutes, the car stopped at a train station. "Turn around, I will remove your handcuffs." Scarlett said with a bit of hesitation. "Finally..." "But it''s not because I trust you. Do not try anything with me, okay? I know how to fight back. No matter how scary you look, I will not be intimidated, okay? So don''t attack me from behind while in public." Scarlett mumbled while unlocking the handcuffs. ''She sounded really scared...'' Joren suddenly felt scared. Once his handcuffs are unlocked, he felt relieved. Scarlett then exined. "Some of your things are already at the trunk of the car. We had a lot of men earlier. However, since it was so easy to subdue you while you''re asleep, the others moved your stuff before leaving." ''She became talkative.'' Joren noticed the small details. After that, Scarlett stepped out, catching some eyes due to her professional yet fancy appearance. She secretly sighed in relief. ''The more time that passed, the more I am getting intimidated by him!'' Afterwhich, Joren came out which startled her. "Take... take your things at the back." With that, they entered the train station. Joren was behind a Scarlett while pulling a cart that had his things on it. ''Wait, if I had the decision, why would they put my things away before even asking me? Will they do the same to that strange fish again!?'' The fish''s threats are the scariest of all that even Joren with hardened resolve couldn''t fight back. People looked at Scarlett with admiration while Joren with fear. Some people thought that Joren was holding the beautiful woman hostage or something. They are not the only ones who had their imaginations run wild. While following Scarlett, Joren tried hard not to look at her plump behind. To keep himself distracted, his imaginations run wild as well. ''All that happened today had yet to sunk into me yet. However, I wouldn''t deny that it''s a little exciting. Pardoning the threats and suddenness, but another world and secret society? It''s like fantasy.'' Scarlett then bought a ticket for the two of them. They entered and waited for the train to arrive. That was when something clicked within Joren. ''Is this!? I know this! I''ve watched the movie! She''s bringing me to another world but why the train station? Is do we have to get a specific tform at a specific time and day to get transported to another train station!?'' Excitedly, Joren pushed his cart to a pir next to them. Thud* Scarlett saw this and kept quiet. There was silence before the train arrived and opened its doors. "It''s... here." Scarlett awkwardly said before entering the train. With a reddened face, Joren took the suitcases with his things inside and went on the train. The seats on the train were facing forward with two seats on each side. Sitting beside each other, no one still said a thing. After the silence had be unbearable, Scarlett looked at him and said. "Umm... I know the reference to that." "No," but Joren stopped her, "It''s okay. I just got overexcited." "I-Is that so..." Joren hated making other people ufortable the most. So after oveing his embarrassment, he asked. "So, you watched the movie or read the book?" Scarlett was a bit startled by his initiation and replied. "Movie..." Not to let the conversation die, Joren followed and the two actually had a nice conversation. At first, he was getting tired of carrying the conversation until Scarlett was able to keep up. Unexpectedly to Joren, the ride took them four hours. In thest hour, Joren was having fun. ''I''m normally talking to a girl... or to anyone, in fact, without them having exaggerated reactions!'' When they got off, the two still kept up the conversation. Even in the taxi, and until they got off it as well. "Oh, we''re finally here." Scarlett smiled. Following her out of the taxi, Joren looked up to see that they were in the middle of nowhere with a thick forest ahead. "Are you sure this is the ce?" even the taxi driver was confused. They were still on a fine road but that''s just it, the road. Other than that are the greeneries and mountains. There is even a lot of wildlife there. "Yes, we''ll be fine here." Looking at their stuff, the taxi driver just thought that the couple would be out camping. "Okay, but be careful out there. There are a lot of mysterious sightings going around here. I wouldn''t believe it if I hadn''t seen it. I think I saw a werewolf around here. But I don''t know, it''s just on the peripheral of my vision, I''m focused on the road, after all." "Werewolf?" Joren didn''t know if he wouldugh or cry. If he hadn''t met the strange fish earlier and got picked up by people from a secret society, he would justugh at it. "Then we will be careful." Scarlett, however, was calm and entered the thick forest. The taxi drove off while Joren continued to follow Scarlett. Thanks to Joren''s muscle strength and stamina, he carried the two baggage by himself. Living in a small apartment, he didn''t need that much stuff anyway. When Joren was about to continue the conversation where they left off, the fish suddenly appeared out of nowhere, startling him. "Hm, what''s wrong?" Scarlett turned back but the fish disappeared. "Um, nothing, I thought I stepped onto something." Scarlett nodded and continued while only carrying her small fancy bag. Joren heard in his head but didn''t reply. "Guh!" Joren suddenly jerked from where he stood. Chapter 4 - Second Mission "Guh!" Scarlett turned back to him and frowned. "Seriously, what is it?" "N-nothing. This is just my first time here so I''m just getting paranoid." "Oh, I thought you''re calm about everything if you''re told to. It seemed that you can be frantic too..." Scarlett was no longer that scared of Joren after their long conversation. She somehow knew that he''s a bit gentle and caring. Not that she admits it but she kind of likes it. In her cold and secret job, she rarely receives something like care. Joren red at the fish to forward his protest since he can speak. The fish''s cheeks turned red. ''Bald head? I''m fine with it! Miss Scarlett is the first person to have ever spoken to me normally! Even if she isn''t single, I want to be her friend, at least!'' Seeing that Joren isn''t that scared by the threat, the fish became serious. Joren was still unflinching. the fish got more serious. Although it''s kind of funny how it frowned but it scared Joren a bit The fish stared at him and saw that Joren was a bit moved. However, it was not enough. Seeing that the fish went away, Joren sighed. ''I''ve won!'' he felt satisfied. But at the next moment, his face paled at the fish came back with scissors. Just like the knife before, it is as if the fish had an invisible arm stuck to its fin. Joren''s eyes widened. ''Where did it get scissors?!'' Upon realization, he looked up and saw that the zipper in one of the suitcases is open. Finally, Joren dropped what he held. Hearing the shuffles of the grass, Scarlett looked behind to see the fallen suitcases. "What is it this time..?" she then saw a serious expression from Joren. "I''m sorry, Miss Scarlett, I have no choice." "Huh?" a sudden chill ran up to Scarlett''s spine. At that moment, her body took a defensive stance. She frowned. "What are you going to do?" Scarlett didn''t expect this. However, she was prepared. By no means was she weak. Furthermore, she is trained to take care of some of the more dangerous Abnormals. ''I thought he''s weak since we easily caught him. After that, I let my guard down after talking to him. I''ve be naive because of the peaceful transportation. Abnormals are Abnormals, after all!'' Her hand was about to reach for a taser behind her in her coat but Joren charged. Scarlett predicted his movement and with a swift flow, she raised her leg to meet Joren''s face. But when she thought she would solidly hit him, he disappeared like it was an afterimage. In the next moment, she went something wrapped around her waist and something from behind. Her heartbeat got faster, ''How is he so fast and strong!? He''s just a starting Abnormal! This is bad!'' She was about to think that the worst will happen when she felt a grope on her chest. "Ah~..." she moaned. Meanwhile, Joren''s eyes were swirling. ''This is bad, it''s actually so soft!'' ''It''s enjoying this!'' Joren didn''t want to admit that he''s enjoying the situation. If he did, it would be the same as admitting he likes assaulting her! Joren then slightly pushed Scarlett onto the tree. While one hand grope her chest, the other groped her behind. ''So soft too!'' "Mnn~" Scarlett bit her lips. Joren''s heartbeat was so loud, he was scared that Scarlett would hear it. Hearing this snapped Joren out of his focus. He finally stopped and retreated a few steps behind. "Hah..." Scarlett dropped to her knees while heavily breathing. "Um... so-sorry..?" After hearing this, Scarlett twitched. "Sorry?" She stood up and with a quick chain of movement, she gave Joren a roundhouse kick. Joren could''ve easily dodged but chose not to. A momentter, Scarlett tried to cool herself down while Joren was beaten up on the ground. "So? What was that all about?" Joren sat up with his knees on the ground. With his head lowered, Joren heard this. He had no choice, any other reason would be just as much worse since he couldn''t tell the truth anyway. So listening to the fish, he repeated what the fish said. Hearing this, Scarlett turned around. "Pent-up inner desires, huh... I knew such a gentleman like you would never exist!" "So-sorry!" Joren couldn''t promise it wouldn''t happen again since it was not his choice in the first ce. "Joren, just to let you know, I''m interested in girls." Scarlett suddenly said after looking at him, "You have no chance with me so don''t go thinking about it again!" Joren didn''t listen to the fish. "Yes, to be honest, I like you since you''re the first person who talked normally to me. That was enough for me. However, I did such an unforgivable thing. At the very least, I want to make up for it." Hearing this, Scarlett''s expression became milder. "Frie-friends..?" her eyes wandered everywhere. "Well, since you didn''t go all the way even though I can''t fight back, I guess I can still trust you." Joren looked at her with hope. "However, from now on, you will have to do everything as I say, is that clear!?" "Yes, Miss Scarlett!" At that moment, Joren was filled with determination. ''I know that I kind of want it but not in this way! Gangsta System and this fish... if it can make me do something like this, it can make me do much worseter on! I need to find a way to fight back!'' Hearing this made Joren''s eyes widened. Joren froze while hearing this. He didn''t want to listen to this. ''It''s just messing with my head!'' ''Everything I want...'' ... After that, Scarlett handcuffed Joren as punishment. When the fish disappeared, Joren finally sighed in relief. While they got deeper into the woods, the more awkward they got. Even though he was hand-cuffed, Joren didn''t find it troubled to carry his baggage with him. Meanwhile, Scarlett was recalling what happened earlier. ''He''s so strong yet he''s so gentle... no! Don''t let him straighten you!'' she then shook her head, ''I will have to visit Miss Rimmater at the Sexy Angels Club!'' Not long after that thought, Joren finally saw light at the end of their path. "Don''t get too shocked by what you are about to see. These creatures are Abnormals just like you." After saying that, Scarlett and Joren got out of the forest to see a giant castle. Walls barricade themselves around it. However, even from this perspective, Joren could clearly see that there was something flying around the castle that doesn''t look like birds. "Wee to the Myth Academy." Joren looked at the ce and found Myth Academy to be the most fitting name for it. He was so entranced that he forgot the pain from getting beaten up and didn''t notice that Scarlett had begun to move forward. "I said don''t be too shocked, let''s go." "Y-yes, Miss Scarlett!" Chapter 5 - Inside The Myth Academy Coming in close, Joren looked up to see that the walls were actually quite tall. Before the gate, armored guards were posted. "ID, please." one of the guards requested which Scarlett responded by showing one. Checking the card, the guard nodded and pushed a button. "Agent Code: 1023, Agent Entering. Gates Open." Joren didn''t expect the castle walls to be so futuristic. At once, the heavy metal gate rose. Upon entering while behind Scarlett, Joren looked around and was instantly shocked at what he saw. Behind the wall, there was a wheel where men turned. As they changed positioned and pushed in the opposite direction, the metal gate lowered. ''I thought it was futuristic!?'' he felt betrayed. When he turned back, he saw Scarlett looking at him with a smile. Dazed by her beauty and the attention, he blushed. "W-what is it?" With still a smile on her face, Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean what is it? Behold, the Myth Acadamy!" She stretched her hand to show the academy which is clearly an ancient castle. But that was not what Joren focused on right now. It was the strange people around the structure. His eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Because these people were, first of all, had the tinge of blue and transparent. Furthermore, they always have something missing or deformed about them. But themon thing about them was their wavy tail instead of legs. They were getting from one ce to another by floating instead of walking. "Ghosts!????" Joren freaked out once he made the connection. Scarlett only nodded while waiting for him to see everything. Joren''s eyes moved around and saw more creatures. These "ghosts" are the majority but there were still a lot of different entities around. There were even small humanoid creatures with pointy ears, sharp teeth, and rough faces. "Goblins!?" "Gnomes?!" "What are those!?" Joren pointed at a strange creature, hopping around. It had the head and body of a hare, antlers, wings, and fangs like a wolf. "That''s a Wolpertinger." Scarlett casually introduced, "Don''t worry. Whatever you saw, they are harmless as long as you don''t search for trouble." Due to Joren''s shouting, the creatures that are only regarded as fiction by the world saw him. "What is that!?" "Human!?" "It had a scary face!" "Booo!" Both Joren and the creatures had the same expression. Their faces paled and jaws dropped. Joren didn''t even think about why they were scared of him. He was getting dizzy by what he was seeing. "W-what..! What is happening! What are they!?" he wanted to stay away from them but Scarlett kept walking that he had to follow. The distance between the two got closer as Joren felt safer by Scarlett''s side. "Why are you asking that? Don''t you already know? You just said what they are. Those are ghosts, goblins, and gnomes as you just said, however, there are a thousand kinds of them that I can''t introduce you to them all." "Huh...? They are real? Wait," Joren''s eyes widened, "by Myth Academy, you mean that it is an academy for mythological creatures!?" "Very sharp, yes. This is just ground level. These outsides are too many in number that they have to wait before they can enter the building. For example, ghosts are the most numerous and there''s neverending so they can only wait for their turn." "G-ghost... does that mean that every human who dies goes here...?" Joren asked in a low tone. "No, of course not. This is not the afterlife. Ghosts are just partial consciousness of the person''s desire to live. They haven''t epted death yet, thus creating strong emotions before death which mysterious energy feeds off of. They are not really the people who died, they are just replicas that is why they can only say Booo~" "What?" "Yeah, and don''t expect me to answer your every question. I don''t know each creature here. There are countless of them with deep stories behind them. And wow, they''re really scared of you." The strange creatures were making a path for the two of them. Even the ghosts had was getting scared of Joren. "I didn''t expect that I would get annoyed by them this early after being so surprised..." a nerve popped out of Joren''s forehead, seeing that these creatures are overreacting like other people when they saw him. "Don''t get too surprised. We are only on the outer ground level. Since you''re an Abnormal, you''re more prioritized so you have an easy pass." Hearing this the ghosts sounded. "Booo~" "I feel like they are booing us when they heard I got a free pass... I feel like they''re envious..." Joren murmured. "They are and it''s not a coincidence." Scarlett sighed as if she didn''t want to exin any longer. After more walking on the grass in, Joren saw more and more types of creatures. He even saw an ant with the head of a lion. "It''s okay not to be careful on your steps. I know it''s hard but they''re weak and they would die in a day or so anyway. They''re called umm... myrmecoleon? If I remember it right." Scarlett exined. The distance between the gate and the structure within was not that far. However, Joren felt it was a long walk that made him exhausted. Once they were there, there was a long line of these mythical creatures. "Boo~" The ghostsined when they skipped the line and went straight to the giant doors. "Joren, I''ll say it again and how many times I need to. Don''t be so surprised. The Myth Academy is full of strange and fantastic creatures. There are several levels, each containing differences in powers. The higher the level, the superior they are. Now, we are entering the inner ground level. You will see more..." With that said, Scarlett showed her ID card once again and an eye opened on the door. Once it saw Scarlett and her ID, the eyes closed and opened. When she looked back, she was in disbelief. "You... okay?" Joren suddenly looked calm andposed. "Yes, sorry for forgetting your words. I will not be so surprised anymore." "Ah, no, I''m not saying you can''t react like a normal per-" Before Scarlett could clear out the misunderstanding, there was a shout. "It''s Miss Scarlett Fross!" "Everyone, don''t panic!" "No shouting and running! Please line up!" Joren looked and his eyes widened. Even though he already expected it, he was still shocked. But he didn''t show his emotions much. The castle was big, however, its interior was much bigger! It''s like a whole city is within the castle which shouldn''t be physically possible! More ghosts and other creatures Joren saw from the outside were there. However, he also found some new ones. Some were scary, some were eerie, some were just in weird, and some shouldn''t even exist. When he noticed that it was too bright, he looked up and saw a bright ball of light, the sun. ''The... sun in the ceiling? No, that''s not the ceiling, that''s the sky.'' Joren sharply breathed in. Looking around, he saw dense forests, mountains, and stone buildings. No, it is not a city. The stone buildings were like modern houses. It was not that industrialized and busy but it was wide and vast. Like a town that is built far from the cities and other provinces, having its own electricity, businesses, convenience, services, and more. But the point is, the ce was nothing like Joren had seen before. If he had to describe it, he can only call it- ''Modernized fantasy world...?'' Before them were these weird creatures lining up as if ready to greet them. Chapter 6 - History Of The Academy So many monsters that they were getting repetitive. Joren was now getting familiar with the ce as he tried to stay calm. ''I''ve already met a talking, hovering, threatening, knife-wielding, and system-wanna-be dried fish. At least these guys, I''m familiar with them... from legends and fiction, that is.'' "Good thing that you''re not getting intimidated by them any longer?" Scarlett asked after ncing at him. "Actually, instead, they''re getting intimidated by you...?" she arched an eyebrow. Joren didn''t know whether tough or cry at this remark. Joren looked around to see whose sound that came from. It was very clear as if inside his... head. ''Oh, yeah... but where is that fish.'' he wanted to roll his eyes. He felt something wiggle in his crotch. "..." "THE FUCK!?" Joren shouted taking everyone in shock. The monsters were retreating back from his shout while Scarlett turned to him with a frown. the fish''s head peeks out from his zipper. Joren wanted to find two cats right to fight over this fish so that it will die a miserable death! "What is it this time? Are you going to do something stupid again!?" Scarlett blushed as she recalled what happened earlier. Will the same pattern happen again? Joren immediately stopped looking at his zipper for Scarlett not to follow his line of sight. Unfortunately, he still has his hands handcuffed, there is no way he could close his zipper. It wiggled once again making him have the most ufortable time in his day. "N-nothing..." "This again." Scarlett rolled her eyes, "If you do anything, you see these monsters there?" she pointed. "They''re going to beat me up?" "No, they''re going to call the security." "Oh... I don''t me you for not trusting me but I have my hands cuffed, right?" At that moment, Joren realized that he had done a fatal move. ''She''s going to take a look at my hands and see my opened zipper!'' To save himself, he bowed down, covering what he wants to hide the most while showing his hands still cuffed. "See?" "Ugh... y-yeah..." Scarlett showed a weirded-out expression before continued on walking. Joren wanted to drop on his knees and cry. ''What did I do to deserve this!?'' ''What kind of a dick is wiggling!?'' A nerve popped out of Joren''s forehead. The bulge in his crotch disappeared which made him sigh in relief. After a few more minutes of walking, Joren was astounded by the sheer number of monsters out there. Although the majority were still ghosts and some "lesser" creatures, there was an unending sight of them! ''How long are we going to walk?'' Just as Joren thought, Scarlett spoke. "It seemed you finally calmed down." "Y-yeah, sorry..." "It''s fine, there are more abnormal people like you. I should already be expecting it but you seemed so normal I forgot that you''re an Abnormal." ''Please, God, turn back time!'' Joren internally cried. "Since we''re almost there, let me exin all of this." Joren nodded and listened carefully. Scarlett then exined, "All of these creatures have already existed in the world since the start of time. Some were even there before humans evolved into... humans. All the legends that you know that have some history behind them are all real." Joren''s hands trembled. "A-all of them?" "Yes, but before human civilization, Gods ruled over them. But once humans gain sentience, they began offering the Gods some gifts and worshipping them. Gods being Gods with bloated heads, they have a new favorite. Because of this, humans flourished and monsters hated humans for it. That''s why in the stories, humans were always the food and victims of monsters. When there''s smoke, there''s fire. That''s where the horrific tales and legendse from." It wasn''t that hard to understand but Scarlett still paused for Joren to digest the information. Instead of iprehensible, it was mind-boggling! Scarlett then continued. "Gods began to notice the monsters'' oppression against humans and were angered, sending cmities and storms. Natural disasters were not towards humans but to monsters. Meanwhile, humans were blessed and their civilization was protected. There was until after many generations, they began to take it for granted, wanted freedom, rebellions began, and wars surged. But let''s not get into those details, you''ll learn them in sses." "sses?" "Yeah, this is Myth Academy with the word ''Academy''. But before that, let me continued with the story. Many ventured out and humans were split into many factions, traveling all over the world, and meeting the monsters all over again. Until some of them met ''good'' monsters'' which they befriended and sympathized with. They went back to where all humans came from called Yumantra, which the word humans literally came from, and tried to convince them that not all monsters are bad and they don''t deserve the cmities." Joren nodded with a serious expression, scaring all the monsters. He was getting interested in this. If this was all true then his view of the world had turned 180 degrees. "Anyway, of course, people of Yumantra didn''t like that idea. They called these people from the outside demons and witches h h h," Scarlett raised her hand and form a mouth with it like a puppet, "You''ll just learn this tomorrow so let''s skip that part. Wars happened, surprisingly, the monsters helped the ''outside'' humans but because Yumantra sided with the Gods, they were equal." Scarlett stopped and whispered to Joren. "Gods didn''t directly help at first. They''re so useless." Joren found it funny how Scarlett had her own opinion on this but he showed a serious expression and nodded. "However, as you can see right now, monsters easily outnumber humans. Yumantra was about to be defeated until they became desperate and asked the Gods for help. Being prideful, thinking that Yumantra''s defeat is also their defeat, they began to help and half of the ''outside'' army were gone in a blink of an eye." Joren''s eyes widened in surprise. ''Gods.. I guess they do hold up to that title.'' "Hehehe, this is where the fun part begins. The annihtion was so abrupt that it notified the ''Gods'' from the underworld." Scarlett whispered again... "They don''t teach this in sses but when Cthulu came out after things escte, the Gods immediately submitted defeat." Then back to her normal voice, she continued. "Since the underworld beings don''t really care about humans and monsters but weren''t pushovers either, apromise was formed. Since humans were the primary victims and have the most decency, intelligence, and reasonable societal rules, they were granted supremacy over the world with the responsibility of taking care of it. Meanwhile, monsters will have their own ce where they will learn proper etiquette before they are sent out back to the ''human world''. Once they graduate, they will be rewarded an appearance of a human where they will blend into the society." "So this is that ce?" Joren asked. It was quite obvious but he still wanted to be sure. "Yeah," Scarlett smiled. "Miss Scarlett, you seemed to like monsters..." he mumbled in reply. "No, I don''t side with any of them." Scarlett didn''t hide and continued, "I side with the strong. Gods are just ttering themselves with human worshippers while the Yumantra people could only rely on their Gods." she sighed. "I can see that from the story. The ''outside people'' fought for rights, they seemed to be the good guys. And these underworld ''Gods'' seemed reasonable." "They are, right!?" Scarlett replied with enthusiasm. Seeing this, Joren pondered for a moment. ''I suddenly have the urge to be strong...'' After more walking and talking, they''ve finally reached a strange gate at the end of the buildings. Joren was now getting skeptical about how many gates they have to pass through before they are actually in. "Finally, we''re almost in the main residential area. Only monsters with enough intelligence are here. On the outer grounds, they have yet to be inspected. Once in, they will be split depending on their strength and intelligence. Those who are not intelligent or strong enough are those we just passed through. Here, the monsters are qualified." As Scarlett opened the gate after swiping her ID card, Joren saw another monster. "Booo~" When he was about to be disappointed by the ghost, he saw a screen hanging from its neck. [Wee to the first level''s entrance of the Myth Academy. Where would your destination be?] "Booo~" They were inside an elevator-like area. After looking around, the ghost then took Joren''s baggage. He was surprised but then he read the words appearing on the screen. [Let me carry that, scary sir.] "Professional..." Jorenmented. Scarlett was looking at her phone and read out loud. "S3" "Boo~" the ghost replied. [Area S, 3rd Street, approximately thirty seconds of travel. Confirm?] but the sentence on its screen says otherwise. "Confirm." The elevator-like area began moving. Chapter 7 - System Tutorial When the gate opened once more, Joren met a ce that he felt familiar with. It has normal houses, paved roads, streetmps, and sidewalks. It was like a normal neighborhood. "This is your key and house number. I''lle back to youter once your test is ready. The test will determine which ssroom you will be ced into." Scarlett exined while handing him the said key with a te attached to it. "My hands... they''re still cuffed." Joren reminded her. "Oh, I forgot." Scarlett then unlocked, making Joren feel relief. "Booo~~" [Don''t forget your baggage, scary sir.] the ghost then took out the baggage. "Thank you." Joren took it and stepped back to see that the ce he just came out of did not exist. There was only the gate and behind it, there was nothing as if the elevator inside was in a different dimension. "This is the Abnormals'' area, but you won''t see them until after sses. Be polite and don''t scare them too much when you see them, or else, you might die." "Okay, I will- wait, die?!" Joren shouted but the gate closed and faded into nothingness. "Hey!" he shouted but there was no trace left of the gate, "What do you mean, I will die!?" Hearing a familiar voice, Joren finally let loose. "You...!" he turned around to see the dried fish floating. But there was so much he wanted to say that it got stuck in his throat. Joren''s frown slowly faded when he saw a translucent screen popped out in front of him. [Name: Joren Vierei] [Race: Human] [Title: Thug Underling] [Level: 1] [Experience: 0/10] [Health: 100/100 Toughness: 76 Strength: 53 Agility: 62 Stamina: 80 Talent: 02 Thugness: -143] The fish stared at Joren. It has no expression but Joren could tell that it was trying to express "...seriously...?" "What does Thugness even mean?" Joren sighed and kept hisints forter. The fish insulted him but Joren was not offended. Instead, he was quite proud of it. "I''m that kind." "..." Joren''s face seemingly melted in a hopeless frown. [Mission: Shoo and make the annoyingndlord cry. Time limit: Before the System stabs you. Reward: 5 EXP, +1 free stat points, not getting stabbed by the system.] [Mission aplished: ept reward?] Feeling curious, Joren answered. "Yes" [Reward epted] The boards that popped out soon disappeared and Joren saw changes in his personal stats board. [Experience: 0/10 -> 5/10] [1 Free Stat Point] "Hmm... okay." Joren didn''t want to admit it but he thinks it was pretty cool and neat. "Then I''ll put it on my Strength. How do I do it?" Joren nodded and did as the fish said. [Strength: 53 -> 54] [1 -> 0 Free Stat Point.] "Hmm... I feel nothing. But I guess one point isn''t going to do that much." Joren wanted to test it if it''s legit but the difference was so small, he couldn''t tell. "Wait, how do you know that I trained?" "Open Mission Tab." Joren said and an ovepping board appeared again. It was split into three more tabs - Main, Sub, and History. At the Main Mission Tab, the second mission was posted. Subconsciously knowing what to do, Joren tapped it and another ovepping board appeared. [Mission: Assualt Scarlett Fross. Time Limit: None Rewards: Result Depended.] "Result depended?" [Mission Aplished: ept Reward?] "... yes..." Joren felt a little guilty getting reward for assaulting Scarlett, but he was too curious to let it pass and it''s not like he can take back what happened. [Reward: 15 EXP, +2 Free Stat Points, +1 Thugness] "No, I think that''s better." Joren''s shoulder dropped. He felt it was far from worth it. "So this is a tutorial...?" Joren muttered before doing as the fish instructed. [Level: 1 -> 2] [Level-up Reward: +1 Free Stat Points, +1 Thugness] [Experience: 5/10 -> 10/20] [Thugness: -143 -> -141] [0 -> 3 Free Stat Points.] A lot of changes happened but Joren was able to follow them. Without the fish''s instruction, he allocated all his Free Stats Points to Strenght. [Strength: 54 -> 57] At that moment, he felt some little changes. He felt a little lighter than a moment ago, but not too much for him to get excited. the fish tried to nodded but its whole body move. Joren then remembered a question and asked. "Why are you a fish, anyway?" <.... what?> ''Why does it sound like it doesn''t know what I''m talking about?'' Joren raised an eyebrow. "I''m talking about your form. Why are you a fish?" "A dried fish..." Joren added. "Yeah." <... Joren, there are some things you shouldn''t question.> "So you''re aware of it?" "H-huh!?" At that moment, a board came out, notifying him. [New Mission Added] [Mission: Lift the System''s spirit up or it will kill itself after killing you. Time: Before it kills you. Reward: Result Depended] "How am I supposed to lift this guy''s spirit!?" Joren shouted at the mission board, "What kind of bullshit is this!?" Chapter 8 - Gangsta God In Gangsta Heaven [Mission: Lift the System''s spirit up or it will kill itself after killing you. Time: Before it kills you. Reward: Result Depended] After a moment ofining since he couldn''t believe that such trivial things can cause his death, Joren had no choice but to do it. "So, what do you want me to do?" He asked while looked at dried fish ''sitting'' on the couch, looking at the empty space. "What the hell does unfish mean?" but Joren didn''t wait for an answer and sat on the couch adjacent to where the dried fish is ''sitting'' "So I have to figure this out myself, huh..." Joren began to ponder by himself. After a moment, he then said. "Since you don''t like that appearance and I assume that you can''t change it, how about I give you cool sunsses?" Knowing the fish''s attachment to being a thug, Joren suggested. As expected, the fish turned its head to Joren as if it had a neck. "Good thing, I have one!" Joren then opened one of the two suitcases he brought and took out a pair of sunsses. Carefully, he put it on the ''nose bridge'' of the fish and crossed the temples, hanging the temple tips on the back of the fish. "There... I didn''t expect it would work..." Joren said. The dried fish said nothing and floated toward the bathroom where it looked at itself in the mirror. Joren sighed in relief and a new board popped out. [Mission Complete: ept Reward?] "Yes..." he dropped onto the couch with a tired expression. [Reward: 10 EXP, +1 Free Stat Points] [Level: 2 -> 3 ] [Experience: 10/20 -> 0/40] [New Skill Unlocked: Sagging Pants.] [Level 1 Sagging Pants: Activates whenever your pants are lower than normal, showing your underwear. The lower it is the greater your Agility is reduced. Proportionately, it gives you additional Strength and Toughness. Skill Level Up Requirements: Level 5, Street Thug Title, Cool Boxer Shorts.] "What the..." but before Joren could react, the boards continued popping out. [Level-Up Reward: +1 Free Stat Points, +1 Thugness] [Thugness: -141 -> -140] the dried fish came out of the bathroom and with its sunsses on, looked at Joren. Joren didn''t know how to react to such skill. With lifeless eyes, Joren stood up and slightly dropped his pants. Although he was dumbfounded, he was also curious. [Sagging Pants Activated: Agility: 62 -> 57 Strength: 57 -> 60 Toughness: 76 -> 79] Joren has only pushed his pants a few inches down, showing his blue boxer shorts. When it reached half his butt, his stats changed again. [Agility: 62 -> 52 Strength: 57 -> 63 Toughness: 76 -> 82] But he didn''t stop there. He pushed it down until it was lower than his buttcheeks, the change of stats doubled. He pushed down and down until basically removed his pants as if he will take a shit. [Agility: 62 -> 02 Strength: 57 -> 88 Toughness: 76 -> 107] Joren could feel the considerable amount of strength pouring into him. He went towards the couch he sat earlier and lifted it with one hand, with no effort at all. Thud* he dropped it down. Joren put his pants up and looked at the fish. "This is stupid..." <... how dare you...> "Why? Am I wrong!? How does this even work?!" Joren snapped. the fish only answered. Feeling defeated Joren dropped onto the couch and stared at the ceiling. the fish added. However, Joren became unresponsive. His earlier excitement vanished. The fish sighed. "... huh? Gangsta God?" Joren frowned and was once again fascinated by what the fish was saying. It sounds so dumb that it was incredible. "...." Joren had heard from Scarlett that there are Gods so he didn''t doubt the fish so early. After all, it had yet to lie to him, either that or he went crazy and all of this is inside his head. ''Is this a joke?'' Joren had already asked this question in his head, however, he never gets bored of it. He knew if he asked that, he wouldn''t get a proper question, so he only asked. "So it''s like the Holy God where he''s too holy that his face is filled with holy radiance?" Joren just shrugged his shoulders. He would just save his reaction forter if he did arrive at the so-called Gangster Heaven. He closed his eyes and a momentter, the darkness was eaten by light. Before he knew it, he opened his eyes to see a strange ce. The first thing he noticed was the ground. "White sand?" Upon his question, the fish with its sunsses appeared before him. "Snow? But it does not feel like it is nor is it cold?" he crouch down to look at it in amazement. ''Snort...? What does this...'' Joren''s eyes widened in realization. He looked far and saw the ''white sand'' does not stop there. As he looked, he saw some nts growing everywhere too. That was when he looked at the river beside him. Walking over it, instead of rocks, there were a lot of syringes lying around. The river is colored brown yellow. "..." It was currently night there, on the horizons, Joren could see some green mountains. giant guns were nted as if trees and the moon above had a poster of the sexiest and prettiest woman he had ever seen stered on it. He didn''t know if the moon was artificial and just smaller than it looks or the poster is astronomicallyrge. Joren wanted to rebuke that he wouldn''t do it in the first ce but the fish was acting differently. It''s like a devout believer showing their God''s holy sanctuary to another. Further in, Joren could see bongs hanging from therge guns. He didn''t know how much time passed but he could see a fog in front of them. Following the fish, he then arrived at the foot of the mountain, Finally, he learned why the mountains were green. He thought it was the nts again but no, it was cash. He picked one up and saw- ''They are all counterfeits...'' Going around the mountain, the fish stopped and turned to him. [This is it. After this turn, you will see a part of the Gangsta God you are only allowed to see.] Joren gulped and nodded. The fish then turned to a corner of the mountain and Joren followed. [Having a thousand tinum-potential rap albums, amassing an army of great brotherhood around the globe, said to have experienced three million prostitutes, having a harem of three hundred top bitches, and winning all gang wars since the age of three.] Joren finally saw what he could only see with his current level. [Behold, the Gangsta God!] Joren was speechless. He couldn''t believe what he was seeing. In front of him was an altar. In the middle of the altar was gold. Golden pants and a sweet spinning belt. "No... no way..." "Does that mean...?" Joren looked up and saw a thick cloud hovering above the altar. Joren made a weird expression. ''Drip? What does hell does that mean?'' Joren blinked and he saw the same ceiling before he was brought to the Gangsta Heaven. Chapter 9 - As High As The Heaven Joren didn''t say a word and leaned forward as he rested his elbows in his thighs. His hands were sped together. "Is that the feeling of getting high?" Joren frowned. "What''s the difference?" "What''s the difference?" Joren repeated as if he was stuck in a time loop. "So... Gangsta Heaven is not real?" Joren was getting confused. It was as if he hit the bong. "..." Joren began to contemte his life. But there was one thing he was certain about. ''I don''t like to be Gangsta God.'' He then shook his head. ''What am I thinking, why am I contemting this?'' The fish saw Joren and found something strange. It then muttered but still went into Joren''s mind. [Gangsta God''s so gangsta just visiting him without even seeing him made Joren high. Also, his face is rxing, he''s like a different person.] Joren didn''t know what''s happening. He just knows that he is happy and carefree. A few minutester, there was a knock on the door. "Joren, it''s me, Scarlett." Seeing that there was no response, Scarlet pushed the doorbell which was never been pushed in this neighborhood. Meanwhile, Joren was rxedlyying down on the couch while staring at the ceiling. "What is the meaning of life?" "Is our existence only limited to this?" "Why are men''s balls just hanging if they''re so important?" Ding* Joren''s contemtion was interrupted when a doorbell rang. The fish''s voice directly entered Joren''s head which made him stand up and get to the door. Opening it, he saw many men in ck waiting for him while Scarlett Fross stood in front of them. "What kept you- wait! Who are you!?" Scarlett stepped backward when she saw a different face instead of the scary and ring one. "Hiiii~ Miss Scarlett..." Joren raised his eyebrows, squinted his eyes, and bit his lower lips. Scarlett frowned and looked at the house number. House 12. She was sure that only Joren has the keys there. Furthermore, looking at him, he had the same outfit. The only difference is everything else and his reddened eyes. With the help of the setting "sun" his eyes reddening was not that noticeable. "I forgot that he''s an Abnormal..." she massaged her temples and went on with her agenda. "Before the day ends, we would like to test your strength and intelligence. For the first test, you will choose any of these men to fight with. Don''t worry, they have varying levels of strength. For the second test, will answer an intelligence quotient test. You have a quarter an hour to choose your opponent and prepare yourself. You can start now." Joren didn''t follow at all but knew that he just had to choose. Scarlett then exined the levels of each opponent. What they are capable of and what weapon they can use. Starting from the left, he has below average strength while the furthest on the right had immense strength of splitting mountains and crossing the pacific ocean in one go. He can also use any weapon he deemed necessary, making him the toughest and strongest. "Him! I choose him!" Joren pointed his finger that surprised Scarlett. "A-are you sure!?" Even the men were shocked and looked at each other. "Yes, I am sure!" Joren made a determined face. "... okay, it''s your choice. I believe I already exined their strength so... if you think he''s your opponent, okay..." Scarlett made a worried face. ''What happened to Joren? No one had ever chosen that man to battle before. No one in history.'' Joren chose the man on the very end. No, not to the right but to the left. It was the skinny man who can only use his fist. But even if he used a gun, he doesn''t know how to aim. The skinny man walked forward. Although he was obedient, he was sweating, and his legs shaking. ''Why did I get picked?! I was only here for formality and variety! I''m not supposed to be picked! Even the weakest Abnormal, challenged third to the strongest even if he was beaten!'' Joren made a serious face. ''Strange... why is the... skinny man the strongest...? But maybe he''s a monster... there are so many legends out there... maybe he''s one of them...'' Initially, he wanted to impress Scarlett as he remembered she like the strong. However, he chose wrong because he was stoned and he didn''t think he was wrong because he was stoned. Scarlett knew how strong Joren is. She was defeated herself without any fight. She was prepared to save the skinny man from dying. Unceremoniously, the two faced one another. "Start" Scarlett said, ready to act. The skinny man took a step back in fright as Joren walked to him before running. In Joren''s head, he would run then dropped his pants to activate his Sagging Pants skill. Once he got close, he would swing his fist at a rate that would st a boulder into smithereens! That was the initial n... When Joren began to ran, he dropped his pants, showing his blue boxer shorts. [Agility: 62 -> 02 Strength: 57 -> 88 Toughness: 76 -> 107] Many gasped, including Scarlett. Joren swung his fist and forward he went. He saw the skinny guy in front of him but when his fist made contact, he felt nothing. ''What...? I underestimated this monster...'' Joren, with his full force, went forward and with just 2 Agility, he couldn''t move well. When he hit nothing, he just continues going front until down and plop* Swoosh* The wind blew strongly due to his punch hitting nothing but air. "..." With the skinny man the only one standing and Joren didn''t move, Scarlett had no choice but to end the match. "That''s enough." She frowned and looked at Joren. ''Is he a true full-fledged idiot? Why did he drop his pants midway? This battle is supposed to test not only your strength but all other factors during a battle. Even if one is strong if they can''t even use it in a fight, it''s useless... I lose to this guy?'' Scarlett was about to give him the benefit of a doubt, however, she received noints from the start nor before the battle. With so many witnesses, she cannot change the results. She had no choice but to put down on the records. "Losing to the weakest man and dealing no damage to his opponent. For the first time ever, zero points on Strenght." Joren didn''t know what happened after that. He just closed his eyes and when he woke up he just saw the fish staring at him. "Huh?" Joren was creeped out but he subconsciously returned the greeting due to a habit. "Goodmorning to you too." He sat up and found himself on the bed. "Oh... okay..." Joren stood up and went to the front door before he stopped and looked at the fish with sunsses. He stiffly looked with his face terrified. "Tests?" Joren''s body trembled. "I... I remember! That wasn''t a dream!? But everything was strange. The ground is melting. Then I was brought to a different world then... then..." "No..." Joren didn''t know if he could trust his memories but he could somehow remember doing something idiotic... extremely idiotic. Clinging onto hisst hope, Joren opened the mail and took the letter out. The sun had yet to rise. Only the cold wind and light from the lightbulb apanied him. Slowly, he pulled the letter and then he saw an obvious number. "1st?" Joren was confused. However, Joren had a bad feeling about it and just went for it, pulling the letter all the way. "1st from the very bottom of the bottom...?" Then, there was an exnation at the bottom of the ranking cement. [There are more than a trillion monsters out there. To avoid confusion, the ranking will start at the very bottom if you''re that bad. But if you have a good result, the ranking will start at the very top.] On the left side of the letter, there was a paragraph. [Wee to the Myth Academy, Joren Vierei. You are ced at ss 10, the lowest ss at the lowest league of the lowest level. There is a card apanying this letter. Use it at the gate and you will be brought to that building directly.] After that, there was the ss schedule. [The ss starts at 7:00 AM, please avoid tardiness.] "Learning the alphabet? Learning how to count? Learning how to eat properly!?" Joren was getting more shocked by every subject he has in his ss. After reading all the contents, Joren heard a knock. Opening it, he saw Scarlett in front. "Joren... did you already receive your letter?" "... yes" "Can you read it? I... I''m here to read it for you and exin what it means." Scarlett showed a worried and pitied expression. Joren suddenly wanted to cry. "I... I can read it." "You..." seeing that Joren was back to normal, Scarlett asked, "What happened yesterday?" Joren just shook his head in defeat. "I have no idea." Chapter 10 - A True Gangsta Is Never Restrained Scarlett was apprehensive at first and observed Joren''s current state. At that present, she has observed three states. All three in one day. The first state was the awkward yet gentlemanly Joren. The second, the perverted who assaulted her which still makes her blood boil every time she thinks of it. Thest state was him being dumb as fuck. After a while, she saw that he was back in the first state. With that in mind, she entered his mind. "I''m tasked to help you in your daily needs. I must say first that this is not normal even for Abnormals. If you''re an ordinary monster, the higher-ups would let you on your own. If your result of the test showed intelligence, they would not send me to help you." What Scarlett didn''t mention was that no one volunteered on this task except her. She didn''t want it at first, waiting for someone to step up. However, knowing that Joren didn''t have any sign of intelligence from the test, he''s an Abnormal with unknown power, and just from the looks, he was pretty scary, no one stepped forward. Having no choice, Scarlett raised her hand. She nced at Joren who looked like he just lost everything at first. But when she said something about her taking care of him, light shone from his eyes. "Why are you so down anyway? It''s not like you understand the severity of your situation." Scarlett went to the kitchen and wore an apron. Joren looked behind and saw her prepare what she was about to cook as if she had already lived there for some time already. "Umm, are you going to cook?" Scarlett sighed and nodded, "Yes, didn''t I just tell you? I''m brought here to take care of you. Since you scored zero on the strength exam, the higher-ups thought you''re not dangerous in any way." She also omitted the part where she would observe him and report back to her superiors if there are some notable changes. Joren''s face lit up. ''What? Is flunking the tests actually the best thing I ever did in my life? If I''m not an Abnormal but a normal monster, they wouldn''t care about me. I thought the two are the same.'' Scarlett noticed him staring at her, admiring her beauty. Blushing since this was also her first time cooking for someone, she tried to move the conversation on. But before she could say anything, Joren asked. "What is an Abnormal anyway? I thought the monsters and Abnormals are the same." "They can be the same. It depends." Scarlett answered, "Abnormals, as the name literally implies, are abnormal to the world. To be clearer, you Abnormals are not part of any legends or fiction written in history books or said in any tales or legends. You are new and unknown." "Hm..." Joren easily understood it, "So how did you locate me so easily?" "The Secret Society tracks every living being. We have Argus Panoptes as the overseer, scrutinizing every single being. He is still serving Hera, Goddess of Marriage and whatnot wife of Zeus. Of course, it is still impossible for him to keep an eye on every single living being..." Scarlett stopped and saw Joren''s confused face. "In short, we have a creature that can track you. But to track everyone, it has a limit and could only see if there''s something within you. That information will be passed to a library that contained all information and if the librarian found no same result, you are now an Abnormal." Joren was slowly following the situation he was in. He still had a lot of questions that he wanted to ask the system about like; what happens if he and the Gangsta System was found out? However, he didn''t rush and slowly digested everything. They continued to talk until Scarlett finished cooking. She even cooked a share for her before they sat down and ate. Joren learned so many things including what will happen to him now. The Mythical Academy is divided into nine levels. Only special kinds of legendary and mythical creatures are found on higher levels. For example, a Duhan, a terrifying headless rider that takes the soul of a living being. Even though it can be taught not to harm a human, it had to. It had to be brought to a higher level for further containment. While contained, they will do tests and experiments to try and reduce the creature''s "harmfulness" to other living beings. Within those levels were leagues. There are countless leagues subdividing levels. Each league is a city of its own right. Leagues are subdivided into schools and inside these schools are sses. This is the easiest to understand for Joren since it basically means a ssroom in a school. Categorizing a being based on their "harmfulness", strength, intelligence, and origin, there is a vast distribution. And Joren is dropped at the very bottom. Harmfulness; zero, strength; zero, intelligence; zero, and origin; none. If he was not an Abnormal, he wouldn''t be in this nice house and with Scarlett "taking care" of him. He was only treated exceptional and special because he was an unknown that can potentially be used for the better, Scarlett said. What if he had the power to suppress another being''s power? If that is true, he will be the greatest contributor in the whole world. After eating, Scarlett paused and looked at Joren in the eyes. With a re, she asked. "You should be able to bathe by yourself, right?" "... huh?" "I''m an agent and I do what my superiors told me to do. Since they specifically ordered me to help you in your daily activities, bathing is one of them. However, you can do it on your own, right?" "..." At that moment, Joren felt the urge to lie. Inside his head, his self named "desire" just waged war with his self named "morales" Desire: ''You won''t do anything to her! Just enjoy getting bathed by a beauty!'' Morales: ''I''m you! I know how big a lie that is!'' Desire: ''Why stop me? You have always been oppressing me for a long time, however, this is the day I will finally rebel!'' Morales; ''I won''t let you!'' Joren had a serious expression as if he was determining a choice that would determine the rest of his life. Scarlett''s eyelids were dropping while her cheeks were getting rosy. ''He seemed to be fighting his conscience pretty hard.'' Joren''s head began hurting when a winner rose. Desire: ''Why? I''m so strong, I have great ambitions... why am I defeated?'' "It''s because I still have respect and decency." Joren took a towel and walk away with a cool figure. At that moment, Scarlett saw a hero about to face the impossible instead of a man asking if he can take a bath by himself or not. Scarlett was a bit dumbfounded by it. But seeing Joren enter the bathroom by himself ced a mysterious smile on her face. As soon as the shower turned on, a scream resounded. "AHHH!!!" Scarlett, who was about to wash the dishes, was startled. "Why can''t I say no!? She would''ve been here right now!" But when she heard those next words, she lost all interest. The wailing only stopped after few ms on the wall as if Joren was the world''s most unfortunate man. When he got out of the bathroom, he was like a new man. He wore the Myth Academy''s uniform. He wore a white button-down shirt inside a ck vest with the Myth Academy''s badge. On the bottom were your regr ck pants. "You know that I could hear you earlier, right?" Scarlett waited for him with her arms crossed under her chest. "I know." however, in front of confrontation, Joren was indifferent. He continued to prepare his bags and stuff that was already part of the house when he entered. "You really want to bathe with me that badly?" Scarlett added and snickered. Joren still tried to act indifferent as if he didn''t hear her. "Are you about to have an episode with your illness? Tell me beforehand so that I can be prepared by creating some great distance between you and me." ''Illness?'' Joren then remembered what happened after he assaulted her. He lied and did as the fish told him. Suddenly, a board shed before him. [Thugness: -140 -> -150] While preparing for his things, Joren was hearing the system''s voice in his head. However, he was trying to fight back. "Should I help you with that as well? I guess you could only do the bathing part of your daily life, huh..." Joren froze. At this moment, the fish gave a little more push. "So are you just going to stand there?" Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows while smiling. She found it funny that Joren was not fighting back so she continued to speak with slight mockery as "revenge" for yesterday. Joren finally moved and silently walked over to her. Scarlett''s expression changed. When Joren suddenly mmed the wall she was leaning on, her heart thumped. "W-what are you going to do?" her expression was bing awkward as Joren leaned forward and looked down on her. "You''re intentionally provoking me, aren''t you?" "H-huh? What are you saying?" "My illness is working up again." Joren said with an indifferent face, "If you do not answer, all my pent-up lust will attack you." "That... doesn''t make any sense." Scarlett held her other arm as if scared but she couldn''t contain the thumping on her heart. Joren''s hand worked its way up and softly grabbed one of her perky buttcheeks. "Uhm...~" Scarlett slightly moaned but upon realization, she covered her mouth in shock. "Miss Scarlett, you like the strong but most certainly, you like the aggressive as well." "N-no..." "Sorry for being passive and disappointing you." "I don''t know what you''re talking about..." Scarlett moved her head away. But then Joren''s hand tightened on her plump behind which took away her strength. "We just met and you''re practically begging me for it. I hate to think that you''re like this to every man you meet." Scarlett''s eyes widened as she frowned and rebuked, "I''m not that kind of slut! I just find you being gentle but aggressive sometimes gr-" Joren''s hand then finger locked hers, pushing it onto the wall. He was like apletely different person. Thebination of his usual self and his high self, abination of desire and unrestrainedness was what Scarlett saw. She saw him going for a kiss. ''This is too sudden and forceful.'' But that turned her on more. She couldn''t help up leaned up to meet his lips. [Thugness: -150 -> 10] [Talent: 02 -> 102] [New Passive Skill Unlocked: Chainless] [Level 1 Chainless: Defying allws and rules, doing what is desired. The greater the Thugness, the greater sess one''s assertion will reach.] Chapter 11 - To Resist, Of Course After a good and long kiss in which some tongue may have been involved... who is this kidding? They french-kissed all the way! Flirted, petting, and such, there are even times it was Scarlett who led it. That steamy and slimy union only ended when Scarlett''s wristwatch rang. "Ah-!" their lips parted with a pop as Scarlett panicked, "S-school!" But Joren stayed calm and replied. "We can worry about thatter." he kissed her again, making her rxed a little. But a secondter, Scarlett''s eyes opened and pushed him away. "No! Tardiness is a must avoid! If you got tardy on the first day of school, my superiors will think I''m not doing my job properly, they will rece me immediately!" Upon hearing this, Joren''s calm face turned serious and heavy. "If you don''t want those muscled guys recing me, get ready quick!" Scarlett urged which Joren nodded. Thinking that a muscr guy had the job to bathe him, Joren''s whole body shivered in fright. "Okay, sorry, Scarlett, but you have to fix your clothes on your own." Joren ran and took his bag and readied everything. Scarlett frowned at what he said before looking at her own state, startling her. ''W-when did I let him undress me!?'' The buttons on her uniform were already detached, showing her mature ck lingerie and pearl-like cleavage that would make any men howl. Immediately, she put them all back together with a blush on her face to her ears. ''I almost got my first time taken. I don''t know if the interruption is a good thing or a bad thing...'' Her eyes swirled at that thought and right after she finished, Joren was already waiting for her. "Have you been watching me?" she asked. Joren smiled and took her hand. "Yeah, you''re cute and sexy,e on." "Tsk!" Scarlett frowned, the redness on her face bing more evident. ''Yes, they are...'' Joren agreed with the fish this time as he cried inwardly. Joren no longer had qualms with this mission. If it''s going to let him do whatever he wants in the future, he will surelyplete them. ''Hm... I feel like i"m back to my old self for thinking this.'' he thought. Eventually, they reached the gate which was standing in the middle of a cemented road. "Use the card that you got from the letter you received." Scarlett pointed out which Joren took it out. Remembering where Scarlett swiped it yesterday, he did the same thing and opened the gate. The gate opened and revealed that it was empty. "Where''s the ghost?" "Let''s just enter." Scarlett pulled him in. When they''re inside, she then exined. "It depends on your card where you can go. There are a lot of ces that are under the jurisdiction of the Myth Academy. It''s like a separate world on its own. However, you can''t go anywhere you want unless you have the privilege. As of now, you only have the least of it- mmh!" Joren attacked her again when he saw the gate closed, leaving just the two of them inside the room. Unfortunately for him, or for Scarlett too, the gate only took a few seconds before it opened again. "Ha... when did he get so bold?" Scarlett murmured as she wiped her lips. Meanwhile, Joren looked and saw that in front of them was like an entirely different ce from what he, which it is! Wrapping his hand around her waist, Joren pulled Scarlett to him. "Where is this?" Scarlett looked and shook her head, "This is this the first time I''ve been here so I cannot tell. However, you see that over there." she pointed. In the middle of the woods, there''s an old wooden building that looked unkempt. This building wasrge and was three floors high. It was asrge as a mall, having a million square feet. As of now, spectral beings were continuously entering it. It was kind of far from them and Scarlett only spotted the building through the gap of trees to their left. "How much time is left before it''s the start of sses?" Joren asked. "I always have my rm thirty minutes before it. We just used less than five minutes earlier so we still have twenty-fi- no, twenty minutes to be sure." Scarlett looked at her watch. "Fifteen minutes, that''s a lot of time." "A lot of time?" Scarlett asked before she was let to the woods, "W-what are you doing?" "I''m still not satisfied." "You..." Scarlett frowned with her face being flushed again, "Why are you acting like I''m your woman?" "Are you not?" Joren tilted his head, acting dumb. "We just met yesterday..." They entered and got out fifteen minutester. Scarlett prepared herself but soon found out that fifteen minutes were not enough. This made her too embarrassed that she ran away and escaped by entering the gate. "See youter!" Joren waved but Scarlett just turned her head away before the gate closed. Inside the room, Scarlett dropped on the floor on her knees. She clenched her fists and muttered. "Why am I letting him do whatever he wants...!" She gritted her teeth. "And why am I not regretting it? Later, when hees back home, we will have enough time. If I let him do whatever he wants, he might really bed me. I have to prepare." she nodded. "To resist, of course, to resist... But first I''m going to take a shower first and did I wear perfume today?..." she kept murmuring to herself before going to her house. Her job was just to make sure Joren is fine when out of school. So once he''s inside school, she has a lot of free time which, she is not going to deny, is lovely. Even the fish asked with a curious tone. "It''s because I like her. As you said, she really likes it, why would I stop myself?" Joren said as he walks towards the old building. Joren stopped and looked at the floating fish by his side. "Next bitch? Why are you saying it as if I''m going to leave her?" Joren''s eyes widened and he shook his head. Afterward, he sighed and continued walking. "That''s not going to happen. Why would I want more? Just Scarlett is already too much for me. Although I can''t believe that we''ve progressed so much on the second day but I still feel like this is a dream. I''ve never even talked to women that much the other day, but now, I''m flirting with Scarlett, an absolute beauty! Why would I want more?" Joren repeated. Joren just ignored the talk of the fish as it sounds ridiculous to him. "It''s an academy, even if it''s full of mythical creatures, there are still rules to be followed. Also, there are a lot of eyes there, you can''t keep appearing like that." Joren smiled widely. The fish then swooped towards Joren''s finger. "What? You can do that!?" A light shed as the fish''s transformation was happening. "Why didn''t you do that earlier!?" Joren covered his eyes with his other hand. "Damn you!" After that sh of brightness, Joren finally opened his eyes and looked at the new ring on his left hand. His eyes widened in bafflement. He couldn''t believe it. "It''s not because you forgot, it''s because you can''t. You damn fish, you just wrapped yourself around my finger!" Joren tried to remove the dried fish from his finger but it turned its head and bit him. "Ouch!" "You didn''t even remove your sunsses, my hand feels awkward. Get off me." The fish unwrapped itself easily and went towards Joren''s neck. A bright sh of light shone again. "Urgh!" Joren covered his eyes and when the light faded, he looked and saw that the fish was just hanging from his neck upside down as if there''s an invisible string attached to its tail. "What''s the purpose of the bright light!?" the fish moved as if it was notfortable. "Damn it! I have to get to the ssroom now!" seeing that the spectral beings were getting fewer, means that the time for ss is about to arrive. Joren just made a run for it towards ss 10.. A rundown ssroom. Chapter 12 - Ghosts, A Unicorn, A Minotaur, And A Zombie Joren ran and wherever he went, it was just ghosts everywhere. "Boo~" "Boo~" "Boo~" The ce was filled with a cacophony of the ghost''s onlynguage. Joren looked around and wanted to thank someone that he could just pass through the ghosts. He was no longer freaked out about them. The opposite was happening, actually. These ghosts were freaked out about him. He looked at the doors and found out that each room was bigger than the average college ssroom. It''s like a theater room filled with ghosts. Although he was not longer freaked out about them, it still felt strange since this all was still new to him. "ss 10... ss 10..." he looked and at the very edge, he found it. The most rundown of all rooms. He peeked and saw that, unlike other rooms, this one has fewer ghosts. These ghosts were more transparent and have more missing limbs and so. But even though they were fewer, Joren figured out that there are at least a hundred of them there. Each of them was seated at the ascending tforms. Each step has a row of long desks and chairs. Upon stepping in, the floor creaked and the ghosts'' attention all focused towards him. ''I feel like if I jumped, I will break the flooring.'' Joren thought as he carefully threads the flooring. "A human?" Joren frowned as he heard a voice from his behind. Along with it is the feeling of someone''s breath touching his nape. Sniff* Sniff* he heard. Instantly feeling the creeps, Joren turned around to see a creature. He froze as he was very familiar with this creature, who is not? It''s always in fantasy fictional stories. Its image is widely known. A horse with a long horn on its head... "A unicorn..?" Joren muttered in mesmerization. But soon popped out of it when he saw that this white unicorn was wearing a teacher''s uniform. Most of its body to its front limbs were clothed in grey buttoned shirt and the rest to its hind legs wore ck pants. Joren''s jaw dropped. "What are you doing here, human?" the unicorn ced its head upon Joren''s forehead. But instead of being intimidated, Joren felt creeped out for unknown reasons. "What a scary look you''re giving. You want to mount me? It can be done if I mount you first." the unicorn said. Its eyes were filled with desire while its voice was unusually gentle as if what it said was an offer. "... what?" "Boo..?" <... what?> "You know what I mean. I''m a unicorn, you want me to fuck you, right?" Joren''s whole body stiffened before he retreated a few steps back while muttering. "Nonononono!" "Neigh!" the unicorn gracefully neighed as it stood up, its hair flowing onto the hair. It got back down and passionately looked at Joren. "I like you... once you''ve ovee your shyness, just tell, okay, sweetheart?" The unicorn then strode towards the teacher''s desk. It stood up and its gentleness melted, it then gave a sterned expression. "Okay, attention!" The soft gentle manly voice earlier vanished and the unicorn shouted as if its a military drill instructor. "I''m your teacher for today!" Joren sat on the very back, scared of getting near the "teacher" ''Wow, what a hypocrite.'' Joren finally rxed as he arranged his things, taking out a pen and a notebook. He was a very diligent student back then, but not that he was seen as one. ''I wonder what kind of teaching methods they have here.'' "I was your teacher yesterday too. But since each and every one of you are dumb as fuck, I will have to reintroduce myself... again!" the unicorn then stood up on its hind legs as if it was humanoid and from under the desk, he took a stick of chalk. "Booo~~" all the ghosts sounded. None knew if they were apologizing or they were actually booing their teacher. Joren raised an eyebrow. He remembered that he is at the lowest of the lowest sses. His ssmates, the ghosts that were scared of him that no one sat beside him, seemed pretty dumb. the fish talked to his head. {Why?} Joren wrote on the notebook. But the fish did the respond. Joren propped the notebook to stand up and near for the fish for it to read. He even pointed at it but to no avail. Joren could only roll his eyes and just let go of the matter. A few secondster. A glint of amazement shed by Joren''s eyes after his initial surprise by the fish''s dyed response. Meanwhile, after that exchange, the unicorn seemed to had yet written anything on the board. The problem is, he had hooves instead of hands, and just taking the piece of chalk made him frustrated. "Fucking ghosts, fucking school, fucking principal, fucking chalk! Finally!" the unicorn smiled as he finally got the piece of chalk and got it stuck between his pair of hooves. He slowly turned around. "Careful... careful..." Creak* Crash* His left hind leg suddenly went down as the floor broke before the piece of chalk could even touch the board. "Neigh!!" the unicorn "roared" in anger. "I''m already in the lowest ss! What are they going to do to me?! Exile me!? As if they can do that!" with a wave of his long face, a curved rainbow traveled from his horn to the board. "Ehem!" he groaned and pointed with his horn, "Today, I''m going to using magic to reintroduce myself... again! So listen carefully, fetus-minded creatures." "Boo~~" "Shut up! Okay, as you can see, I''m a unicorn. However, I''m not a unicorn!" "Boo~~... boo?" The ghosts looked at each other but found that others were almost invisible because they were too transparent. Eventually, they gave up trying to sympathize with each other. "Same reaction, huh..." the unicorn rolled his eyes and used his horn to point at the board. [Unicorn] was what was written on it. "However, I''m a different race from your average Unicorns. Instead of Uni, you put Homo, like this." the unicorn exined carefully, not wanting to be misunderstood. [Homocorn] ''Homocorn? Maybe it''s like with humans, homo sapiens... he seemed pretty intelligent although very creepy.'' Joren nodded in understanding. "Then, instead of corn, you write sexual." [Homosexual] "Pft!" Joren almost choked on nothing when he heard it. "This is a special breed of unicorns and are very rare." the fishmented on the unicorn''s exnation. "So you can call me Mister Jack." ''That was pretty normal.'' Joren thought. "Also, my surname is Kingoff." Mister Jack continued. ''Is this a joke!?'' But Mister Jack soonughed out loud and corrected. "It''s not actually Kingoff. Who had a surname like that? No, my real surname is just King, no off. That would be pretty weir-." Boom* Right when Joren was about to face palmed himself, an explosion happened. "Boo~" the ghost were startled, obvious from the change of their tone. "W-who!?" Mister Jack looked at the intruder who destroyed the fragile wooden floor. "Sorry, Mister Jack, I''mte." a heavy voice resounded and when the dust settled, it revealed a giant humanoid figure. It was not a ghost since it has arge muscr figure. But the most peculiar thing it had was it having a bull for its head. ''A minotaur!?'' Joren was startled by the sudden appearance of a rather dangerous being. But hearing the minotaur speak, he was less warry. "Oh, it''s the moron minotaur. You''re alreadyte, get out of here!" Mister Jack angrily replied, "And you''ll workter to repair the wall, do you understand me!?" The minotaur frowned but seemed apologetic. "Okay, Mister Jack! It''s just that the door is too small for me." "I don''t care, get out!" The minotaur bowed before he then went around and- Boom* "Goddamn it, Minos!" Mister Jack shouted, "Come back here!" Boom* Minos, the minotaur peeked his head in, making the third hole on the wall. "Yes, Mister Jack?" ".... used the door next time. Just destroy that one part." Mister Jack whispered in defeat. Boom* Minos then entered, making the third hole bigger. He went around and towards the door. He opened it and went out Boom* "I didn''t...- I didn''t mean now, you moron!" Mister Jack face-hooved himself when a green face peeked through one of the holes Minos created. "ss 6...? This? 6?" "Huh? Who is it this time?" Mister Jack looked and saw a handsome young man. The unicorn''s tail wagged and its face went gant. However, upon closer look, the young man was green with a chunk of his head on the back missing. He had a lot of stitches all over his body and his left arm was only a bone. ''Now, a zombie?'' Joren had long expected the unexpected so he didn''t react that much. Chapter 13 - After Class "ss 6?" the handsome zombie pointed below. Mister Jack shook his head. "No, this is ss 10." he was turned off since this handsome man was a zombie. However, he still answered politely. "6... where?" Mister Jack sighed and went outside to point at a direct down the hallway. "This is 10, besides this is 9, then 8, 7, and 6. That''s where your ss is." The zombie looked at where Mister Jack pointed. However, he scratched his head and made a confused expression. Mister Jack saw this and exined how that ss is not 6. However, the zombie was still confused, showing its rock-bottom intelligence. Seeing how Mister Jack gave his best to teach the zombie the number system, addition, and subtraction, the fish spoke to Joren. Joren made a hesitant face and wrote on the page of his notebook. [Wouldn''t the others see the tab?] The fish didn''t respond again. Joren''s eyelids dropped. He knew he will look stupid if he''s wrong but he still wrote something on the page next. [Do you not read this?] Crack* Joren clenched his fist in annoyance and broke the pen. Now its ink covered his hand and his notebook. A terrifying aura surged from Joren. Joren took the dried fish''s sunsses and held them, threatening to destroy them. Joren calmed himself down and ced the sunsses in his pocket. Since earlier, he had been wearing the fish as some sort of an essory. However, no one seemed to notice it since amidst every weird thing going on, that seemed to be pretty normal. "Mister Jack..." Joren stood up and called. "Yes, my dear student...?" hearing a male voice, Mister Jack turned his head towards Joren while having a gentlemanly gaze to see a demon instead. "I want to go to the bathroom." he whispered while showing his hand dripped in ink. If it was a red pen, everyone would''ve been scared out of their wits. "S-sure... go ahead." Mister Jack nodded. Joren went down, taking all the attention for himself. As he got out, he got special attention from Minos as well. "Um... ss 6?" the zombie asked. Joren''s face twitched. This was the first time he saw a zombie but the one scared was the zombie instead. "Come here." Fortunately for the zombie, Joren was still as kind-hearted as ever. Only a little rougher right now as he pulled the zombie''s cor using his left hand that was free from ink. Just like him and Minos, this zombie wore the Myth Academy''s uniform. After passing three more ssrooms, Joren released the zombie. Joren casually pointed and turned around, "That''s ss 6." he then went to the bathroom which was also unkempt. Minos, who was standing in the hallway, looked at Joren''s back and snorted. "Strong..." he muttered. In the bathroom, the fish tried to exin. This was the first time Joren saw the fish panicked as he cleaned his hand under the running tap. Although his right hand was still tainted in ck, it was no longer slimy as before, relieving some of his stress. ''Don''t let the fish gets to you, Joren, rx.'' After a moment of breathing, Joren looked at the mission tab and went to the side missions that seemed to have been just unlocked. There are a lot of missions there with progress bars. The first side mission rewards him 2 points for stamina! ording to the fish, that''s already big. [Mission: Swagger for ten thousand steps. Time: None Progress: 0/10,000 swag steps Reward: +2 Stamina Points] Then there are four more side missions after that. [Mission: Kick one hundred doors upon entrance to a room. Time: None Progress: 0/100 doors kicked open. Reward: +1 Strength Points] [Mission: Aggressively say "Huh!?" to people calling you twenty times Time: None Progress: 0/20 huh!? Reward: +1 Toughness Points] [Mission: Put your hands in your pockets for a total of 50 hours Time: None Progress: 0/50 hours Reward: +1 Agility Points] [Mission: Smoke thirty cigarettes sticks Time: None Progress: 0/30 cigarettes Reward: +5 Health Points, A chance of lung cancer] "A chance of lung cancer...?" Joren had a lot more to say than just that. But that was the only question he could get out right now. "Umm, no?" Joren slowly shook his head, "And why is the heath going to increase after 30 cigarettes? Actually, never mind that question." Joren no longer listened and went back to ss. But Joren didn''t answer. the fish then disappeared. Joren then went back to the ss. Mister Jack began his discussion about the ABCs of the alphabet. The ghosts nodded in understanding. The more they learn, the smarter and the more vivid they be. However, this process is so slow that it is unnoticeable to the eyes. Meanwhile, Joren became so bored that he slept in ss. Why would he be interested in learning the alphabet? Thus, the day ended with Joren continuously dozing off and eventually, sleeping. Since Mister Jack was scared of him, this unicorn no longer wanted to call Joren after ss. Minos, who was just watching from the outside, diligently took notes of the ss. In the process, his eyes would nce at Joren from time to time. Joren walked out of the ss and saw the zombie waiting for him. "Hm?" The zombie bowed and said, "Thanks..." "... okay." Joren nodded and was about to walk past him when he felt a tug on his sleeve. He turned around to see the zombie trying to say something. "Home..." he finally worded it out and showed the card. Joren''s mouth opened as a silent "oh" came out. He led the zombie to a separate gate. It seemed like the ghosts were all going through the main gate in front of the school building. "Here, just swiped it and enter." Joren showed how to do it and gently pushed the zombie in, "Get it?" The zombie expressionlessly nodded, "Get..." "Okay, bye." Joren casually waved his hand which made the zombie nod with a slight smile before the gate closed. Right after that, Joren went to his own separate gate to see a man in a ck suit. "Mister Joren," the man slowly said, "I, me, " he pointed to himself, "Will. be. your. guide." Joren frowned and immediately said. "I will understand it too if you speak normally." The man showed a surprised expression. "I thought he''s incapable of basic cognitive skills?" he muttered before speaking normally. "Hello, Mister Joren, I will be your guide from now on." Joren''s forehead creased, frightening the man, "What do you mean from now on?" "Y-your... ehem, your previous caretaker, Miss Scarlett has been removed from her duties over you due to some confidential reasons." the man toughened himself in front of Joren''s gaze. "What reason?" Joren asked in a heavy voice, making the man shirk. "So sorry, Mister Joren, but as I said, it''s confidential." "Hm..." Joren''s gaze became a re as a dangerous aura exuded from him, "Confidential?" "Y-yes! I don''t have the position to answer that question. If you want to know, Mister Joren, you can contact the principal." "Principal, where?" "I can lead you to her!" the man said. The more he spoke to Joren, the more pressure he was feeling. "Go, I will need to talk to her." "Right away, sir!" the man swiped his card on the gate before it opened. The two came in and the man pushed a button that was not there if it was Joren who swiped his card. ''I was just thinking of relieving my stress by hugging Scarlett all night. If something happened to her, I''m going to raze this whole academy to the ground.'' Joren''s inner thoughts were leaking inside his mind. The man was covered in sweat the moment the gate opened again. Chapter 14 - Meeting The Principal In the brief moment that he was in the gateroom, he was thinking of what he should do from now on. Joren was still hesitating, he was still a bit far from doing what he wants since hecks power. He knew and was clearly aware of it. He may have still cowardice within him, but in another perspective, this could also be seen as intelligence. The fish thought so. If Joren just thick-headedly challenged everyone in his path, he will not only be defeated, he will also possibly die. Although he was yet to be aware of that, Joren had already developed the instinct of what is safe and what is not. Furthermore, Joren was still innocent in the fish''s eyes. He had yet to see the horror of the world. Even murder, he had not seen yet, how can he kill? The fish knew that killing is necessary in this ce. Although it seemed more organized than modern society, behind it was the rule of the jungle. In the end, monsters were still monsters. When the gate opened, Joren was bewildered. No matter how many times he saw the location change with just the close and open of the gate, he was still amazed. But this was not the time to be amazed. Joren''s girl just got "taken" away from him. ''I have to know the reason why she was reced.'' In front of him was a dark and eerie ce of nature. Fog so thick that sunlight cannot go through. Pine trees were everywhere but unlike his school, there''s a cemented road as they stepped into it. "This is the First Level Principal''s Office." the man introduced. ''This feels like a final boss stage to me.'' Joren kept his vignce up. He cannot be sure of his safety. He had seen organized establishments and strict policies but every new location brings new danger. "Please, follow me. Also, do not make a lot of noise." the man said. Although he was scared of Joren, it was obvious he was more fearful of where they were headed to. As they passed, there weremps that illuminated the road. This ce had be an abyss from how thick and high the fog is. Joren felt the creeps in this ce but he never hesitated to take another step after another. Eventually, he saw a big ck gate in front of him. It just appeared out of the fog. It seemed that they were rather close in the first ce and it was only hidden by the fog. The man cautiously went to the side and rang the doorbell. ... there was no sound but soon, a person appeared behind the gate out of the thick fog. This person was d in ck as the hood hid their face. Couple with theck of light, Joren couldn''t see what''s behind the shadow of the hood. "Agenda?" A woman''s voice rang out under the hood. The man bowed and replied. "Secretary Virena, I have brought an Abnormal who has a question regarding Scarlett Fross." "Hm, Scarlett Fross, which means you''re the Braindead Abnormal. This is strange, are you sure he came here for a question?" the woman called Virena, the secretary of the school board, doubted so she asked. ''What does that mean?'' Joren raised an eyebrow, ''And Braindead Abnormal...?'' but before he could speak, Virena continued. "I don''t think an individual like him has the ability to evene up with a proper question." ''What?...'' Joren was gravely insulted but he let it go. "Yes, Secretary Virena, he has a question." the man replied. ''Oy, oy, are you not going to deny anything?'' Joren wanted toin but soon realized that he should just speak for himself. s, before he could the mysterious secretary responded with her sharp tongue again. "Let the brainless enter. We can''t waste any more time as we will need a lot of it to make him understand the situation." "Hey!" Joren scolded as he felt like his image had gone to literal poop. "Don''t talk to me like I am not capable of basicmunication!" "Ah, Mister Joren, please be respectful..." The man politely reminded while Joren got a glimpse of the secretary''s reaction. Her supple red lips made an "o" as if she was startled. "You can speak?" she said. "I can..." Seeing her genuine shock, Joren was reminded that it was his fault back then for failing the tests. He got zero for the Strength Test and he was still able to remember that part which means he was still conscious. How about the Intelligence test then? How badly did he do there? "This... this is unexpected." The faint image of Virena''s lips, Joren could see it and he noticed that she frowned. "Did the test go wrong? We were informed that your intelligence is the same as a crackhead who got too high." ''Wow, that was an urate report.'' Joren didn''t expect to get high just from going to the Gangsta Heaven so how could the others expect either? For all Scarlett knows, that must be one of his personalities that greatly disappointed her. Only after a few clearances did she understand that it was just a misunderstanding. "So you have a question for Scarlett Fross? You''re lucky that as an Abnormal, you have the privilege to be entertained,e in." As those "weing" words came out of Virena''s mouth, the huge ck gate opened. She then turned around and moved as if she''s floating inside that cloak instead of walking. "I can only wait here. But Mister Joren, as a kind reminder, there are no guards here for the reason that it is needed. Please keep that in mind." Joren heard the man''sst words before he followed Virena. He suddenly felt that this was unnerving. It was not hard to understand the man''s words. ''He means that either there are some defense mechanisms here, there is no one to harm here, or that this secretary is very strong.'' Thest option should be the most usible one. However, Joren still couldn''t wrap his head around this fantasy setting where an individual can be that strong. In secr words, no matter how strong one is, they can be taken down by an army. Although Joren is an army, he is fairly confident in hisbat skills. Fortunately, he was not that narrow-minded. He forgot about Scarlett''s introduction to the men he can choose to fight back then in the Strength Test, however, from the story that she told him back then and the sudden raise in his strength, it is very much possible that there are real monsters there who could carry mountains and destroy cites with its breath. Joren shuddered at that thought. The best he can do now was punch through walls. It may be amazing on the outside world but if his imagination is correct, that is basically useless. ''I can''t believe I''m starting to believe what the fish was saying. This is like a p to my face. After I ignored its words, I''m suddenly ced in a situation where I need strength.'' While Joren was deep in his thoughts, he finally saw light in front of him. Seeing that even the sunlight was getting blocked by the thick fog, this light must be very bright. However, that was not the thing that he focused on. His eyes widened as, in front of him, there was a long towering figure that was looking down on him. It was just a silhouette but from that alone, one thought surfaced in his mind. ''A dinosaur?'' Joren subconsciously took a step back. "Principal Ness," Virena bowed in greeting before pointing her hand onto Joren, "This man is an Abnormal who has a question." A bead of sweat glided over Joren''s cheeks. When he heard what the secretary just said, he was greatly bewildered. ''This thing is the principal?'' he looked up to the head of the beast on top of its long neck, ''Principal Ness?'' Dinosaur-looking... Monsters... Long neck... Principal Ness... Now that his thoughts were directed there, he could hear the sshes of water. One creature popped out in his head. ''The loch ness monster!?'' This was the first time that he encountered a real legend. Although the danger was still vague, Joren remembered what Scarlett told him the first day. Coupled with the fact that he had met a God... the Gangsta God''s pants... this was all bing more believable. He waited for the voice of the monster that he assumed as the loch ness. Joren stared at where the monster''s eyes he assumed to be. A momentter, Virena turned to him casually and said. "The principal said that you can ask now." "Huh?" Virena ignored Joren''s puzzlement. "I didn''t hear anything though." "I''m the principal''s interpreter. The principal also said that hurry up and asked, it doesn''t have much time." Joren found something fishy but he still asked. "Where''s Scarlett Fross? Why is she suddenly reced?" Chapter 15 - You Need Strength "So that is your question, I see." Virena muttered before adding with her normal monotonous voice, "... said by the principal." Joren found something incredibly fishy. He should be used to fishiness by now but he could really tap his finger onto it. "Scarlett Fross is now removed from her job." Virena suddenly made Joren forgot about the fishiness. "Removed from her job!?" he initially eximed but soon, he calmed himself. It shouldn''t be that bad, right? "Can I know the reason?" "Why do you want to know?... asked the principal." Virena immediately replied. Ignoring the fact that this silhouette in front of him was not even moving its jaw or anything, Joren answered. "Because she''s mine." "Fine, said the pri- wait what?" Virena''s expression couldn''t be seen but it was obvious that she was startled by Joren''s unhesitant answer. "She''s yours? Did I hear correctly?... the principal asked." "Yes, that''s why I want to know." Joren said as if there''s nothing wrong with it. "Didn''t you just arrived here yesterday?" Virena muttered and added, "...the principal muttered.". Soon, she shrugged her shoulders as she treated Joren''s words as nothing. What is there to be shocked about? it''s not like Scarlett herself confirmed his words. "Don''t be so bold to assume things, boy... the principal looks down on you." Virena lifted her chin. "Hm?" Joren was staring at the monster from the start, this time, he couldn''t help but nce at Virena. "But since you asked, I shall answer... the principal tolerated." Virena shook her head and continued, "...the principal continued, this is actually because of a God." "A G-god?" Joren stammered. He just asked why Scarlett was fired, how did it concern a God? Isn''t that skipping all the steps? "Do you know the god of greek mythology, the god who rules over gods, the horny god who seriously needs to be imprisoned since he couldn''t keep his penis in his pants?... the principal said in disgust" "..." Joren slowly shook his head. He didn''t know much about mythologies in the first ce. However, there''s a god like that?" "Hm... do you know the God of Sky, Zeus?... the principal straightforwardly asked." "Ah, Zeus, yeah, I don''t know a person who didn''t know this guy." Joren finally nodded his head as if he forgot why he was in the first ce. Only after a few moments did he ask, "So how about him?" "That old man still lusts every virgin woman he could find. The reason why I gave a woman like Scarlett a job that is always going out and not really staying in the academy is to protect her from that old bastard. I think she''s aware of it but I don''t know why she stayed this time and even volunteered to take care of you..." Virena then followed, "... the principal pondered." "Then," Joren clenched his fists, "Is this for real?" "Wait... the principal waved her hands to stop Joren''s assumption," Virena said while waving her hand, "Scarlett is still safe. Once again, Joren saw no movements on the silhouette and only took a nce at this secretary on the peripheral of his eyes. Ignoring this "y" he hopefully asked. "How is she still safe?" "Zeus just fancied her first. However, he still got to escape Hera''s sight before he could do anything. Since Hera is always prepared for this, I don''t think even the god of gods can escape her that easily." Virena smiled as she exined before turning expressionless and turned to her normal voice again, "... the principal amusedly exined." "Then..." Joren mumbled as he contemted on this, "can I meet this Zeus?" "Careful, Joren, although that God is useless and the father of all cheaters, he is still Zeus. Even I would have a problem getting to him, much less you, a Braindead Abnormal." Virena raised her hand, "... the principal destroyed Joren''s hopes." Joren''s eyes turned sharp, opposite from what Virena said, "Can I know how?" "..." Virena stared at Joren for a moment before whispering, "... the principal was speechless by this idiot''s thickheadedness." "Huh?" Joren raised his chin and looked down, "Can you stop that? Cause my seriously pissed right now." "Stop what?... the principal asked. She cannot believe that this Braindead Abnormal dares to speak to her like that." "Just tell me how I can speak with Zeus?" Joren''s voice became heavier. "Do you know what a god even is?" An intimidating aura came from Virena''s body as she stepped forward, trying to daunt Joren. "... the principal had enough of this Abnormal''s disrespectful attitude." "Is that real or just a narration from you, Principal Virena?" instead of backing out, Joren stepped forward too. For the first time, he met someone who was not only scared by his gaze but was also trying to scare him off. "I''m not the principal." Virena only replied with her monotonous voice. "Quit the act! I''m asking how to get to this God of Gods!" "Hah, Virena, why don''t you teach this imbecile that strength is the first requirement in meeting a god and how hecks in it!" Virena punched her palm, blowing up a wind, "... ordered by the principal." "Strength, huh..." Joren muttered as he got his first answer when Virena suddenly pounced on him. the fish suddenly talked to him. "Heh! Don''t underestimate me! I''m not high this time!" Joren quickly unbelted himself, taking Virena by surprise before he shielded him first. Although strength does not equal toughness, it should help, right? "What the fuck is wrong with you?" That was thest words Joren heard before Virena punched and- Boom* The wind exploded and blew off Virena''s hood, revealing her long red hair and glowing red eyes. The fangs behind her lips were fully revealed while her paleplexion was something to be admired off. Although she couldn''tpete against Scarlett''s mature charms, Virena has her own kind of cool charm. The expressionless face she gives would give everyone the feeling that she''s an ice queen. However, Joren was in no state to admire her beauty as he was sted off by Virena''s punch! Flying through the fog, he only stopped when he hit a wood. "D-damn... I can''t feel my right arm..." Joren turned pale as he looked at his forearm that took the punch. Virena''s seemingly delicate fist actually carved itself on his forearm, "I thought I lost it, huu..." "Joren, I''m impressed that you weren''t knocked out by that. Don''t worry, I pull my punches and as long as you have a single thread of life left, you can be restored to full life. I don''t have the authority to kill an Abnormal, after all." Virena sternly said while turning her back to Joren and walking back to her original position. "That punch was still pulled? Good grief, how naive I am to think that I shouldn''t counterattack since you''re a girl." Virena stopped in her tracks and turned her head towards Joren with furrowed eyebrows. Joren slowly stood up while adjusting his pants. He was looking at a position where he can easily pull it up and down. "Tsk! I need much more suitable pants for this." he whispered before he looked at the faded figure of Virena due to the fog. "You want to be beaten that badly?" Virena began to walk to him. While caressing his forearm with a pained expression, Joren walked forward. "She won''t kill me, right?" "Also, this is an opportunity to see how I fare off to the principal. Since I need strength first, I need it fast." "Who are you talking to?" Virena asked before stopping. "The same could be said to you, Principal Virena." Joren replied without fear on his face as he also stopped. The two of them stood face to face with only a meter in between. "Do you mean I''m talking to nothing like you?" Virena asked with a sharp glint on her eyes, she still looked down on Joren though. "Is that what it sounds like? Because it is." "You are just not fit to meet Principal Ness." "Let''s see about that." Joren widely smiled. Coupled with his intimidating gaze, he truly looked like a normal thug under a viin, "Also, I don''t hold back to strong women." "Heh...!" Virena just sneered as she casually raised one of her legs to kick. Even though she was not showing effort on the movement, seemingly not having a force behind it, the disturbed wind says otherwise. But as the fish said that, a ck shoe just hit Virena''s beautiful face. Of course, in that ck shoe was Joren''s foot. "Huh....?" Chapter 16 - Survive Virena, A Vampire! "Huh...?" Joren used his left hand to hold onto Virena''s right leg, propping him up for a jump. Simultaneously, he used his other arm to drop his pants while his right foot went for her face. Bam* Virena was made to look the other way while Joren felt like he kicked a boulder! Instead of making a full movement, Joren was stuck midway as he did not expect her to be this tough. So basically, he tripped on Virena''s cheek mid-air, making him dive onto the ground instead ofnding on both feet. When Joren somersaulted, he pulled up his pants and felt the instance danger from his behind. Therefore, he made another somersault to the side. Crash* Looking back at his original position, he saw a small crater was formed by Virena''s stomp. ncing at her face, Joren felt a little scared. ''So this is a monster!?'' he thought yet he didn''t dilly-dally as he made a run for it. "It''s toote for mercy now..." Virtual smoke came out of Virena''s mouth. Coupled with her glowing red eyes and darkened face, she looked more like a furious demon instead of a vampire. "I''m not escaping, I''m making a distance." Joren whispered before regting his breathing again. "I don''t think it''s that hard to find the right timing to put my pants down and up. I can use one hand for that, after all." Joren replied. He then turned around and saw that Virena was nowhere to be found. Feeling the wind above. Joren looked above. ''Ugh, why is she wearing pants instead of a skirt!?'' he thought before sidestepping. Crash* the ground Virena''s footnded exploded. She didn''t give Joren any rest, she turned to her and punched. Joren evaded his head, making her fist brush his cheek while giving a right jab, straight to her nose. He then retreated. "Did you just... tried to break my nose?" Virena tilted her head. "Huh? I thought we can restore it?" Joren replied honestly. He didn''t like breaking a pretty girl''s face but he knew it wasn''t going to be that bad and that would be fatal. Virena''s cold face twitched. "Yes... I guess I can break your nose too." "Of course, if you can." Joren then ran forward with his arms raised like a boxer. Knowing that creating some distance will just give Virena some advantage to assault him stealthily, he chose to go forward. "Huff!" Joren jabbed which Virena didn''t even budge and went for a counterattack. "Tsk!'' Knowing that his faint didn''t work, Joren dropped to hug Virena on the wait and jump to wrestle her on the ground. Virena''s attack missed as Joren caught her and jumped! "... huh?" However, the vampire didn''t even budge as if she was rooted on the ground like a tree. Redness tinted Virena''s ced cheeks as she grabbed Joren''s both shoulders and pushed him down. "Ack!" Joren was brought to the ground, "What tactic even works on you!?" Bam* he was smashed onto the ground and was carried. Virena readied herself for a headbutt. Knowing that this will be a fatal strike, Joren acted fast! He fully unbelted his pants, making it dropped and readied his head too! Thud* the wind exploded as Joren was thrown away from the force that hit his head. "Ouch!" he fell to the ground and felt dizzy. He felt a drop of blood trickle down to his nose that came from his forehead. "P-pervert!" Joren saw the red glow on Virena''s eyes became brighter. He saw her forehead and saw not even a scratch! "O-okay, I guess this is a bad idea, after all." Preparing for Virena to jump to him, Joren immediately pulled his pants up and stood up to see that she was just standing there. She seemed to be in a daze as she stared at his forehead. Joren found it strange at first before he remembered. ''Oh shit, she''s a vampire!'' He immediately wiped the blood from his face. Although he didn''t know what is the deal with vampires in real life, showing blood to her shouldn''t be a good idea. "..." A drool dropped from Virena''s side of lips. She wiped it too while still staring at his forehead. Joren noticed something scary. Virena''s fang seemed to be getting longer and longer that it came out from hiding, behind her lips. "What happens if a vampire bit me?" he whispered. After hearing this voice in his head, Joren stood up and stood in front of Virena. "Can you turn me into a vampire?" Joren didn''t answer and just stared into Virena''s red-glowing eyes. But soon, he found something strange. The red glow was disappearing and it was Virena''s cheeks who were now having the tint of red. "There''s no turning back now. I think strength. If I can''t get stronger as a ghoul, I need to turn into a vampire!" Virena began to frown. "I... I don''t think you understand what it means to be a vampire." Meanwhile, the teenage girl from behind Virena was shivering from embarrassment. "I''m at a fault here too, however, who lied and murdered here?!" Joren''s eyes widened and his eyes rolled down to stare at them. Virena gulped and felt like she was at the edge there. She was guilty too, however, turning Joren into a vampire? That''s impossible! "I... I can''t do that." "Why? If it''s impossible, then I''ll give. However, if it''s not..." Joren didn''t further continue. "It''s not impossible..." Virena''s face turned redder. "Then...!" Joren smiled when heard this. Virena began to hesitate. In other words, she''s giving it a thought. ''If I turned him into a vampire, the principal''s mistake will be fixed. But... but...!'' her eyes then rolled down and noticed Joren''s crotch. Gasp* "You...!" Virena shivered in anger as she clenched her fists. "What?" Joren frowned, confused by her reaction. When he looked at what she saw down there, he almost internally died. At his crotch, there''s a thick conspicuous bulge. It even twitches. "So you''re aware of it!" Virena''s eyes became teary from anger. She pointed down and ordered. "Kneel!" Without resistance, Joren kneeled down in front of his master. "W-what...?" ''What?'' Joren still couldn''tprehend from what he just heard, ''But I''m not even hard. I didn''t know that and I''m not hard... I''m not having a boner...'' ''AHHHH!!'' At that moment, Joren internally screamed at the circumstance that he just fell into. Chapter 18 - Another New Skill! "Pervert! So that''s why you''re so desperate!" Virena had already lost herposure. "N-no, I''m not!" Joren lost his aggressiveness too as he was filled with shame. Although it was not his fault, there was no way he could tell the truth. Not because of the punishment that he might receive but because this fish could instantly disappear. If he were to try to exin, shouldn''t he need solid evidence? If he was not able to provide them, he will not only be seen as a pervert but also mentally ill. That would be way worse! ''What do I do now? Fuck! This is the system''s fault!'' Joren gritted his teeth and let his anger exude once which Virena and the teenage girl sensed. But instead of feeling pressured likest time, Virena was only offended. "You think you have the right to be angry right now!" The teenage girl was supposed to calm Virena down but after what Joren had ''done'' she can''t seem to butt in. "I''m... not angry at you." Joren''s eyes looked at Virena with sharp eyes. "...!" Virena stopped shouting and calmed herself down. "Joren Vierei, I will ask you questions and you can only answer the truth and the truth only." Her eyes revealed a glint of red and Joren felt that order was absolute that he mustn''t defy. He''s under his master''s order. ''Wait, even if I''m forced to tell the truth, will I get punished?'' Joren was still fearful of the punishment he will have. If it was before, he will only be anxious, but now, he realized the use of the Gangsta System. What if he loses the Gangsta System as a part of the punishment? Joren had a lot of questions to quell his anxiety, unfortunately, he can''t get any answer. "My first question, do you or do you not know about the... process of turning into a vampire?" Virena''s cold eyes pierced through Joren''s soul and immediately, he replied. "I don''t." "Where did you lear- wait... you don''t?" Virena''s face changed. She was prepared to go into full interrogation mode but somehow, the answer was different from what she expected. "Really?" Virena asked again, this time, she ced greater pressure on him as a "master" ''As long as his will is strong enough, he can lie. However, his strength is not enough to back up that will. If I just put more pressure, then...'' Joren felt the urge to tell the truth even greater. In front of the true strength of a vampire, he had still had no way of fighting back yet. "Yes, I don''t know!" [New Skill Unlocked: Bulletproof Will] [Level 1 Bulletproof Will: Activates with a thought. No matter what the user faces, the user will always have the will. Temporarily increases Thugness by 25. After activation, the user will receive non-fatal depression. Warning: If the user abuses the skill, the depression bes severe for it to be fatal and even permanent. Skill Level Up Requirements: Level 10, Drug Dealer Title, Complete 1 Perfect Crime] Joren frowned. ''After I''m done with this, I will have all my questions answeredter by this stupid system!'' He then prepared himself while Virena was still confused. "Then... what turned you on?" she said after covering the teenage girl''s ears beside her. She stared down onto Joren as if he''s a creep. "I wasn''t turned on." Joren answered the truth. Under pressure, his brain worked fast and he predicted the next question so he had used his newly acquired skill. ''Bulletproof Will!'' [+25 Thugness] ''Huh?'' when Virena was about to ask her next question, she suddenly felt something different from Joren. However, it was not enough to stop her. "Then why? Why do you have a... boner?" This question embarrassed her a little since it was only out of curiosity. Her first question had already cleared up the most crucial part. As long as Joren didn''t know the secrets of vampires, it was fine. But little does she know that because of the system, Joren now knows. She looked straight at her servant''s eyes and found that Joren had a steady expression which was not true before she received that strange feeling from him. "Every man has these idents which are not rare. Sometimes, our dick is stimted by its position behind our underwear." Virena didn''t expect this specific answer as she listened in bewilderment while Joren continues to exin the strange phenomenon that is about dicks. "Do you think that every man only thinks of sex? Every morning, we have to deal with morning woods which we have no control of. Thenter, just because of few awkward positions, we will get a boner which we will have to hide at all costs because we will bebeled as perverts. Indeed, there are days which we use a third of it thinking about sex. However, that doesn''t mean we want to have sex. No, we want to but it''s just because of hormones we have no control of. But truly, is there anything that we are in control of. Do we really have free w-" "Okay, that''s enough!" Virena interrupted with a flustered expression, "I have no idea how you got to having an existential crisis but that''s enough." Joren simply nodded and took off his skill. ''Ugh! The depression!'' ''What shitty logic! And when will this fish gets out of my pants?'' Joren should be thanking that he''s in a position that can easily hide his crotch. However, due to the recoil of the skill, he can''t think positively. "But I guess I''m still at fault. Stand up." Joren''s pupils contracted when he heard this order. He was stunned for a bit but his body followed Virena''s words. But while so, he desperately activated the skill. ''No! I''m toote!'' Joren stood up straight but when he looked down, he saw that there was no longer a bulge in his pants. He sighed in relief. Virena took a sneaky nce too and found that he was no longer ''turned on'' ''So I guess what he said was the truth... though I ordered him to be honest so that should be expected.'' There are three people there and all of their eyes widened when they noticed that something bulged again before disappearing. ''Is this intentional? There''s no way it''s not intentional...'' Joren''s face became ghastly pale while Virena and the teenage girl seemed like they had seen a once-in-a-lifetime event. "Is that normal...?" Virena slowly raised her finger while it trembled. Truthfully, that scared her a little bit. ''Bulletproof will!'' Joren has no choice but to grit his teeth and go through it all again as he spouted truthful bullshits that is convenient to his circumstance. .... "I understand. So we are just unfortunate." Virena showed a slightly depressed face. After Joren''s exnation, she couldn''t me him for it so she can only call the situation ''unfortunate'' for the three of them. Joren nodded and had a more depressed look on his face. The recoil from using his new skill hits hard. Having an awkward tension between the three, the teenage girl began to panic. She seemed to be unable to handle such pressure. So to break the ice, she pulled Virena towards her and whispered. "Ah, but principal...!" "I guess that''s true..." "Then if that''s not against your will, we can do that." Joren raised an eyebrow while watching these two interacts. He was unable to hear any word from the teenage girl. Before long, Virena retained her cold look and said to Joren. "The principal invites you to her home for a calm talk and to have snacks that will alleviate our depressed moods." "A-ah...! You don''t have to say that much." the teenage girlined under her breath. "You didn''t hear anything!" Virena immediately ordered Joren when she realized her ''grave mistake'' Joren immediately forgot what he just heard and his face showed the expression of curiosity once again. "Wow, what a stupid expression..." Virena quietlymented. "Huh, wha-?" "Follow me, we can''t just stand here while we talk about... what to do with you. Also, do anything against me or especially, the principal," the glint of red shone from Virena''s again, "And you will experience a tyrannical master." Joren nodded as he was in no position to reject it. And while he was following them, he felt like he was forgetting something... "Achoo-!" The man in ck who guided Joren was still waiting at the front gate. "I wonder when their talk will end? It''s getting cold." Chapter 19 - The First Visitor Joren was surprised to learn that the ce that they were going to was towards theke. When he saw the teenage girl and Virena walk towards theke, sinking down until they are halfway there. "We... are going to swim?" Joren asked. "No, we will dive." Virena indifferently replied. "Dive...? How deep?" "Hm... more than a kilometer down?" "That will kill me." Virena turned around with a slight frown as she red at Joren. "You''re an undead." "I know but..." "Do you have split personalities?" "W-why do you say?" "... nothing." Virena thought for a while and reached out her hand. "I don''t think you have the strength to dive down that deep,e here." Without warning, Virena used her control over Joren. Thetter walked into theke and towards Virena out of his own volition. "Give me your hand." "Seriously..." Joren could only sigh and have his hand be pulled. There was no point in resisting. ''If they intended to kill me, they would''ve done so. I think I can trust them. I basically saw my stats so I''m confident I will not die.'' But there was something Joren forgot- BLURBULBLURBLURB!!!* Being dragged down at an intense speed deeper underwater with lots of pressure hurts like hell! Before he knew it, they were already inside a house. Joren dropped onto the floor gasping, vomiting water, and whatnot as if he was dying which he should be if he was not undead. The teenage girl looked at this with peculiarity. "I want to say don''t make a mess in the Principal''s office but..." Virena just gave up and decided that she will just clean thister. She then saw the strange reaction from the teenage girl and tilted her head in question. But the teenage girl evasively turned around with a flustered expression on her face. Not knowing what this is about, Virena began to specte things. "My hand..." "Hm?" she looked down on Joren was seemed to be recovering but still pathetically kneeling on the floor, wet. "Let go of my goddamn hand!" He sharply said before realizing what he said. "Ah, sorry, on the verge of death but not dying must''ve made me cranky." Virena looked and saw that she was still holding her hand. Without any reaction, she dropped it. "As for the mess, is there a mop? I''ll clean it." Joren turned to his normal self as he stood up. "Ah, don''t worry about it. I''ve already cleaned it." The teenage girl said which only made Joren realize his surrounding. Not only was his mess was gone but he was also dry as if they didn''t dive deep underwater in the first ce. After noticing that shocking revtion, he also found what kind of a room he was in. His eyes looked round and round. Seeing his scrutinizing gaze, the teenage girl blushed in embarrassment. "I''m sorry for the mess." she said as she picked up the piled-up books on the floor. Those books had arge variety. There areic books, novels, light novels, and even mangas. "Principal Ness, let me do it. You can sit down and rx." Virena offered her hand and as if her movements were fast-forwarded, she quickly organized the room into a neat one. Joren didn''t know where to react and how. What should he do? Should he sit down on the chair in front of the principal''s desk? But they were filled with figurines and merchandise from different franchises. The teenage girl which Virena called ''Principal Ness'' presses the power button on the remote in her hand. But before she picks up where she left off, she looked at Joren and realized that he was there. It seemed that when she entered herfort zone, she subconsciously forgot that they had a visitor. "Umm... do you have any movies you like? I have everything from umm ssics to anime movies." Ness offered innocently yet confidently. Like a super maid or a reverse tornado, every ce that Virena goes through got cleaned. Thus, when she went through the chairs in front of the desk, it was ready to be sat on. Seeing the expression ''make yourselffortable'' on Ness'' face, Joren sat on one of the chairs. Since the giant screen was stered onto the right wall, he sat on the opposite to face it. "If you don''t like movies, I have a lot of series too. Oh! Do you want me to pick?" Joren felt like he entered Ness'' territory. The shyness she held earlier when they were outdoors significantly decreased. "Sure..." He nodded. "Ah, then I''ll let you watch- wait! We can also y games, if you want!" Ness jumped off from her office chair that seemed to be modified to be much morefortable to be sat ory on. "Psst! Principal!" Just as Ness opened the cab that revealed dozens of different consoles from handheld to home consoles, she turned around to see Virena peeking her head out from the kitchen room. Virena used her hands to convert - SOS Ness nodded and said to Joren. "Umm, you pick whatever you want. I''ll go get some.... uhmm... water." "Okay..." Joren watched her leave before he noticed that there is already a pitcher and a ss of water on her desk. With one look, it could easily be noticed that it''s cold and new. Afterward, he heard their voices from the other room. Their voices were hushed but it was still loud enough for him to hear clearly. "What is it, Virena?" "I''m so sorry, Principal. I don''t know if I should bring out coffee or tea." "Oh no, why are there so many types of beverages...! I''m panicking a bit... this is the first time we have had a visitor ever since forever! I''m sorry if it was a mess earlier..." "Don''t worry about it, Principal. He''s just some pervert. We shouldn''t care what he thinks." "But... but..." "I know, I still don''t know if I should bring out coffee or tea. From what I know, humans are easily offended by everything. What if he got offended by coffee?" "Eh? I thought we shouldn''t... no, we can just give him both coffee and tea." "What if he got offended because he thinks we think he''s fat and needs twice the drink?" "Muuu... this is a dilemma." "I don''t know what to do, Principal. This is the first time I have had a servant. How should I treat him?" "Don''t panic, Virena. Stay calm. We can do this!" "You''re so reliable, Principal. Thank you." "Y-yeah. I think he''s a tea man so give him tea." "Okay... okay..." Joren, who was listening to the whole conversation thought. ''Why not just ask me?'' Sometimeter, Ness came back while fanning herself. She was sweating a bit. "So, have you chosen what to y?" ''Are we here to y?'' Joren wanted to ask but refrained himself. He just picked a familiar console which Ness readied in seconds. "This is the most popr one. I have a lot of games in this!" Ness excitedly gave Joren the second controller which he took. ''We''re seriously going to y a game?'' While they were picking out games to y, Virena came out. She was no longer wearing her long mantle and shows her secretary outfit with an apron on. "Here''s tea." She coldly looked at Joren. "Thank you." Thetter nodded and drank but was ufortable under her gaze. After taking a sip, Joren smiled andmented. "It''s good tea." Virena was visibly, albeit slightly, shocked. She then turned around and went back to the kitchen while leaving the words. "I didn''t ask. Of course, it''s good tea." Joren nced and saw that when she turned around, her usually motionless face made a small smile. ''Now I want to ask if they have split personalities too.'' After a while, the two finally picked a game, a racing game with an Italian plumber as its main character. Virena soon brought snacks and joined the game. Soon, Ness wasughing as she won consecutively. Even Virena seemed to bepetitive and since Joren has some experience, he didn''t lose out that much. Hours passed and they have finished the third game they yed. Joren dropped the controller. "Why the hell are we ying!?" he finally snapped. Virena and Ness who were happily chatting were startled by his shout. Virena red at him and said. "You''reining even though you''re enjoying yourself quite well." "Yeah, you''re words aren''t particrly heavy with you still holding the controller and searching for another game to y." Ness tilted her head in confusion. "Is it bad that we''re ying?" "No... it''s not but..." "Then what do you suggest that we do, pervert?" Virena raised an eyebrow. "You have used that a thousand times already, Virena, it already has no effect. But I thought we need to talk about something? Now, I forgot about it." Ness then pointed out, "Oh, about you bing an undead?" "Yeah, that! I want to talk about going back to normal." Joren finally ced the conversation on track. "What? Why would you want to go back to being normal?" Virena was legitimately confused. Chapter 20 - Branded As A Pervert "Why?" Joren didn''t know how to reply. The atmosphere was too casual as they broke the ice thoroughly. Even silence now wouldn''t be that awkward. Suddenly saying that he wants to not be undead anymore somehow feels wrong for some reason he can''t exin. "Don''t humans desire immortality so much that they do stupid things for it in the past?" Virena argued. "Yeah but there are exceptions. It''s not like I don''t want immortality but being undead has a lot of downsides, aren''t there." "So, what should we y next?" "Don''t ignore my question!" Ness raised her hand and then spoke. "But it''s not like Virena is going to abuse you. I''m confident that she''s not that kind of person, trust me!" ''Ah...'' Joren finally realized what it is that was bothering him. ''Aren''t they already getting buddy-buddy with me!?'' But as he thinks about it, it was never bad. He was just surprised. His first impression of them is that they are mysterious and... unsociable? Joren stopped his thinking. It''s good that their animosity and vignce decreased but there''s still a more important matter at hand. "I know, I feel like Virena is someone who can''t just express her feelings but-" "I am not." "Yes, you''re not." Joren submissively replied as he felt nails sinking into the sides of his neck. Enough to inflict pain but not enough to make him bleed. "I know, right! Virena is so cute! She seemed like she doesn''t care but once you get close to her, she will do anything for you!" Ness happily agreed. Joren nced at Virena and saw her not reacting as if she''s turning a deaf ear to what Ness was saying. ''From what I see, it''s you who''s abusing Virena.'' He thought but didn''t dare to say it out loud. "To tell you the truth, this is the first time there''s a third person in this room." Ness suddenly revealed but Joren already know, he just reacted as if he was surprised. "I know that it''s not something you expected when you went here but being an undead isn''t so bad." "Yeah... now that I think about it, this is too fast." Ness remembered and showed an awkward expression, "A-also, it''s my fault that I almost killed you. Sorry!" Thud* She bowed her head and hit her desk since she''s still sitting. "Principal! You don''t need to apologize!" Virena stood up and waved her hands. ''Why are you acting like you''re the one receiving the apology?'' Joren internallymented. "It''s Joren''s fault for having a scary face and for being annoying and for being a pervert and a degenerate." "... half of that are just insults..." "Hm, okay. But I should still apologize." "Oi, why didn''t you deny what she said?" Joren sighed again and thought back. There were a lot of unexpected twists that ced him in this awkward situation. He finally decided what to do and said. "I shall ept your apology. I''m part of the me but you still almost killed me. Although Virena saved me, that I cannot deny. But since she tried to kill me too and also part of the me too, we can call it quits. In other words, I owe Virena nothing while Ness owes me little." Joren looked at them to see their reaction. Ness nodded and attentively listened. On the other hand, Virena looked at him as if he said something very shameless. "From an objective point of view." Joren added but it seemed that Virena only added the expression of disgust on how she looks at him when she heard that. "Are you forgetting that you just barged in here and demanded answers from the Principal while you''re just a student?" Virena said but Joren was unperturbed. "I didn''t barge in, I politely asked some worries as a student. Although it''s part of my fault for fighting with a school official but didn''t you fight with a student as well?" "You speak as if you''re saying something smart even though you''re just an undead and a pervert." Joren and Virena began to re at each other until Ness mediated. "Well, there''s nothing we can''t fix as long as we- you two work together!" Joren looked at Ness who was still sitting on her chairfortably. "I''ve been meaning to ask this but are you really the Principal, Ness?" "What an insolent question you have? Do you want choking as an answer?" Virena''s intimidation increased. "W-what''s that supposed to mean!? Do I not look like the Principal here!?" Ness leaned forward. Looking at her petite stature, immature face, and the jersey that she was wearing, Joren really can''t say she looks like a Principal. "It is true that Virena does all-... most of the work here but I''m really the Principal here." Ness argued which was then supported by Virena. "Principal has been a principal since the beginning of time. Even though I do ALL the work, her power and influence are real. If she really puts WORK into it and does not just watch, y, eat, and sleep all day, Principal Ness may even be standing on the peak of the Myth Academy as of now." But towards Virena''s support, Ness felt shame. "V-virena... do you hate doing... most.. of the work? If you want, I can do... some more... work to lessen your burden." "There''s no need for that Principal. For you, I will continue doing ALL of the work. So you can continue doing... nothing." Virena was smiling but Joren could feel the passive-aggressiveness in her voice. "Okay, if that''s what you want!" Ness raised both hands and mouthed ''Yehey!'' while Virena sighed before caressing her head. ''W-wow... spoiled...'' was the only thing Joren could say. "That''s that, I''m the Principal so you should trust what I''m saying. Being undead isn''t so bad." Ness positively said. "I''m not saying it''s bad but being undead is... inconvenient for me right now." Joren honestly said. "Oh, you''re saying about Agent Scarlett whom you said your woman." Virena sarcastically said. "Y-your woman?" Ness seemed to be confused. "I just said that in the heat of the moment." Joren has no choice but to bury what he said to make the conversation going. "But she''s still important to me. Therefore, I won''t let her get taken by some random dude." "A random dude?" Virena muttered, not knowing if Joren is too arrogant, just in stupid, didn''t know what he was saying, or just didn''t care. "Oh, romance... I''m getting the gist of it!" Ness excitedly entered the conversation, "We cannot let a random dude get that someone important to you!" "Yes... yes..." Joren nodded with an agreeing smile. "Um, Principal. By random dude, Joren meant Zeus." Virena finally dropped the bomb which seemed to fly over Ness'' head for a second there. "Zeus...? Wait, the God of Gods!? How can you call him a random dude!?" "Uhh. well, I don''t know much about him except that he''s the God of Sky in Greek Mythology so... for me, he''s random." Joren scratched his cheek while he evades his eyes. Virena saw this opportunity to get the Ness to her side. "He even said he wants to speak to Zeus." "Are you out of your mind!?" "He also thought that I''m the Principal." "I''m the Principal!" "And he puts down his pants while fighting for some reason." "Why!? Are you really a pervert, Joren!?" "...." Joren was immediately cornered and could only argue back, "I guess I''m wrong to assume that Virena is the principal." "Fufufu..." Virena seemed so amused as she watched the defeated look forming on Joren''s face. "But I''m not a pervert. The pulling pants thing... it''s technique." "Desperate..." Virena sighed. "N-no, to clear my name, let me show you a proof. The more I pull my pants down, the stronger I get." Joren stood up, determined to remove his image as a pervert. All he needs to do is prove that his skill is true. It''s not like he will tell about the system. "We are not stupid, Joren. You will just pull your strength and as you pull your pants down, you will just use your reserved strength. Aren''t you just using this as an excuse to exhibit your underwear to us!" Virena pointed at Joren as if she just revealed his true intentions. "I''m... with Virena this time." Ness nodded, "I don''t think you''re bad I do think what you wanted to do is perverted." Joren knew well that that''s not true but he couldn''t rebuke it. After thinking for a while, he finally made his decision and determinedly said. "If that''s how it is... then how about we make a bet?" "A bet?" "Yeah, if I''m risking something, wouldn''t I do my best? In other words, it will show that I am not reserving any strength." "That''s... logical." Virena agreed but then continued, "But the risk should be big enough so that you wouldn''t lose on purpose." "I know. But you really think I''m that perverted to risk something big just to show my underwear to women?" "That''s true but we only met today. What if you''re really that kind of person?" "Then... I guess I''m going to risk something big. However, as a condition, you will have to handicap yourself so that I have a chance of winning. If you use your full strength every time, you wouldn''t feel the difference in mine." "I know that. Speak the challenge and I''ll handicap myself ordingly." Joren determinedly smiled as he raised his fist and felt his biceps. "Shouldn''t arm wrestling be the first thing thates into your mind if we''repeting with strength?" Chapter 21 - [Bonus ] Extreme Risk The match is arm wrestling. No need for preparation time. To gauge how much Virena should handicap herself, the two of them tried a mock battle. However, when both of them were seated down, facing each other across the prepared dining table, Virena hesitated and asked. "We should battle wrist to wrist." She suggested. They don''t know specific types of arm wrestling in a professionalpetition but what they are doing is not professionally. Instead of sping both hands, they will just push each other''s front wrists was what Virena wanted to say. "Eh? Sure, I don''t see any problem." Joren said, not understanding the reason for Virena''s suggestion. But the same could not be said to Ness. "What''s wrong with holding hands? Didn''t you hold his hand earlier?" "Principal... but there''s no other choice back then." Realizing what they were talking about, Joren justughed it off and said. "There''s no worry, Ness. It''s not like Virena is shy or anything." "True." "This is the first time you agreed to him... but okay, I guess." Ness just nonchntly let it go even though she had other things in her mind. cing both arms on the table. The contrast between the two was striking. Joren rolled up his sleeve to not let it obstruct the intion of his musclester on. Furthermore, he gotfortable with it but his clothes, albeit not dirty because it was practically washed earlier, it was messy due to a lot of things that happened. He didn''t mind further crumpling his clothes. Due to this, his bulging biceps and triceps could be seen. Meanwhile, Virena has a slender arm with pale white skin very much like a beautiful maiden would have. If a random person saw this, they would think that Joren is abusing the pretty redhead girl. Ness then hosted the fight by putting their hands together while she crouched atop the dining table on the left side. While their other hands were ced under the table. Joren put his left hand on the same direction Ness was sitting on while Virena on the opposite side. This made Joren remember how a simple push from Ness would''ve killed him if not for Virena. ''I guess she''s really the principal.'' Once Ness propped them against each other, she then said like an announcer. "Mock battle. Contestant Virena will only use a maximum of half of her strength for this one. If she uses pass that even though it''s just a mock battle, she will lose. The objective is to gauge Contestant Joren''s strength and find the perfect handicap for Contestant Virena." "Huh? But if she loses right away because of that, I will not be able to prove a-" "Don''t interrupt the Principal." "Okay, ready in 3... 2... 1... Go!" Ness then removed her hand holding the two with a smile. At once, both arms trembled as forces shed against one another. All Joren needs to do was give everything he got. His reddened and vein-popping face revealed that he was doing that. Meanwhile, Virena was indifferent as if she was just a spectator. "12%" "S-seriously!?" Joren''s eyes widened upon hearing what percentage of strength Virena was only using. "13%" After revealing her strength, her arm naturally wavered to her winning side. However, Joren didn''t stop fighting and pushed her back again. "14%" Thud* Joren felt his muscle snap before his knuckle hid the table. Ness whistled the end of the mock battle using her two fingers. "Joren''s full strength is equalled to 13% of Virena''s strength." "Now that you''re an undead, you''ve be weaker, aren''t you?" Virena said in response to this. "Yeah, I''m aware." "Now then, we will have three official matches as suggested by Contestant Joren. In the first match, he will use a fourth of his skill by... pulling his pants on the first-quarter level of his legs... Joren, it''s not toote to back up and say that you''re really a pervert, you know. If you apologize now, we will forgive you. But you will just embarrass yourself if you still continue." "No, I want to prove that my skill is the real deal. I''ve revealed all my strength earlier, right? As long as I get Virena to use 20% of her strength then you two will believe I''m not pulling my pants for no reason, right?" "That''s a promise." Ness said and then continued, "So what are you going to bet on? You said something big, right?" "Actually... I haven''t thought of it yet..." "Huh?" "I mean, I don''t really hold a valuable possession. But even if I bet my hand, I think it''s going to grow back, right?" Joren said even though he found his own words unbelievable. "You will go that far? But I don''t like the idea of cutting your hand though." "I know a big risk to you." Virena finally spoke. Both Joren and Ness looked at her with anticipation. "Expulsion." ''Eh? But that''s a bit too-" "Bring it on!" Joren epted the challenge. "You seem to ept it too fast." "That''s how determined I am on this." "Or maybe, it''s okay for you to be expelled. From what I know, the academy just forcefully took you in." "Hm, that''s true. But if I got expelled, I wouldn''t be able to save Scarlett so that''s a big risk to me." "Not enough. Also, bringing an undead back to themon world is uneptable to the academy''s rules." Ness nodded to Virena''s exnation. "Wait, so if I get expelled, where would I go?" "That''s where the second conditiones in." "I''m not scared, say it." Joren attentively said. "You will officially form a contract with me and you will live here as a ve who will work for the rest of his life for us." Ness didn''t seem to have a problem with this and even added, "Oh, if that happens, he can y here all he wants!" But Joren posed a question. "Aren''t I basically your servant right now?" "Yes, but you are just forcefully dragged to bing one. Therefore, as long as you have a strong will, you can disobey me. Signing a contract is a different matter. Once you signed on your own volition even if I tell you to kill yourself you would do it without a second thought." Virena exined which slightly surprised Joren, "I think that''s the most risk you can bet, right? What do you think?" "Virena... I think that''s too mu-" "No, Ness, this is not a sure loss for me." Joren said and added, "But it''s not fair that I only get a punishment. I say we shout ce our bets equally." "True, however, the difference of you being my ve and me being your ve is worlds apart. My value is much more even if there''s twenty of you." Virena said not to boast but to say the truth. Joren didn''t rebuke but instead suggested. "Okay, but asking you to be my ve didn''t evene up in my mind in the first ce. If I win, you will do anything to help me turn back into a human." "Turning you back into a human is virtually impossible." Virena rejected. "Then..." Joren didn''t know if he should say it or not but after a moment of hesitation, he chose not to. He wanted to say that she should help him turn him into a vampire however, thinking of forcing himself to a girl is something even he couldn''t do. "No, I''m not asking you to turn me into a human. I''m asking you to help me. If you did everything you can but I am still undead, I wouldn''t me you for it." Joren said which Virena finally nodded. "But now that this is a more serious match, can I change the rules of the match?" he continued. "As long as it''s not ridiculous, fine." Ness said so Joren said what he wanted to do. "One match, use 20% of your strength from the get-go and I will use 100% of my skill." Joren didn''t calcte this. He just went with what his guts told him. If he strictly calcted the percentage of strength he can beat Virena on, he wouldn''t feel he deserve his win. "Sure" Virena agreed without any hesitation. "Then let me prepare it." Joren dropped his pants without warning. [Sagging Pants Activated: Agility: 47 -> 07 Strength: 42 -> 66 Toughness: 61 -> 85] "Kyah-!" Ness covered her eyes while Virena frowned as she looked to the side. Only when Joren sat back down did they look at him again. "I''m ready." "If your skill is true, that''s a very inconvenient skill." "I know..." "But don''t you want to rest first?" "I''m fine." "Okay" Virena ced her elbow on the table and held Joren''s hand. "For a formal match." she casually exined. Joren nodded and sped her hand tightly. Seeing that both of them are ready, Ness held then hands and said the same thing. "Ready in 3..." This time, she didn''t wear her smile as this match has consequences. "2..." Just from how they yed with Joren, Ness could tell that he''s a good guy, therefore, she didn''t want him to lose either. "1..." However, that doesn''t mean she wants nor believes Virena will lose. "Go!" She removed her hand and at the same time, the table trembled as Virena''s eyes shone red. Her arm immediately pushed Joren''s arm down with just 20% of her strength. Without any surprise, Ness immediately announced. "The winner, Contestant Vire-" "Wait" Virena stopped her. "Huh?" Ness paused and looked carefully to see that there''s still a gap between Joren''s arm and the surface of the table. "He had yet to lose." Ness then looked at Joren who had a serious yet stretched face. "HA! V-virena''s right!" he shouted as he began to slightly push Virena''s arm up. Chapter 22 - Advantage This battle is not just about strength. It''s also a battle of trust and deception. Stamina and strategy. The battle had already started during the mock battle. If Joren didn''t show his full strength, he would put more handicap on Virena. However, he didn''t do that. Virena and Ness noticed this. Meanwhile, Virena can just lie about the percentage of her strength and easily win against Joren but she also didn''t. Joren was unable to discern this but he believed her. It''s not because they trust one another but the other way around - it shows that both of them were trustworthy. Furthermore, they are alsopeting against reaction speed. Virena was able to bring all 20% of her power in a matter of a split second meanwhile and with her speed, she will definitely defeat Joren before he could even exert all of his strength. "Urgh!" Joren groaned as he sweated. He perspired out of the fear that he might''ve already lost if he was even a millisecondte in getting all his strength onto his arm. "H-he''s pushing it! He''s pushing it!" Ness eximed and proceeded to observe Virena''s strength. The two have been together for as long as they can remember. They know how much strength each other have so she was about half sure that Virena was only using 20% of her strength. At this rate, Joren keeps pushing and pushing until he wins. However, it isn''t that simple. Once he reached halfway, he will enter Virena''s territory and it will be harder even though she will still only use 20% of her strength. That''s not all. There''s still the unknown factor called stamina. Virena doesn''t have much control since she cannot go more than 20%, however, what she does have is stamina. Since she''s using less strength, it would be weird if she tires herself out first. In the first ce, as a vampire, her stamina is leagues above Joren. In other words, Joren shouldn''t expect Virena to weaken over time. He should worry instead since he would be the one who will get tired as long as this drags on! ''Not only does Virena wins with bursting strength but she also wins on the war of attrition.'' Ness carefully observed while still crouching atop the trembling table. ''Now, what will Joren do? Although if this continues, he will defeat Virena who is unable to put more strength, that is only true if he does it fast before he bes weaker.'' Joren thought the same thing as Ness. However, it''s harder than it sounds. "You two are back to the starting point." Nessmented when Joren finally pushed Virena to midway. At this point, he had released a lot of energy and would enter her territory where she will have more mechanical advantage. But even so, Joren continued to bring her down. ''C-can he really do it!?'' Ness thought with anticipation. However, the three of them knew that Joren, who was using a hundred percent of his strength would eventually get tired. "Grrr...!" Joren''s silently groaned as veins popped out from his whole arm and his face. His face was bing reddish as it was clenched. Not just his arm muscles but every supporting muscle inted in response. Meanwhile, Virena just quietly observed with an indifferent expression. At this moment, she can just put an unnoticeable one or two percent of her strength and she will win without Nessnoticing that small difference. But still, she didn''t. 20% She steadily used that percentage of strength against Joren from the start till now. Before, she used more strength in her fight against Joren because strength is not everything in a duel. But in arm wrestling, Joren wouldn''t be able to use that much technique and since he was weaker now than before he became undead, he could only fight off 20% of Virena''s strength. Truthfully, 20% of Virena''s strength was already too much for Joren. However, strength was not the only thing that increased by his Sagging Pants skill, toughness too! Toughness, in other words, defense wouldn''t do much in arm-wrestling, however, for Joren who is continuously using a hundred percent of his strength that risk of tearing off his own muscles, Toughness will y a big role! But even so, Joren''s stamina isn''t infinite. Eventually, he got tired as his arm began losing and was beginning to be pushed back. "Virena is pushing Joren again!" Ness anxiouslymented. At this point, she didn''t know who to support. It should be obvious that she should support Virena but Virena''s punishment is not that heavypared to Joren''s. But it''s not like Ness is that close to Joren to support him against Virena. So she stayed neutral. "I guess this is it." Virena finally spoke, "It''s your loss." "N-not... yet!" Joren replied with a smile. "Hmph, even if you''re undead, if you continue pushing yourself, you may break your arm. It will heal back but it still hurts, you know." "I... know...!" "Your choice." Virena became silent as she continued pushing Joren down little by little. There are times where Joren fight back but he will eventually be pushed back down. ''D-damn... I feel my energy dissipating from me.'' Joren was still giving his all. ''I can''t feel my arm anymore. I wouldn''t be surprised if my arm breaks without me noticing. Haha!'' Virena was halfway into Joren''s territory. She was still able to push down without getting pushed back. ''At this rate...!'' Joren finally gave up on winning. He no longer gave much strength to his arm. He was at his limit. No one can me him. Virena is a vampire after all. Meanwhile, him? Just a lesser undead... ... "As if I''d lose!" However, Joren still wouldn''t give up on not losing! "Huh?" Virena''s face revealed shock as she felt it was easier to push, however, cracks began forming onto the table. "You... You''re using your strength down to the table instead!" Crack* The crack was getting bigger. "Without the table, there''s no winner. You''re aiming for a draw?" Virena said but before she could push Joren''s arm onto the table and win, the table finally gave and broke down in half. With Virena and Joren''s other arm pushing both sides of the table up, the table folded up. It touched Joren''s arm but without a base, that is not considered a loss. "As if I''d let a cheap result!" Ness smiled and faster than the breaking table, she kicked it, blowing it to smithereens. Before both arms lost it''s standing, she used her palm to make a substitute for the broken tform. Unsurprisingly, no matter how much Joren pushes down, Ness''s palm was not budging the slightest. ''What strength! As expected from the Principal of the First Level!''e Realizing what happened, Virena smiled a bit wider than she usually has. "That was a good n, Joren. However, that cheap trick of yours didn''t work. I guess the Principal doesn''t like a draw where we reachpromise!" "E-eh? Is that what I did?" Ness widened her adorable eyes, "I was just excited so I thought..." "No, Ness! What you did is right!" Joren shouted attracting both of the girls'' eyes. There, they saw his wide smile. "You still think you will escape losing, Joren?" Virena happily mocked, "Even though the table is gone, as long as I push you down lower than Principal Ness'' hands, you lose." "C-correct. I think that''s fair." Ness replied. Virena said as she continued pushing down with 20% of her strength. Her own hand was only beneath her chair just like Joren. But in the next second, Joren removed his left hand from his chair. "Hm?" What he did next made both Ness and Virena lose their minds. "It''s true that I''m aiming for a draw in the... start! However, I will win!" Joren''s left hand went andtched onto Ness'' waist. "You will lose because first, you''re no longer properly rooted!" Joren began pulling up while using his other arm''s strength to pull Ness towards him. But since Ness is like an immovable object, he was being pulled towards her instead. "Second, it''s because you''re lighter than me!" No matter how much strength Virena give, she would only be carried along with the chair. Even if she used 100% she would only change her position rtive to Joren''s arm, not to the ground since she only has the chair as her root. "Finally, because humans'' true limitations lie beyond a hundred percent! While you can only use 20%, I can break my own limit without consequences because I''m undead!" Without any resistance, Virena was carried until Joren''s arm turned halfway, and there, she could only fall on her own even if Joren used less strength. While Virena turned 90 degrees to the left midair, her red eyes shone brighter. Using 100% of her strength except for her arms, she was able to achieve the speed that surpassed what Joren''s eyes can follow. Turned herself upright again by letting her arm be twisted back. While making use of her hand that is rooted to Joren''s, she made her feet rooted to the ground. This way, she can have more resistance. But she realized, that much was still not enough as her whole body was still carried by Joren''s limit-breaking strength until her arm reached past Ness'' height of hands, resulting in her defeat. As if the time that was slowed down returned to its original speed. Virena ced her feet onto the ground again after being slightly tilted earlier. This time, Joren was no longer pushing. Not because he knew he won but because. "H-he fainted." Virena whispered. While bleeding from his nose and mouth, Joren leaned towards Ness while his left arm was tightly wrapped around her waist to the point that he was hugging her. Virena was stunned for a bit but realized that Joren wastching onto Ness with his pants down! But instaed of being angry, she sighed and said. "Principal, are you okay?" Ness, on the other hand, felt like smoke wasing out of her as she got dizzy. "J-j-joren is h-h-hugging me...! W-what should I do? Virena? Should I hug back? T-this is my first time!" "I.... I think you should let him go and give him time to rest." Chapter 23 - [Bonus ] Check After a whole day had passed, Joren woke up with the unfamiliar ceiling greeting his eyes the moment he opened it. It was unsurprising as even without his senses fullying back, he knew that he was no longer in his old life. So many things have changed, though, not that he had that many ''things'' in the first ce. However, what''s strange about this situation is that as he looked to his side, he could see two girls, one pretty and one cute. Is this heaven? He thought even though he already knew who these two are because he wanted to unironically say that in his head once. [Bucket List: .... Be in a situation where I can say ''Is this heaven?'' *check* Stop scaring people *I don''t think they are people* Find a cute goth girlfriend with big boobs. *found one but doesn''t have big boobs* ...] "Did you just think of something very rude?" A cold voice entered his ears as he looked at the pretty one with lustrous long red hair. Joren slowly shook his head in an attempt to feign ignorance. While doing so, his eyes moved a bit lower and he nodded. [Bucket list: ... Find a cute goth girlfriend with big boobs. ???*???????f???????o???????u???????n???????d??????? ???????o???????n???????e??????? ???????b???????u???????t??????? ???????d???????o???????e???????s???????n???????''???????t??????? ???????h???????a???????v???????e??????? ???????b???????i???????g??????? ???????b???????o???????o???????b???????s???????*??????? *Actually, I''m okay with that, medium boobs are super nice too.* ...] "Oy..." Her red eyes shone the same way her red hair luster. "Virena, what are you getting angry for? He just woke up." Then the cute one pouted andined. "Principal, it''s because he''s thinking about-..." "About?" "N-nothing..." The pretty one, Virena swallowed her words in hopes to keep the cute one untainted. "And how do even know his thoughts? I don''t get it." The cute one shook her head with a sigh before looking at Joren and asked. "Are you okay?" Dispersing his guilty thoughts, Joren answered. "Yeah..." He tried to scratch his head but... it''s noting. "Hm?" Joren frowned. Has he be retarded that he can''t now move his own body? Even single-celled organism can move their own body. "What''s wrong?" The cute one asked with a worried expression. "I can''t move my right arm...!!!" The moment he looked at his right arm, no, there was no moment he look at his right arm because there was no right arm! "W-w-where is it!?" He abruptly sat up and looked around. "What it?" Virena asked as if there was nothing wrong. "My right arm! Look!" Joren pointed. In reply, Virena ''realized" his troubles and seemingly pointed at the floor at random. Following the direction where she points at, Jore saw his arm- no, what the hell is that!? It''s like a stick that has branches that are simr to fingers! "It''s your arm." Virena said then the cute girl leaned forward, asking. "What''s wrong?" "Huh!? What''s wrong?? My arm!" "Ah... that, that''s... part of nature." the cute girl smiled, almost making Joren relieved, but no, that wouldn''t make his right arm return! "S-seriously!? What do I do?" Seeing Joren''s depressed expression, the cute girl suddenly burst intoughter. She looked so happy that Joren didn''t get annoyed. Even Virena besides her wore a smile. "We''re just joking!" "Eh...? You mean it''s a prank?" "Uh... no. Your arm really withered because it was too damaged." "So that''s the reason? T-then what''s the joke?" "I''m just joking about it being part of nature." "..." "Ah! Sorry! Sorry! Don''t get too depressed! Virena, give it to him." "Yes, Principal." Joren lifted his head, wondering what they were talking about. Virena was already standing in front of him. "Say ah." "Ah?..-m!" Without warming, Virena stuck her finger into his mouth. Joren was surprised and was about to p her hand away and tell them to stop ying with him when... "Hm?" He suddenly could taste something very sweet at the end of Virena''s fingertips. It was the first time he could taste such a thing that it took him a moment to process the blissful feeling with his every gulp of that strange liquid. In short, it was addicting. Not only that but his lost arm was returning stronger than before. [Strength: 42 (-15) -> 52 (-15)] But since he''s just a lesser undead... [Strength: 52 (-15) -> 42 (-25)] Immersing himself in his own world, Joren has no awareness of his surroundings or the look on his face that screams pleasure. Virena originally intended to give Joren just a little sip but then she began to softly bite her lower lip. This was the first time for her too and she didn''t know that it was not that painful and even a bit ticklish, arousing something in her. Meanwhile, Ness felt that the scene in front of her have turned a little ''lewd''. That''s why she made an attempt to cover her eyes, yet they peeked through her fingers. Her face became focused as it heats up- "Ah~!" A weird sound suddenly came out of Virena''s mouth and that was when she took her finger out of Joren''s mouth, destroying the scene immediately. Joren, whose bliss was suddenly taken away, woke up and came back to reality. "P-principal...?" Virena stammered as she calls out while wiping her finger with a cloth. She felt shameful when she realized what she had just shown. She was usually the cool type and whatever situation it may be, she remains calm, that''s what she always shows. She didn''t expect that out of nowhere, without a warning, she showed a disgraceful act. Furthermore, Ness''s face became nk and she could only say one thing. "It looks like Joren gave you a head..." "What?" Ness returned back to reality as well and to not let the situation be awkward, she felt like she had to salvage it, right? "Gender-bender is... fine too, hm? And it''s not that hi, it''s just a finger." She smiled but it was forced so it looked awkward. Virena''s face became a bit ghastly and the same thing happened to Joren. He understood Ness'' words. He covered his face in shame. "I can never get married now..." "Stop sounding like a maiden!" Virena charged onto him and grabbed his neck out of frustration. Amidst the chaos, an ident happened. ... "Here''s your tea, Principal." "U-umu, Virena, thank you." Ness sat up straight, she had be too formal. Virena then walked to Joren who sat across the new table, she then poured him tea as well. But after doing so, a nerve popped out from her forehead. "Joren..." "Hm?" "You do know that you just cleared up your title as a pervert, right? So stop grinning or it''ll return." Her cold voice permeates into Joren''s spine, making him shiver a bit. However, this shiver could not lower the temperature on the palm-shaped red mark on his left cheek. "I''m not grinning." Joren crossed his arms and denied. Irritated, Virena got a vintage-like handheld mirror and ced it in front of Joren''s grinning face. "... is that a mirror?" "Yes, are you stupid? Look at yourself..!" Virena said with an expression of ''See?'' while waiting for Joren to realize his stupid grin, giving her the satisfaction. "But... why can''t I see anything?" "Huh..?" Virena looked at the mirror and to see Joren''s face, she leaned close to him. However, there was nothing. They could only see the chair Joren was sitting on and the wall behind them. "Is it... defective?" Crash* "We''re both undead! We have no reflection on mirrors!" Virena threw the mirror upon realization. "Eh? Then why do you own a mirror?" "I don''t know!" Virena dropped to her knees while she wept. "I can never get married now..." Although she wept, she had no tears and she looked towards Joren with a face of ''I''m the feminine one here, you understand!?'' However, Joren had an ''I''ll marry you, I''ve already touched your soft boobs anyway'' face while still grinning. "You know what. Your title as a pervert is permanent, period!" "H-huh!? What did I do? That was just an ident earlier. I didn''t notice that my right arm returned." "Ten seconds of groping is NOT an ident." "It was so soft, it was like a second for me though..." "Time only went fast because you enjoyed it, pervert..!" [Bucket list: ... Find a cute goth girlfriend with big boobs. ???*???????f???????o???????u???????n???????d??????? ???????o???????n???????e??????? ???????b???????u???????t??????? ???????d???????o???????e???????s???????n???????''???????t??????? ???????h???????a???????v???????e??????? ???????b???????i???????g??????? ???????b???????o???????o???????b???????s???????*??????? ?*?A?c?t?u?a?l?l?y?,? ?I?''?m? ?o?k?a?y? ?w?i?t?h? ?t?h?a?t?,? ?m?e?d?i?u?m? ?b?o?o?b?s? ?a?r?e? ?s?u?p?e?r? ?n?i?c?e? ?t?o?o?.?*? *I''m right, it''s super nice* ...] While the two bickers were in front of her, Ness sipped her tea in silence while reminiscing. The problem is that she can''t properly take a sip since her hand was trembling, spilling the tea al over teh ce... Thest scene countless years ago when Virena still shows a face full of expression shed in her mind. ... ''No, actually, I haven''t seen her full of expressions back then...'' Ness frowned, thinking that she must have dementia, however, she''s too young for that. After a while, she thought. ''Virena, it''s not ten seconds but twenty... is it because you enjoyed it too? But no, I shouldn''t tell her that..'' Ness smiled like a good samaritan. It''s actually thirty seconds. ... After a while, Joren gave up and sat down. "I thought vampires only have that kind of thing? Where you don''t have reflections?" He sipped his tea afterward. "Reflections signifies that you''re living. All those who are dead don''t have one, like us, an undead." "So if we get a dead body right now, it won''t show up in the reflection?" "It''s... a bit moreplicated than that." Virena replied while cleaning the mirror she broke. "I don''t know if this is true but actually, there is a way to return back to being human, Joren." Ness suddenly said, startling the two. "Really!?" Joren excitedly asked. "I didn''t know you have this knowledge, Principal. But I guess, as expected from you." Virena said with pride. "Ehehe..." Ness scratched her head after being ttered, "It''s because there hasn''t been a situation where you turned someone into an undead." "So I''m like the first?" Joren was interested. Virena lowered her head in shame. "Yeah, whenever she drinks blood, she couldn''t stop herself that she kills her victims before they turn into an undead." Ness exined as if it was nothing, "Though with me here, she wouldn''t do that mistakes again." "W-wow, I didn''t expect that to be dark..." Joren replied which incited Virena''s sarcasm. "So getting a dead body here just to see a reflection isn''t dark." Although she said that, Joren could feel that she didn''t like that topic and wanted him not to get too interested in it. "So, what are the ways to return to being human, Principal Ness?" Joren asked, making Ness beamed up being called ''Principal'' by someone other than Virena. Chapter 24 - [Bonus ] Methods Of Revival "There are actually different ways from what I heard..." Ness tried to calm herself down, forgetting the intense moment earlier, and exined. But before she could do so- "Wait, I have a question first." Joren raised a hand. Virena frowned while wiping the spilled tea but didn''t say anything. No one noticed the difference in behavior- if it was before, she would''ve scolded Joren, saying he shouldn''t interrupt the principal. "Why only now?" He asked with no ill-intent but with pure curiosity. "Why am I only going to exin it now?" Ness pondered for the answer before honestly, to the point of being frank, saying, "It''s because I didn''t trust you before. I mean, what if you turned to human and then wanted revenge? Revenge stories are a thing now!" She pped the table. "Are you talking about anime, Principal- Oy! Are you thinking that just because you touched my boobs, you gained the Principal''s trust!?" Virena reprimanded after taking a nce at Joren''s expression. "Eh, that shouldn''t be, right, Joren?" Ness thinks that Virena was bing too fast to assume now but when she looked at Joren, she saw his ''How did you know?'' face. "What!? No, how did you think of that? It was because of other things but it''s definitely not that!" Ness immediately corrected. "Is my face really that readable?" Joren muttered, making Virena pop a nerve again. "Ehem! So, anyway, you can''t really ept my words as a hundred percent legitimate since I''ve only heard it and have not seen it myself." Ness said, attracting seriousness in the atmosphere again. "If it''s true, it''s actually pretty easy to return to human. The reason why Virena can''t turn you back into a human is that the reason why you''re an undead is that you''ve died in the first ce. Once you''ve revived and had life, that was when Virena can remove your status as undead, or maybe it will be removed naturally." "Revival...?" Virena muttered. This was the first time she had heard such a method. "So I just need to revive myself and it''s easy?" Joren smiled and enthusiastically asked, "So how do I do that?" "Everyone has a soul and that soul goes somewhere once you''ve died. That''s why no matter what others do to your body, without a soul, it''spletely dead. Meanwhile, you, as an undead, have a soul that was about to leave but when Virena drank your blood, her saliva entered your bloodstream and made the soul stuck in the boundary of the underworld and the living world." "Wait, so her saliva is all that needed? Then why did she drink my blood?" "That''s..." Ness nced at Virena, who have her head lowered in shame, and couldn''t say that it''s because she just couldn''t restrain herself, "... because making you her servant reduces her energy so she''s just taking it back by drinking yours." "Oh..." Both Joren and Virena nodded to that, epting it as the truth. "Since your soul is not exactly in the underworld but just stuck on the door of death, it''s easier to retrieve and revive yourself. One method is talking to your appointed Grim Reaper and ask it to return it to you." "Appointed Grim Reaper..." Joren felt weird when he heard Ness talk about a Grim Reaper as if it''s just your nurse or something. "But Principal, that''s impossible for Joren, the Grim Reaper will just behead him before he could say anything." "Hm!?" Upon hearing this, Joren''s pondering face turned wide eyes. "It''s fine, Joren just need to not let it behead him. Asking politely is impossible in the first ce." Ness said as if there''s nothing wrong. "Principal, you may be able to do that but Joren can''t even defeat me." Virena exined. "Ah," Ness just remembered, "You''re right, Joren is weak, after all." ''My dignity as a man...'' Joren felt depressed as he felt like he''s losing something else. But he raised his head when he asked. "Wait, does that mean you can defeat this Grim Reaper, Ness?" Ness proudly nodded with a beaming smile, "Yeah, I can take them down even if there''s ten of them! That''s why as long as you got enough strength, you can increase your lifespan by annihting your appointed Grim Reaper once in a while." "Annihting... that''s how it works?" "Only for the strong like the Principal." Virena replied to Joren with a defeated smile. "So if that doesn''t work, how about getting a Phoenix''s egg instead and eat it? There''s a chance you will get its ability to revive once." Ness moved on to another way. Joren would''ve preferred the ''simple way'' of battling the Grim Reaper. However, it was akin to a key inside its vault, he couldn''t increase his strength while being a lesser undead unless he bes... Also, from the sounds of it, it seemed like Ness wouldn''t be able to help him defeat the Grim Reaper because it is HIS ''appointed'' Grim Reaper. Thus, he opened his ears for the next method so he asked. "So how do I get this egg?" Virena sighed. "Principal, a Phoenix is countless times stronger than a Grim Reaper." "But he didn''t need to fight one. He just needs to sneak in and grab the egg. Once he is revived, his only problem is that the Phoenix will chase him until it kills him. A revenge story!" "Hm, if that''s possible, then I will do it!" Joren''s enthusiasm returned, startling both Virena and Ness. "Hah? Are your ears broken? Didn''t you hear me say that a Phoenix is countless times stronger than a Grim Reaper?" "Say... is a Phoenix stronger than Zeus?" Joren suddenly asked. Virena and Ness nced at each other before the former answered. "Obviously... Zeus is called the Father God of Gods, even any other Gods are enough to put the Phoenix race into extinction." Joren raised his eyebrows, Gods sounds ridiculously strong from how Virena sounds it. However, that didn''t take him back down. "Well, then a Phoenix is nothing." "Yeah, to a God." Virena rebuked. "Once I revived, I can just be stronger." "Tsk! You don''t understand, do you? Even by a very slim chance that you really took the egg and revived. Do you think that you can hide from a Phoenix? And even if you do hide, how long before it finds you and kills you again? You think I will be there at that time to turn you undead again?" Joren found something amiss and said; "It''s fine..." After ticking Virena''s nerves, both of them heard Ness giggle. With a big smile, she said. "This is the first time I saw Virena worry about others." ""What!?"" The two jinxed. "You see, Virena really likes people who are stron-mmm" A hand immediately covered Ness'' mouth. "Principal...!" Virena desperately hushed. She nced at Joren with a re but it was ineffective as she saw his joyful expression. "So you like me, Virena?" Joren pointed at himself before a bright red light shone in the room after its lights turned off for some reason, "Wait, I''m just joking, just joking! I mean, if you like strong people, then shouldn''t you speak of Zeus with respect? But I''m hearing the opposite of it." Joren reasoned because he had been thinking this for a while since he just met a certain girl who likes strong people too but seemed to hate the Gods. It''s not linear at the very least. "Hm, it''s good that you understand." Virena then released her hand from Ness mouth but as she retrieved it, it was wet. "Principal, did you just lick my hand?!" "Revenge stories!" "Anime had really influenced you, it seems like you need a rest from it, Principal." Virena defeatedly wiped her hands the second time. Ness gasped, "Are you revenge story-ing me!? Virena, you''re good." ''Why is revenge story bing a thing?'' Joren posed a question many are asking but somehow, he seeks a different answer. "So how do I get this Phoenix Egg?" Virena just sighed and didn''t rebuke this time. "Hm... I don''t know." Ness immediately shut down Joren''s expectations, "I''ve been busy here that i haven''t been outside for some years or so and even if I do, asionally, it''s not like I''m finding a Phoenix, they''re rare, you know." ''So she''s a shut-in.'' Virena saw Joren''s face but she didn''t reprimand him since she agrees with it. "Are you two thinking about something rude?" Ness frowned with an intense gaze. After feigning innocence, the two escape that gaze as Ness continued. "But none of it should be here on the first floor. It should at least be on the fifth or sixth floor. One Phoenix should at least be working as a teacher there." Joren''s image of the mystical being called a Phoenix was immediately shattered. "T-teacher?" "Hm? Don''t act so surprise, you have a Unico-... you have a Homosexual as a teacher." Ness then muttered right after, "I forgot that guy wants to be identified as a Homosexual..." "Then... does this Phoenix talk andmunicate just like us?" "Why are you talking like they''re retarded? Yes, they can talk." Ness didn''t know why Joren was asking such questions. However, it was important for him. If something acts like a human, speaks like a human, and behaves like a human, if a Phoenix is like that, then Joren would see them as humans with different appearances like the unicorn. Stealing its egg and eating it is like stealing a human baby and eating it. At that moment, Joren was reminded.... these people he was talking to were not humans but instead, monsters. Chapter 25 - The Fourth Option Sensing Joren''s troubles, Ness replied. "Don''t worry, Joren. I know how that feels." Joren looked at Ness and was slightly surprised. He hoped that there''s a more humane way. Even if he turns into a gangster at this rate, he wants to retain his humanity. "I don''t like raw eggs too so let Virena cook it for you, she''s a good chef!" Ness enthusiastically said as her mouth waters, destroying Joren''s hope at the same time. "Then.. isn''t there any other way of revival?" "You don''t trust Virena''s cooking skills?" "No, I just feel like eating one''s children is... I don''t even want to think about it." "What do you mean? I thought humans eat everything? I see tons of disgusting viral videos where you eat animals alive..." Ness showed a face of disgust. "Well, they''re mad and I''m not." "If that''s so then I won''t force you. There are still other methods but they are moreplex and have higher difficulties." "Tell me." Joren''s decisiveness really gets them every time and they don''t hate it one bit. Though Virena could think of one exception and that was when Joren asked her to turn him into a vampire. "Okay, your third option is to make a contract with the Devil. But I don''t suggest that. Then there''s going to the underworld yourself where you will do the job of retrieving half of your soul yourself." "Oh... that sounds feasible." Joren nodded but this even made Ness sighed. "You should understand the reason why I said that as atter option than the first ones is that its difficulty is higher. Going to the underworld is hard in itself but once you''re there, you may attract Niutuo and Mamian''s attention." "Who?" "Ox-head and Horse-face." Ness giggled as she answered. "... who?" "I think you should attend school first." Virena intercepted. "I like to hear all the methods first before I choose." Joren ignored Virena''s remark and ask. "Okay, this is thest method and the hardest. In this method, you will deal with a God. Even I don''t have the power to have this deal." Ness replied with a serious expression, making Joren gulped. "Her name''s Ammit and you could call her the Devourer of the Dead in Egyptian. I''ll exin to you what to do if you chose this method." "I want to hear it so that I can consider it." "... okay, well, I say you have to deal with Ammit but actually, you have to deal with Anubis as well, another God... a God of Death in Egypt." Ness looked at Joren''s face and since she didn''t see any fear or hesitation. ''It''s because he hasn''t personally seen a God and that''s why he didn''t fear them.'' she just thought, exining Joren''s fearlessness. Thus, she continued exining to him who those Gods are and what he needs to do. Afterward, she stayed silent, waiting for Joren to think about it. After hearing all the methods, Joren began to understand why Ness said that the method of defeating a Grim Reaper is easy. Because the other four methods are just too difficult. There is one option that Ness has not gone into details though... contracting with the Devil. Why is it the third option? She intentionally skipped it but was willing to exin the fourth and the fifth option. Sensing the danger in this, Joren tried not to ask it. he was not unfamiliar with the concept of ''the Devil'' In exchange for something, he will surely give up another thing, like that, he was not sure but that should be the premise of it. If hell''s let loose, that''s when he will try to consider that option. He had to carefully pick one of the options but none of them was a walk in the park. Hell! Even if he''s a human and is twice stronger, he was sure he wouldn''t be able to defeat the Grim Reaper. Being stupid is not the same as being brave. His decisiveness may just be impatience and inconsiderate of reality. But still... being stupid is the only way he could be if he wants to save Scarlett. "I think I''ll pick the fourth option first. If that failed, I''ll go with the fifth option." Virena immediately facepalmed himself. "Failure means death, Joren, are you sure?" Ness asked as she tilted her head. If possible, she didn''t want Joren to go and let himself get killed. How much does he feel responsible for that woman named Scarlett? Is she that special? "I''m sure." Joren said without hesitation. Maybe it''s just stupidity. However, just the idea of saving someone he just met from one of the most powerful beings is already a mind-boggling stupidity. He could not fall deeper from this. "So the fourth option, retrieving my own soul in the underworld. But it''s not like it''s official so I''ll change my mind once I''ve learned more." Joren said and stood up. "Thank you very much. Even though I have very thick-skinned, you two helped me. If there''s something you need from me, just ask!" He smiled and made guts pose. "..." The two were dazed for a while, not expecting Joren to just go and say that. "Hah, as if we need anything from you." Virena turned her head around as she spoke. "I agree with Virena but if you do seed, surely, you have potential, right?" Ness smiled, "Then when that timees, we will ask something from you!" Joren responded with a thumbs up and walked away. "It''s not about potential but whether I will do it or not. I can do it as long as I want to! Well then, see youter." With a cool goodbye, he opened the door to exit and- "..." There was an awkward silence before Joren turned around with darkened expression. "Umm, can you help me get to the surface?" "AHAHAHA!" Ness dropped onto the ground,ughing. "I already thought ''so cool'' and then- AHAHAHA!" "Let me get you up there." Virena said while smirking, holding herself fromughing. "T-thanks." A momentter, Joren was coughing and wheezing while his whole body was full of wounds. "Here" Virena offered her finger again. Since Ness was not there, she didn''t feel that much embarrass now. However, Joren put his hand up and declined. "It''s not that I don''t want to owe you a favor but I, at least, can deal with this level of injuries." "Don''t act cool. You''re just an immortal because your undead, but because you''re a lesser undead, you also have lesser immortality. If you keep damaging your body it will rot so you need energy from your master. Also, I''ve already sliced my fingertip." Virena pointed her finger up and showed the drop of blood. Joren''s mouth immediately watered. He took her hand, startling her, before licking it. A sweet taste engulfed the insides of his mouth. He gulped and slowly, the wounds of his body recovered. Virena immediately pulled her finger away and wiped it. "Joren, what you said is true earlier." "..." Joren was still numb from pleasure and was stopping himself from asking another drop of blood. But a momentter, he processed what she said but didn''t know what she''s talking about. He said a lot of things earlier. "That you''re think-skinned. You are very true with that." "Huh..." "You need to learn restraint but... there''s no need to stop doing it. You cane and visit whenever you want." Virene paused, as if surprised by her own words, she whispered, "The principal said." Joren smirked and didn''tment, instead, he just answered. "Sure, next time, I''m here, I''m already human." He said and when he walked away, Virena frowned. "What a fool... does he mean he wouldn''te visit if he''s yet to retain his humanity?" Sheined out of dissatisfaction before returning underwater. Once she was back, Ness asked. "Did anything happen? You looked mad." "Nothing, Principal." "Now, we could finally rxed." It was as if Ness melted on her office chair. "You''re right. That guy, there''s something wrong with him." Virena sat down as well. "Wrong? Maybe there''s a better word but I think so too. There''s something about him that''s scary and it''s certainly not just his face. At first, he looked fine but the more I spent time with him... he''s scarier than underworlders." "You can''t exin it too, Principal?" "Un, but I think that his face is not natural. It was born from who he really is but I don''t know. I just know that he''s trustworthy." "As for me, Principal... I think it''s because he''s always charging forward." "Yeah, we just met him yesterday and he had already shown us most of his sides. I was even surprised when he''s leaving, I thought he''s going to sleep here." "Don''t joke like that, Principal, he''s still a pervert." "Is that so?... okay." "What?" "Nothing, also, it''s been an entire day and we haven''t done any work yet!" Virena sighed since she knows Ness will just give assistance for a few minutes before she gets bored and do something else entirely. Chapter 26 - Side Missions When the man who substituted for Scarlett walked Joren home, he was treated for dinner by Joren as a reward for waiting. "Wow! This is delicious!" "Of course, I practiced cooking long ago." Joren smiled and the day after, the man left him since he reported that Joren can take care of himself and is not as retarded as his test scores said. "Finally..." Joren stretched his whole body after waking up. The fish appeared out of nowhere. The moment it appeared, it meant Joren''s sharp re. "Can I hit you?" Joren could only sigh. "I guess I appreciate that you didn''t show up after that. But that doesn''t mean that I would forgot what you did. Are you stupid? Appearing in my crotch? Is that necessary!?" "Tsk!" Joren clicked his tongue. "Well, it would''ve been turned better if not for you." After getting the toasted bread and putting butter on it, Joren opened the mission tabs. He needs strength first and foremost. He is not that dumb to just charge in without confidence of seeding. [Mission: Take Virena''s virginity. Time: Five years Reward: +50 Stamina, +50 Strength, 10 instant level up] "Pfft!!" Joren almost choked when he read the mission. [Mission: Take Ness''s virginity. Time: Fifteen years Reward: +1000 Stamina, +1000 Strength, 100 instant level up] Joren was speechless. He turned to the fish with a look of stupor. "Are you serious?" "Are you asking me to take a child''s...!?" "Shut up!" Joren clenched his fists in anger but after a moment, he calmed down. "It''s not like I''m obligated to. There''s no punishment, right?" Joren reacted as if he didn''t hear anything as he continued to eat when he replied- "It''s not just about her age. She''s too innocent for that." "Wait... Loch Ness Monster?" Joren frowned. What is the deal with this? He doesn''t think that there are any records about the Loch Ness Monster having enormous strength, right? "..." "Why though? Who even decides these mission?" Joren began to change into his school uniform while asking- "What even is this Thugness?" "What?" "Thugness sounds like confidence... once you''ve seeded, you will feel like you can do it again and again. Then the negative must be failures. It will slowly reduce your confidence into nothing." "Then... does that mean that as long as I increase my Thugness, you''re free to give me my deserved strength?" "You''re talking as if I know why you even chose me in the first ce." Joren said before opening the door. The fish disappeared as soon as other people entered their sight. Joren was a bit shocked when he saw that there are people here. Not monsters, but humans! Soon, eyes were turning to him. They were all wearing the same uniform, however, the age varies widely. But one thing is clear, there are no children or elderlies. "Is that the new guy?" "The legendary dude who gotst ce, lower than dumb ghosts?" "Holy shit, he got a scary look on his face!" Because of the ce looking as if they were at a neighborhood, Joren felt like he was back to his old life! "But why did I only see them now?" As expected, when he walked out, many avoided him like gue like before. However, this time, the reason was not only his scary look. "You''ll catch his stupidity if you go near him." "I wonder how he could walk with zero intelligence?" "What if the scoring system just made a mistake?... yeah, right. No way that would happen!" Joren was actually in a worse situation than when he was at his old life. Not only was everyone scared of him, they also felt pity of him. But it was logical. His intelligence is lower that of ghost who can''t evenmunicate. The others must''ve thought that talking to him was impossible. He had the urge to shout "I''m not that dumb!" However, why would he? That would be embarrassing! No, not just that. Somehow, it didn''t bother. He was no longer than before. What changed in him? Thugness is one for sure. The fish was right, Thugness is not just confidence, it''s... Joren could only liken it to one word- Badass With no regards for other''s thoughts, Joren began to swag his steps. [Mission Progress: 424/10,000 swag steps] After going to the elevator thingy, he saw that there are tens of them. He entered one but he didn''t kick the door since it was an elevator door, obviously. Joren then swiped his card and the elevator showed his ss. Thankfully, no other students went together with him. Realizing that earlier, he just went for it and didn''t wait for anyone to enter. He returned to the school building and going walking through the ten ssrooms, he kicked each one of them open. Bam* Bam* Bam*... [Progress: 10/100 doors kicked open.] [Progress: 789/10,000 swag steps] Those were his progress after he finally kicked thest door open. "Mister Joren, what is with that attitude!?" The unicorn, Teacher Jack came up to him, seeing his actions earlier. "Huh!?" But Joren rudely responded. "..." Jack dropped his jaw. "Sorry, Sir Jack, it''s my strange habit." "... habit?" "Yes, sorry again, if you''ll excuse me..." Joren then walked to the farthest back of the ss "Huh!?"-ing every ghost greeting him like he did whileing here. Since ghosts are still too dumb in that school building, none cared about his attitude except for a select few. Once he sat down, he sat upright and pondered as he finally attained deep enlightenment from the things that he had just done. ''I finally get it... being a gangster is just being obnoxious!'' But then, a missionplete popped up. [Mission Progress: 138/20 huh!? Side Mission #3 waspleted 6 times. ept reward?] "... yes." [Reward epted] [Toughness: 61 (-15) -> 67 (-15)] Joren''s face lit up but at the next moment- [Toughness: 67 (-15) -> 61 (-21)] His head dropped and banged the desk. Hearing this, Joren''s eyes widened. Then does that mean, he just needs to continue doing these side missions, and eventually, he will umte power? ''Okay, let''s see where I can buy cigarettes around here.'' He decided. Chapter 27 - Smoking The fish told Joren before he stood up and walked up to Sir Jack and asked. "Mister Jack, where can I get a cigarette?" "..." The unicorn stared at Joren for a few moments before saying. "Ah, you want a stick, get it from my back pocket." "Oh, thank you." Joren politely said before taking it. He didn''t think much about it since this unicorn didn''t have the flexibility to get it himself. However, that begs the question, why is it in the back pocket in the first ce. "Oh my." Jack shivered when Joren slid his hand onto the back pocket (don''t imagine it). "Where is it?" Joren frowned which Jack replied in ecstasy. "It''s there, reached it deeper." "Shouldn''t there be a box? Actually..." Joren gave up. If it''s a single stick without inside its box, he would rather not smoke it. Furthermore, it''s indirectly touching someone''s butt. "You don''t want a stick?" Jack asked with a questioning look. After the questionable face he showed to the ss, he returned to his ''teacher face'' "I want to but..." "But?" "Butt..." "But what?" "I lose the interest, that''s all." Joren just said as an excuse. Jack smiled towards this as if he''s proud. "Now, you have learned. Smoking is forbidden in this school." "Boo~" The ss of ghosts immediately said. Joren nced at them. He didn''t think they would react. To his knowledge, they literally have no brains so he treated them as nothing. "Ignore them, that''s their naturalnguage. They are not booing my logic." Jack shook his head until he saw the minotaur booing him loudly. "Is that hisnguage too?" Joren asked. "Y-yeah..." Jack propped up his sses. "No, I''m booing you. Boo~!" Minos said with an innocent expression. He was booing from the hallway since he broke another wall. Jack shivered, now not with orgasm (do not imagine), but with shame and anger. "Alright, it''s about time I give my ss some assignments to do." "Boo~" "Aww..." Minos lowered his head in sadness while the ss of ghosts did the same. "They actually understand how bothersome an assignment is. Beyond that, they understand nothing. Humans are reallyzy." Jack whispered at Joren which thetter found oddly close. "Uh-huh..." "But regarding earlier, I will let this go. However, if I see you smoking, I will have to bring you to the principal''s office. You don''t want to be there." "..." After the day, Joren was now sitting beside Ness as they y. "Are you human now?" Virena mockingly asked. "Ugh... no." "Then why are you here?" "Listen to this, Virena! Joren is smoking. Don''t you know that smoking is bad? Jack found him about to try one." Ness said with a disagreeing face. "I didn''t know you are that kind of person." Virena sighed as she shook her head. "What''s the deal with smoking? Why is it bad?" Joren asked but initially, he didn''t really like smoking. However, he''s on the smoker''s side now since he needs to. He has to defend his side. "... it''s annoying." Ness said with a deadpan face as if her words stemmed from experience. "They are just annoying people. What if I smoke in a smoking area where I don''t bother other people?" "You''re human so-... I rest my case." Virena gave up, remembering that Joren is no longer a human. "So is it eptable now?" "... can I smoke too?" Ness looked at Virena with a curious face after Joren''s question. "Umm... I thought you hate it?" "It sounds interesting now." Virena frowned as she stared at Ness'' eyes. That''s when she realized what this girl is up to. "You want to get back at Jack?" "Revenge story! I mean, revenge plot! Jack has skin as thick as the universe whenever he smokes. Was he rebelling because he was put in the First Level? I hate it!" Ness stood up and stomped. "Give me a suit and call Jack right now." ... "So... why am I called?" Jack suspiciously asked as he saw Ness with a smug face as she was wearing a suit rather than her usual tracksuit. "You''re here to... huu..." Ness blew the smoke that she just sipped straight to Jack''s face. The unicorn''s face twitched. "give opinion towards... sip... huu~!" "Towards?" Jack gritted his teeth as his mane fluttered from hard Ness blew that one. Meanwhile, Virena was holding a portable fan, not letting the smokee to her. At the same time, Joren sat beside her. "Don''t sexually harass me." "...I won''t." "Your hesitation is disgusting." "Urgh.." Joren only hesitated because he remembered one of the missions the system gave him. Sce he has nothing to say, he chose to change the topic. "I think I''m going to hell." "For being a pervert?" "No, for taking my soul and bing a human again." "I see..." Virena nodded in understanding as if Joren just said somethingplicated. "How the hell are you going too aplish that?" she then asked. "Actually, that''s what I want to ask. How do I go to hell?" Joren scratched his head. "That''s simple, you can just die as a sinner and you will drop to hell." Virena answered but Joren was obviously not satisfied with it. "You know my case. How can I get there without dying first?" "You can go to hell." "Hey, I was just askin-" "No, I mean you can still got to hell even in your case." Virena waved her hand. "Oh, tell me." "There are many gates of hell all around the world. Most of them can be found in Greece but in actuality, the rivers; Styx, Acheron, Cocytus, Phlegethon, and Lethe are connected more than just a few rivers in the real world. The Myth Academy has some Leagues where ake or river is connected to any of those gates of hell." Virena exined which made Joren nodded. "So, can I know what these rivers are in the first ce?" "You should really attend school first." "Is it my fault that there''s few to no subjects that teaches us Greek Mythology or mythology in general?" Joren replied. He didn''t think that those kind of knowledge would be important in hister life so he didn''t take any interest in them back then. "There''s nothing special about them, just don''t disturb the souls. Just listen to the guide and you''ll be fine." "Guide? What guide?" "Oh, wait, you still don''t know. In this academy, excellent students can earn merit points. You can buy some privileges and things with those points. Buying a trip to the Underworld is possible too." "... A trip to the underworld?" The image of a ce with pain and suffering was shattered in his head at that very moment. "Of course, being in thest Level, in thest League, in thest School, in thest ss, I think you are far from being excellent. But buying a trip to the underworld is far better since that would be legal or else. But since you''re going to the Underworld of Greek instead of China, the Diyu, you''ll not face the Ox-Head and the Horse-Fave but Hermes." "Hermes... he''s a God too, right?" "... um, yeah?" Virena raised her shoulders. She didn''t think that anyone would want to make sure of that. It''s likemon sense there but since it''s Joren, she think it''s eptable. "So I''ll be dealing a God from the start." "Yes, so the difficulty just rose. Althoughpared to meeting with the literal Gods of Death in Egypt, that''s better, don''t you think." "Yeah, you''re right." Joren nodded which made Virena frown. "You''re suppose to disagree. Now it looks like I''m cheering you up." "Yeah, thanks for that." Virena just sighed. Meanwhile, Ness finally used up the cigarette stick. "I just want to know your opinion in unbanning cigarettes." Ness asked with a smile. "Hey, isn''t Ness supposed to be shy?" Joren leaned towards Virena to whisper. "Distance, please. But not exactly. She''s just like that when she met you because you''re basically a stranger. Also, you have a scary face." "I-is that so..?" "I want to disagree but I smoke too so I agree!" Jack stood up like a human and mmed Ness'' desk. "Is that all, Principal!?" "Yes, that''s all. You can go now, Mister Jack." Ness cooly sent him off. After he was gone, she removed the tiring suit and put her tracksuit again. "That was super tiring, let''s y!" "Actually, I''m going to go now. I want to get the so-called merit points as soon as possible to buy a trip to the underworld." Joren said. When he was about to go, Ness stopped him. "Wait, Virena told you that? But you still don''t know which hell your soul went, right?" "... now that you say... which hell did my soul go to?" Joren internally panicked. "Don''t worry, don''t worry.. Let''s y and then we''ll do a nekyia and asked a spirit if they''ve seen your soul around." Chapter 28 - [Bonus ] The Sacrifice Joren didn''t know what Ness was talking about. Nekyia? What''s that? "Obviously, he doesn''t know that." Virena sighed which didn''t anger Joren. He was beginning to realize just how there are so many things in this world that he doesn''t know about. "No, if I''m correct since this is an academy, there should be a library, right?" Joren asked which Ness turned her eyes to the side. "Y-yes, there was a library." Virena coughed as she answered. "... something happened to that library?" Joren''s eyelids dropped. "Anyway, let''s y a game. Who needs studying anyway? I''ll teach you everything you know while we y." "Okay, then I want to know what happened to the library." Joren straightforwardly asked as he stepped forward, meeting Ness in the eyes but she kept evading. "Don''t invade the Principal''s personal space!" Virena immediately stepped in, pushing Joren away. "What are you hiding? Did Ness destroy the library or something to avoid reading?" Joren said as an example. But Virena''s eyes just rolled to the side. "No... way?" "I couldn''t be med, right? I-I mean, they need me to check each book''s content since I''m ''knowledgeable'', why not someone else?" Ness fidgeted her fingers as she smiled widely, trying to act cute. ''That''s ridiculous.'' Joren thought but it seemed that Ness was able to read his mind. "It''s not like the ghosts know how to read, right?!" Nessughed it off before sitting down and handing Joren the controller. "Nekyia is a ritual where we summon a ghost which we can talk to. Basically, a seance." Joren no longer pursued the topic which Ness desperately changed. "Hm, so how do you do this nekyia? Is there some tools needed?" "We just need a sacrifice." Ness said before starting the game. "Oh, a sacrifice..." Joren nodded. "Here... you choose a character. Since you''re a beginner let me pick something that''s strong with button smashing." "Oh, okay, this is my first time ying Spirit Fighter." "The controls are easy, but for a beginner like you, thebos will be hard." "I''m getting excited... but what about the sacrifice?" Joren''s face became pale. He knew that Ness and Virena may be ridiculous sometimes but they don''t lie or joke about serious matters. "Ah, for the ritual? It''s needed for the summoning of the ghost. It''s for h h h, you don''t need to know the details. Here''s the character." "Oh, he looks strong." "Do you know the controls?" "Wait, let me check. Is this how you block?" "Yeah! Right, so you know some of it! But heh, I''ll still go easy on you, don''t worry." Ness said with a smug. A momentter, Virena came with two cups of tea. "Here''s for you, Principal." Joren nced to the side and waited for Virena to give him the tea. But a momentter, she sipped it. "Ah, sorry, did you think it was yours?" Virena crouched down on the floor between Joren and Ness. "No... I did not." Virena smiled seeing Joren frown with a reddened face. "Do you like tea or coffee?" "Coffee..." Virena then stood up and went back to the kitchen. "Joren." Ness then leaned forward and giggled at him. "What?" He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing... the game''s starting. I''ll let you practice first!" "S-sure... but what about the sacrifice?" "What? The sacrifice?" Joren blinked a few times as he looked at Ness who kept forgetting what they were talking about. "What kind of sacrifice would we need?" He gulped as he waited for Ness'' answer. "... Virena, can you call Jack here again?" Ness smirked. "Wait, why do you want to call him?" A momentter... "Hah! I finally defeated you!" Joren shouted in victory while Ness screamed in defeat. "How could a button-smasher defeat me!? This is not real! Let''s do it again! You got lucky!" "Sure!" Joren then took a sip of his coffee before he heard someone clearing his throat. He turned his head around and saw a horse sitting with its legs and arms crossed like it was a human. It''s also dressed like a human. However, at the peak of its head, there was a horn that stick out. "Mister Jack...?" He asked. "Hello, again, Joren. I didn''t know you were so close with the principal. I would''ve understood if the principal ignored me but even you, my own student?" Jack said as if he''s hurt. ''But I don''t even go to ss that much.'' Joren thought as he did not dare to say it out loud. "Principal, Mister Jack is here." Virena said. "An hour ago." added Jack. "Oh, you''re here." Ness said. "An hour ago." added Jack. "Are you sure you''re here, Mister Jack?" Joren worriedly asked. "About what?" "..." However, Joren couldn''t say it as he looked at Ness who was wearing a smirk. "Jack, we''re going to perform nekyia and we need you." "W-wait, Ness, I don''t think I will agree on using Mister Jack as the sacrifice!" Joren stepped in as he tried to protect the unicorn behind him. "Joren..." Jack was touched as he saw his student act this way towards him. "Even if he''s disgusting sometimes," "Disgusting sometimes?" "I''m really ufortable killing him just to ask some questions about my soul." "Just ufortable?" Jack''s emotions were neutralized as he justughed. "Don''t worry about it, Joren. The principal is not that homophobic to sacrifice me just because I''m homosexual." "What? If I''m going to sacrifice you, I''m going to sacrifice you because you''re Jack, not because you''re a homosexual." Ness replied with a deadpan face. Jack and she stared at each other. Meanwhile, Joren slowly moved towards Virena and whispered. "I noticed this earlier too but Ness and Mister Jack don''t seem to be doing well together." "Can you stop invading others'' personal space? But no, if Principal didn''t meet me, Mister Jack would''ve been the person she''s most closed with." Joren nodded in understanding. "The first time they met, Mister Jack mocked the Principal''s hobbies so she broke his horn. The second time they met, the Principal appointed him to the lowest League, School, and ss at the First Level. The third time they met, Mister Jack intentionally smoked in front of the Principal. The fourth time they met..." Virena continued enumerating the times Ness and Jack met until she finished narrating as if it was embedded in her head. "As they say, keep your friends close but your enemies closer. I think this is the perfect example of that." "You... seem irritated?" Joren noticed as Virena gritted her teeth. "I should be the closest to the Principal...!" "Oh, okay, good luck with that." Joren took a side step away from Virena as not to further annoy her. "So you want me to perform an alternative to the sacrifice. What? You think all gays are magical?" Jack mockingly smiled. "Maybe it''s because you''re a unicorn? A being filled with magic? How about that logic?" "You got me, yes, I''m magical since I''m homosexual but why should I help you?" "Because if you help me, I''m going to stop your neck from bending the wrong way." Ness said with a smile. "And how are you going to do that?" "Controlling myself." "... okay, I will do it." Jack finally agreed, "With one condition." "Fine, tell me." Ness didn''t hide how bothered she is by Jack''s words. "Promote me to the Second Level! I can''t deal with teaching stupid ghosts every single day! If Joren''s not there to satisfy my desires, I would''ve taken an unpaid vacation!" Both Ness and Virena rolled their eyes towards Joren. They couldn''t hit their shock. "H-hey, you can''t seriously believe that, right?" Joren''s face heavily paled as he shook his head. "No, of course, we know how delusional this unicorn is. It''s just that..." Ness shivered in disgust so Virena had the responsibility to continue her words. "... we imagined the... terror." "Don''t get traumatized by your own imaginations and you, stop blushing!" Joren tried to get it out of his head as he reprimanded his own teacher. "Ness, what about promoting him to the Second Level?" "Ah? O-oh, yeah-" "Wait," Virena then stopped Ness as she stared at Joren. "Aren''t your skin getting thicker? The Principal isn''t going to do everything for you for free." Joren didn''t expect that Virena would take it like that. He just wanted to change the topic. However, he didn''t shrink as he said with a serious face. "Tell me, I''ll do it whatever it is." "I''ll change my condition." Jack immediately proposed. "Denied!" The three of them replied in a unison. "Joren, find a way for Jack to be promoted. Actually, I can''t promote him since I''m not the overall head of the Myth Academy. I can do whatever I want in the First Level but I can''t just promote someone into the Second Level without the Second Level''s Principal agreeing." Ness pointed at Joren which he nodded. "Alright, I promise I''ll do it after I get my soul back!" Chapter 29 - Contacting The Dead Jack was slightly stunned by Joren''s resolve. Also, what are they talking about? "Hm, okay, I''ll do it. It''s not even that hard in the first ce. I just need to rece the death of the sacrificial ram with life essence. That''ll do it. So who will talk with the dead?" "We all will." Ness replied. "... fine." Jack said no more and practiced necromancy which is the base of the ritual. As the ritual began, the unicorn performed necromancy, putting life essence onto the ground. A connection towards the underworld was established and darkness seeps into the surface world. Monsters of unknown origin seek the light that passes through the cracks, yet the gap was too small. An infinite distance was crossed with life and energy. Intermingling as if they were in perfect harmony. The dead and the living, it was like a mirror. Life eventually leads to death. Threads in between were fortified by the glorious existence which perseveres in the unending universe. The other realm, filled with void, found the light. Blinding, they thought. However, only those who have lived are the deads. The monsters in the depths of hell have no power in the realm of the living. Forever, they stay dormant in the ce of suffering. ept the life, bring it to the underworld, the monsters called. Souls began sprouting from their suffering, racing against each other to catch the glimpse of the life they once took for granted, or better, have it. Emotions, memories, and will. Will they experience them once again? Or will they just be blinded by the wondrous thing called life? ... "666-666-666..." Jack pushes the buttons on the old telephone. The handset, which is the phone itself, lied on the desk since Jack didn''t have the fingers to hold objects properly. [The number you are dialing is unavable. Please try againter.] "What? Did the underworld hotline change?" Jack was confused as he tried to dial the same number again. ck ck ck* ... ring~* The telephone rang again before they heard the same voice and the same message. [The number you are dia-] "But the underworld hotline should stay the same! It''s like their fucking brand!" Jack shouted in anger as he tried again but before he ''cked'' the buttons on the telephone, Ness stopped him by catching his wrist. "Let me, who has a finger and not with arge hoof, dial them." Ness then tapped the number ''6'' multiple times and the telephone finally rings. "What''s wrong with my hooves? Stop being so homophobic!" "I don''t think any other humans, whatever their gender is, has hooves for hands!" Ness retorted before the dialing was finally answered. It was on speaker so the four of them were able to hear the speaker from behind. The person has a husky and eerie voice as she said- "Wee to the UnderWorld where you can also have fun, not just suffering, what can I do for you?" Joren pointed at the telephone as this was his breaking point so he asked. "What?" "Yes, I''m surprised too." Virena nodded in agreement before she continued her words, "They changed their previous slogan ''Kill yourself to join the fun of the underworld'' to that." she said with an excessive smile and creepy movements of her fingers. "No, I''m not talking about that!... B-but yeah, good thing they changed that previous slogan." "I... was just reenacting how the demons said their slogan in an UnderWorldmercial." "Commercial? Are they talking to living humans back then when they say that slogan!?" Joren felt like he would never fully understand how any of this works. "No, it''s towards us living monsters. Why would they want humans to kill themselves? They said human bodies are not even enough for a snack. Companies that are specialized in human trafficking didn''t make any profit at all so they lost all their investors. Bankruptcy naturally followed." "..." Even though Virena exined it to him, Joren couldn''t understand what the hell was she talking about. [Okay, Mister Jack. Is the sacrificial ram ready?] At the same time, Jack has already asked for a seance service. "Uh... no, do you currently ept cards?" [Yes, we are online for any transactions through the back.] "Alright, I have a Life-type Credit." [Hold on, tell me the number, expiration date...] While Jack was processing his payment, Virena exined. "We don''t really have a card that holds the underworld currency. You canpare it to your international cards. Just that the realm of the living and the realm of the dead has a big gap so only those who go through a lot of processes have an inter-realm card. The principal is eligible to issue a card but... she''s always ''busy''." Virena whispered thest part. Joren got the gist of the story. This made him look at Ness who was evading her eyes away again. "How about the sacrificial ram? It''s a good thing that we are just sacrificing an animal." "Ah, no." Virena shook her head, "By ram, they mean a devil ram. Johnny, the 1-5-3 janitor is the only devil ram we know. If we sacrificed him, who would volunteer to take the role of a janitor in school 1-5-3? For your information, you''re in ss 1-5-3-10, thest ss." "1-5-3? Does that mean... The first level, fifth league, third school in the Myth Academy?" Joren asked for confirmation which Virena reacted with a genuinely shocked expression. "You figured that out?" "Well, yeah, it''s because I''m in ss 10 so I kind of made the connection." "Wow... and here I thought you never use your brain. We learn something new every day, huh."s Virena let the reality sink in. "And it was stupid of me to think that you''re praising me." Joren smiled in defeat back at her. Meanwhile, Jack finished the payment and the hotline got connected to another person. [H-hello? T-this is my first time being s-summoned... who am I to you when I was alive?] The voice behind the line seemed emotional. The soul thought the ones who summoned him were someone important in his life when he was alive. Hearing this hopeful, joyful, and emotional voice, guilt suddenly enshrouded into anyone''s chest. "Joren, since you have the thickest skin, asked the soul the question." Virena whispered but since Joren had not contributed to anything yet, he walked forward to take the phone from the desk. "Hello, I''m Joren." Joren introduced himself and he realized that Virena was right when she called him the one with the thickest skin. [J-joren? Sniff* I''m sorry, I lost all my memories... are you perhaps... my son who I left?] "Uh... no..." [My brother! You''re my brother!] "Not... exactly." But even Joren who has thick skin couldn''t get straight to the point. [Oh... I see. So that''s how it is.] "Sorry..." And even with thick skin, Joren is still Joren, a person who doesn''t like making other people ufortable. [You are my best friend! Hello, buddy!] "No... not that either." [What? Then who are you..? Don''t tell me... no way... so I swing that wa-] "Sorry, not that either. I don''t swing that way." Joren immediately replied with no hesitation as if he''s talking to a certain someone in that room. [So... why go through the effort if I''m not someone important to you? Oh! Are you a detective who wants to know the true reason for my death and with no clues left behind, you turned against your values and decided to use seance?] "That''s oddly specific but no. I just want to ask if you''ve seen someone with a... scary looking face down there." Virena covered her lips as she tried not tough. Seeing Joren hesitatingly describe his face as scary was hysterical. Meanwhile, there''s one person who doesn''t seem to control herughter. "Hahaha!" Nessughed as she rolled on the couch. Meanwhile, Jack just raised his eyebrow, wondering why Ness wasughing so hard. [What? I don''t understand. You''re contacting me from the realm of the living to ask that kind of question?] "Yeah" Joren just stopped being timid since he remembered what he was supposed to do. [Hayss... I thought it was some loved one who called me.] "Sorry." [It''s okay, I was paid so that''s fine... seriously, I''m fine.] Joren and the rest could hear the soul from the other side of the phone sob and cry for a while before sniffing the snot to properly talk again. [But a scary-looking face... I don''t know what to say, this is the UnderWorld. I don''t think there''s anyone who does not have a scary face here.] "Oh... is that so..." [It seemed that you''re looking for someone. Why not just contact the soul itself?] "It''s a bit moreplicated than that. Half of my soul went to the UnderWorld and I became a lesser undead." [Hm... I don''t know if that''s how it works but, speaking of a half soul, there''s been a sensational soul here who went viral on Helltube. The soul was only waist down, it was hrious! Normally, the souls travel here naked but this one just walked out and let everyone see his dick iling around. Hahaha! Oh my god! Remembering it makes me crack again!] "That should be it! That''s what happens when half of your soul goes to the Underworld. Hehe, no need to thank me but I can somehow predict where your soul will be in a big world as the realm of the dead." Ness proudly proimed which made Joren''s face dark. [Is that so? Oh no, you wouldn''t want others to know it''s your soul. It took a volunteer team to put pants on your lower half. But it was strangely strong and always escaped. Right now, the volunteer team is trying to catch it. There are even times the thing between your legs gets hard while it runs. Goddamn it''s hug-] Ding* Joren ced the phone back in silence. Internally, he was screaming to God why he was alive at that moment.. He should''ve died with his lower half. Chapter 30 - Imminent Future Encounter With The Underworld Dog "Wait, I haven''t asked how huge it is!" Jack felt disappointed as the phone had hung up already. "I-... I have to get my soul-!" Joren''s face became desperate as he learned the truth. "Getting hard? What does that mean?" Ness asked which she looked at Virena for answers for which she just stayed silent. "Oh, it''s normal since the soul and the body is partially connected -- even after death -- but since Joren''s just half-dead, whenever he feels excited so does his soul''s pen-" Jack''s mouth was shut tight with two hands. These two hands did note from the same person. Jack looked at his right and saw Virena intimidatingly look at him. "Don''t taint the Principal''s innocence." The unicorn''s eyes then rolled to his left where he saw a murderous look from Joren. "I''ll kill you." It was no longer a threat at that point but a deration so Jack just shut his mouth. "What?" Ness just tilted her in wonder. A momentter, Joren was anxiously tapping his foot onto the ground. "Stop it, it''s annoying." Virena said which Joren stood up to. This made Virena''s heart skip a breath, thinking that she really offended him this time. However, Joren sighed. "Sorry, I shouldn''t be here doing nothing. I''ll go out and think of a way to get my soul fast." Joren bit his thumb before walking out of the house. Virena and Ness looked at each other. "Joren." The former called out. "Um, yes?" "You can''t go out on your own." "Ah, yeah, I forgot." "Joren." Ness called out this time. "Yes?" "I haven''t told you how to get merit points and how you get your soul out of the UnderWorld." "... you know how?" Joren looked at Ness with a hopeful expression. "This is thick-skinned of me but please tell me." He said, now with self-awareness. "Well, getting straight to the point. If you just took your soul out of the UnderWorld, it will be unstable in the realm of the living. It will desperately find a body that fits it and since you''re the original owner while having some ''space'' within you, it will naturally return." Ness said with a smug expression, proud that she knows the answer. "Wait, so you''re telling me that you''re only telling Joren this now?" Jack raised an eyebrow. "And why are you still here?" "Heh, I''m interested, that''s all." Ness then ignored Jack before exining her reasoning. "If it''s just in Diyu, then, you''ll mostly just worry about Ox-head and Horse-face. But if your face is in the Greek UnderWorld, then you''re going to have a problem with Hades, the God of the Underworld. So, I personally think this is as hard as meeting with the God of Death, Ammit." "Oh... yeah. Well, Hades is not so free to trouble himself with one soul. But you''re going to have a problem with Cerberus who guards the UnderWorld''s gates against the dead that wants to leave." Jack stepped into the conversation since this wasmon knowledge among the teachers of the Myth Academy. "The Cerberus, I''ve heard of it. How strong is it?" Joren answered but Jack justughed it off. "It''s not a matter of how strong it is. Don''t believe the legends saying a strike from its paw can break the bones of a moral human, they''re underestimating the Cerberus so much." "Yeah, I have to agree with that." Ness said with a serious expression. "So how do I escape through the Cerberus then?" Joren asked. The scenario of his soul retrieval was finally bing vivid in his head. The possibility of it is rising. The only thing he know was the reality of that scenario. What if by just entering the UnderWorld, he wouldn''t be able to find his soul due to an ident? That''s a great possibility considering that he has no idea what''s in there. Although it sounds like an amusement park by now. But that doesn''t change Joren''s perception of the dangerous UnderWorld where demons could be seen everywhere while fire spreads throughout thend. It was still a ce where he could meet his death anytime. This mentality will prepare him for the worst as he knew there''s no backing down now. Well, from the start, he never thought of backing down. "If I''m correct, there''s only been two cases where the Cerberus was ''defeated''. One was by music while the other was by strength." Ness pointed two fingers however, she didn''t have much faith in the second. Joren then asked how the Cerberus was ''defeated''. Ness exined but neither of the options was to his bidding. He doesn''t have musical talent nor can he improve his strength before escaping the Cerberus. The four discussed it as hours passed by. When night came, Joren and Jack were sent out by Virena. Jack seemed to be unaffected by the strong pressure and water friction but Joren would always look like he was dying. After recovering, Joren and Jack walked out of the Principal''s Office. "I didn''t know you were that close to the Principal and especially, her vampire maid." asked Jack while they were on their way to the teleportation gate. "Close? Nah, we just met, Mister Jack." Joren denied it but he was pleased he met them. "Not close? For the few times I entered the Principal''s Office, the vampire secretary has only talked to me once or twice, I forgot. Meanwhile, you can easily approach and talk to them. That''s not something anyone has done before since they are quite apprehensive towards other people." "Really? But I think they are kind and weing though. See earlier, they went all the effort to help me. Although I said that Virena has the responsibility, in the end, I think it''s just me and some ident." "What really happened?" "Since you helped, Mister Jack... I''ll tell you." ... Joren then narrated the whole story while omitting some parts that he would never tell. Jack nodded in understanding as he sipped a coffee. "So that''s what happened. Personally, I think it is your fault but at the same time, since you don''t know how hostile the secretary is, it''s not your fault. It''s a bitplicated, I see." "And also." Joren asked with a tilt of his head. "Yes?" "Why are you in my house?" "... that is an interesting question. Since it''s already night now, I shall sleep." Joren shivered by Jack''s suggestion. "No, I fear that will not happen." "Hahaha, I''m just joking." Jackughed before continuing, "Let''s continue this after you rescued your soul... if you will survive." "No" Joren inly replied but he doesn''t want to be so rude as to straightforwardly tell Jack to get out of the house. Jack is still his teacher. "I have a question, Joren." "Hm?" Jack then looked straights into Joren''s eyes. "Being a lesser undead is not that bad, why do you want to turn back to being human? If you offend Hades... let''s just say that would be thest thing that you''ll want. I''m telling you this because if you continue this path, there are only two results; either youpletely die midway or miraculously escape, spreading your name on the same level as Hercules and Orpheus, and at the same time, offending Hades. Both are bad." "..." Joren nodded as he agrees with what Jack said. ''Think, Joren. This is one of the worst ideas I''ve ever heard.'' Soonter, Joren responded after some thought. "Is Hades as strong as Zeus?" ''So he''s reassessing the situation. That''s good.'' "Not really but Hades is still one of the strongest Gods out there. Others cannotpete." With that, Joren should change his mind by now, Jack thought. "Oh, that''s good. Then if I offend Hades and he tries to be my enemy, I''ll put him in his ce before I do it with Zeus." Joren yawned to explicitly show that he''s sleepy. "Umm... and it''s already night. Can we continue this tomorrow?" "..." At that moment, Jack didn''t know if he should pity Joren or not. ''This man has a lot of loose screws to have delusional thoughts like that.'' This made Jack a little sad. ''He''s such a unique man. Unfortunately, he''s an extremist.'' Afterward, Jack agreed and said he''s getting sleepy too. He then went out to go home by himself after saying goodbye and good night. Joren sighed in relief when Jack left. He feared for the worst. "If I don''t aim high, how could will I get out of this situation?" Joren just left some final words before he ended the day... Night had passed and it was the break of dawn... [Mission Progress: 9,336/10,000 swag steps] "Hu... hu... hu... hu..." Around the neighborhood, the Abnormals were weirded out by a scary man who was jogging in a strange manner. The earliest birds woulde out of their living quarters, ready to go to school, only to return and locked their door when they saw Joren who was grinding his side missions and currently doing what he calls "swag jogging" Chapter 31 - Thick-Skinned Progress! It was another morning for our time traveler, Illian Hizuit. Since he was captured by the Myth Academy, he no longer has permission to use his ability to time travel. However, today, the air seemed extra fresh while the morning sun energizes him. "I finally escaped my addiction of time traveling. Having no consequences in life isn''t as good as it sounds. Haa..." He was on his way to his school. Illian attends school 1-3-2-4. It was not a bad ss. It was like a normal school life he was currently living in right now. And even though he has bags under his eyes, he already had a night full of sleep. Illian was especially happy today. He felt like he was finally out of his cage. At that moment, there was a guy that was running towards him. "Oh, someone''s jogging... weirdly... this early in the morning." Illian has goblins for ssmates and a werewolf for a teacher. He wouldn''t be surprised if there''s a caveman in his neighborhood. Since he''s especially in a good mood today, he felt he can socialize with others now. So he raised his hand and greeted when the ''caveman'' who''s jogging in a weird manner passed by him. "Goodmor-" "Huh!?" [Mission Progress: 19/20 Huh!?] "H-huh?" Illian almost jumped from where he stood when he realized how scary this guy was. Afterward, the scary guy then took his hands out of his pocket and offered a handshake. "Ah, sorry about that. That''s just how I greet people in return." Illian gulped as he felt threatened! Seeing that this short guy was stiff and frozen, Joren thought that it was from fear... again. Therefore, Joren just nodded in apology and gratitude before putting his hands in his pockets and continued to power walk with each step swagging- swag jogging. After a while of swag jogging, a notification popped up in front of him. [Mission Progress: 10,004/10,000 swag steps Side Mission #1 waspleted. ept reward?] Joren slowed down and propped his arms against his thighs as he tried to catch his breath. A momentter, he skipped the question. "All of that for two stamina points..." he muttered, a little depressed. But at the very least, there''s progress. He continues to jog for a while. When he was about to reach his house again, the people outside were increasing as they were all going to their schools. Although the number of people is increasing, in actuality, Joren would just see four to five people every minute of jogging. They all wore the same uniform as him but they all have this different aura around them. But no matter who it was, they would not talk to him. Upon arriving at his house, a notification popped out. [Mission Progress: 50/50 hours of having your hands in your pocket. Side Mission #4 ispleted. ept Reward?] Joren dismissed it once again. He actually has his hands in his pockets overnight for the past few nights so he finally got itplete. "But this one is a little hard. Even if I continuously put my hands in my pockets, I will only receive 1 Agility point even two days." Joren sighed as he entered his house. At that moment, a familiar annoying fish appeared in front of him. "As long as I get the job done, it''s working. My image is already damaged to begin with, there''s no need to worry about it. Joren casually said before entering the shower room. After a while of showering, Joren walked out of the shower room, talking. "Are there no more missions for me to do? Something that can give more." Joren frowned since the fish was not answering, instead, another voice replied to him. "I didn''t know who you are talking to but please, put on some clothes first." Sitting on one of the couches in his living room, Virena said with a cold voice. "V-virena!?" Joren immediately covered his body as he hurried into his room. The moment he entered his room, the fish showed up. The mission then appeared before Joren''s eyes. [Mission: Take Virena''s virginity. Time: Five years Reward: +50 Stamina, +50 Strength, 10 instant level up] This was an enticing offer but Joren didn''t want to think of Virena as someone who he could use just to power up. However... "Only if the moment allows it. However, that would not be my main objective." Joren set his morals straight. After changing into his school uniform, he got out of his room to meet Virena who was waiting for him. "What took you so long?" She snappily asked as she sipped from the coffee she made. "Why are you here though?" "What attitude, even though I forced myself toe here." Virena clicked her tongue which made Joren roll his eyes. As if you don''t have attitude as well, he thought. "I''m here because the Principal wanted me to tell you that, as an extracurricr task, you are obliged to visit the UnderWorld as you document it." "Is... is that for real!?" Joren almost jumped in joy as he couldn''t believe what he just heard. "Yes, the Principal had put an extra effort earlier this morning to set this up for you. The appointed time will be on the first day of next month which is about next week or so already. You better be ready." Meanwhile, the Principal who "had put an extra effort earlier this morning" was still sleeping in her messy bed, snoring and scratching her belly. "That''s great! I don''t know how I can thank you for this!" Joren said as he jumped in joy. Seeing this childish behavior of his, Virena slightly smiled before it disappears. "Thank the Principal for it, not me." "Of course, but you came here just to tell me that. How could I not thank you? Oh, did you eat already? I''ll make you breakfast if you want one." "..." Virena took a moment before she stood up, put on her hood, and walked away, "No need. As the Principal''s secretary, I cannot take my time here. Also, repay the Principal with more than just food." She then exited Joren''s house and disappeared as she melt into the shadows. After a while, Joren shouted in joy. He was getting excited and determined. "They''re doing so much for me. I have to amass points as much as possible." Afterward, Joren went out to go to his school while he had his hands in his pockets. Of course, he did his swag jogging without a concern for anyone who saw him. Even towards school 1-5-3, he swag jogged his way through. Bam* "Minos! I said stop destroying the-!" Jack stopped to see that it was just Joren. "Wait! Why the hell did you kick the door down!?" "Huh!?" Joren replied with an intimidating voice. "Ah... sorry." Jack lowered his head. "Good morning, Sir Jack, I''ll be kicking down the door whenever I can if that''s alright." "Huh? Why would you?" Bam* Bam* Bam* Bam... [Mission Progress: 100/100 Doors kicked upon entrance. Side Mission #2pleted. ept Reward?] Joren sweated but ignored the notification. He continued to kick the door down, enter the room, exit the room as he closed it even though the lock had already broken, and then kick it again. Jack and the ss of ghosts looked at him as if he''s a madman. "Weak! That''s not how you break a door!" A heavy voice then came out of nowhere. Joren looked from where it originated and saw a bulling towards him. Joren panicked and dodged to the side. Bam!* The door sted into pieces as Minos charged through it. Afterwhich, he stood up and looked down at Joren with a smirk. "The door!" Jack shouted but had lost the will to reprimand Minos after all the ruckus Joren had done. But for thetter, it was different. "Hey, what did you do that for?" Joren walked up to Minor, staring the minotaur in the eyes. "What are you going to do? Should huh at me?" Minosughed. A vein popped out of Joren''s forehead when he heard thisughter. At first, he was in a good mood, however, he was led back to reality after he put in so much effort just to get one side mission done, giving him one point of Strenght. How will he umte points before he goes to the UnderWorld? This made him frustrated and annoyed, coupled with the fact that he''s tired. And then this minotaur just came busting the door he''s using for training. Joren is aware he doesn''t have the right to be angry but still! At that moment, a notification appeared in front of Joren. [Mission: p Minos'' unreasonable, annoying, and smirking face. Time left: One minute Reward: +5 Strength, +2 Toughness] Seeing this notification, Joren gulped... "What? Scared?" Minos raised an eyebrow as he mocked Joren. Meanwhile, Jack, who was getting amused by the situation, felt that the tension was rising so he was about to intercept when Joren said- "Minos,e here, I''ll whisper something." The minotaur stood two meters in height while having a shoulder width of one meter. Having the ability to easily destroy walls, this minotaur''s strength is nothing tough at. "Hm? What is it?" But his intelligence is quitecking. As soon as Minos leaned forward- Pak* [p Minos'' unreasonable, annoying, and smirking face. Mission Complete. ept Reward?] "Huh?" Minos, eyes widened, looked at Joren''s fearless expression. "I keep forgetting I should be a gangster." He muttered. Chapter 32 - Joren Versus Minos When Joren pped Minos, every ghost''s pair of eyes widened just like how Jack did. "..." Minos then just realized the situation and rolled his eyes towards Joren. This person just pped him, didn''t he? What''s with that fearless look? Minos'' eyes turned red as he fumed from anger. He pointed at himself and asked. "Did you just p me?" "Okay, that''s enough." [Mission: Win the battle against Minos, the Minotaur. Time: One Day Reward: 2 instant level up, +10 all stats except Thugness] Joren gulped at the notification window. Isn''t that too good to be true? But looking at this gigantic minotaur, it would be unfair if the reward for defeating this monster is small. Therefore, since Minos seems to have immense pride, Joren had to do what he had to do. "Heh, what are you going to do, pussy?" Thest word was not expected but it naturally came out of Joren''s mouth. "P-pussy?" Minos shook his head in shock. "Are you calling me a cat!?" He leaned forward as his eyes became redder than before. Since the situation escted so fast, Jack stepped in for the rescue. "Stop!" Jack shouted and corrected. "By pussy, Joren meant that you''re like a woman''s reproductive system!" "..." Minos finally understood what Joren was trying to say after Jack''s rification. "Are you not just calling me a cat but you''re also calling me stupid for not knowing what a repodaktib sisem!?" "I don''t think you understand that either." Joren sweated a little as this bull was getting pretty pissed off by the one word he just said. "I''ll beat you up!" Minos charged forward with his horns at the front. When Jack was about to stop him, Joren raised his hand and said- "I got this." Jack stopped and just watched, remembering that Joren has now be a lesser undead so there are no real consequences, right? ''Maybe getting beaten up by a minotaur will put some sense in him.'' Jack knew how strong the minotaurs are, however,pared them to the Gods that Joren was preparing to face, the gap was too immense for them to bepared. If Joren gets beat up by a minotaur then he should be able to realize how stupid his idea is, right? Joren ran away the moment Minos charged forward. However, Minos was unexpectedly fast even with his body size. Therefore, Joren had to make sharp turns to evade Minos'' every charge. School 1-5-3 was disturbed as explosions could be heard. Minos has broken walls after walls since Joren was too agile for him. "Okay... so how should I defeat this monster?" Joren huffed as he was in the middle of his public ''rigorous training'' therefore, he wasn''t exactly at his peak. He was not very confident in overpowering this minotaur. If Joren were to face Minos head on, he would surely die at least three times. Furthermore, it''s not like he''spletely immortal. He learned that if he were to be brutally damaged before he gets any rest, he might not recover. That''s why he needed Virena''s drop of blood back then. Surrounding School 1-5-3 was just in woods and mud. Joren found that this was giving him an advantage. Minos was tirelessly charging towards Joren at the school yard. His every stomp would make the earth shake while his horns could pierce thick trees. "Stop dodging!" "Why would I, are you stupid!?" Joren replied as he tumbled to the side again. He was thinking about how he could defeat Minos without leaving any permanent damage. He''s doing this for the sake of the mission but since Minos was actually trying to kill him, Joren decided not to hold back. "You called me stupid again!" Minos galloped around to point his horns toward Joren once again. He was getting angrier each time Joren would tumble to the side. "This dumb minotaur doesn''t seem to be getting tired." "Hey...!" At that moment a handsome man came running to stop the fight. Joren knew who this was. It was the brainless zombie that he helped the other day! "You, be careful!" Joren shouted when he said that the zombie kept running towards Minos'' path. However, the zombie just spread his arm and angrily looked at Minos. "You... protect." The zombie muttered as he put his arms forward. Joren stopped and was curious at how strong this zombie is too, seeing how confident he is even though Minos'' power could already be seen clearly. Joren was hopeful and grateful as he watched how this zombie will stop Minos. "Grr..." the zombie readied himself. Minos was approaching and in the next second, the two collided! Joren''s jaw dropped. Like a fragile wooden cutout, the zombie didn''t even decrease Minos'' speed one bit. His body parts were thrown away as if they were bowling pins hit by the bowling ball. "You...!" Joren muttered before he gritted his teeth. [Bulletproof Will.] [Sagging Pants.] "Kyahh!!" Jack covered his eyes but since he didn''t have any fingers to peek at the gap between, he just gave up and ''observed carefully'' "You fucking bull, you''re going too far!" Joren shouted as he raised both fists into something like a hammer and when Minos was a few meters away from his, he dropped it, meeting Minos'' head. Bam* It is solidly connected but Joren felt like he''s hitting a boulder instead of a living being. However, it didn''t stop him from putting in all the force he got. "Argh!" However, before he could push Minos down, one of the horns impaled him onto the tree. "Mister...!" The head of the zombie that was on the ground shouted. Jack saw this and his face twitched. Anyone in that situation would feel fear towards the minotaur. Surely, this is more than enough to teach Joren about how weak he is right? "Boo...~" The ghosts and the teacher ghosts are watching the scene, unable to do anything. "Are you strong now?!" Minos shouted in mockery as he looked up. But at the next moment, he felt something grab his horn that impaled Joren. "Stronger than you." A harrowing voice could be heard from Joren as Minos saw a face that even terrified an idiot like him. Minos tried to pull his horns away but found that it was hard. He looked at saw that Joren''s limbs were hugging the tree on his back while his right hand was tightly grabbed onto his horn. "Let go!" Even with his enormous strength, Minos failed to pull his horn. He was charging forward with all he got earlier, gaining momentum. When his horn impaled Joren, it also impaled the tree. Since the Minos impaled the tree with a charging momentum, he would need more power to pull it back. He could remove it after a bit more effort, however, the fact that Joren was holding his horn disabled him to do so. Since Minos got his horn stuck on the tree with Joren''s help, thetter removed his left hand from gripping the tree. This bes a chance for Minos which he desperately tried to remove his horn now that Joren''s no longer has that much grip around the tree. The tree itself was slightly tilting from how much Minos pull, however, there''s a reason why Joren let go of his left hand. Bam* "Argh..." Minos groaned when Joren mercilessly hit him on the face. However, it was just the start. Bam* Bam* Bam* Joren didn''t stop and when Minos finally removed his horn, he was already dizzy from all the beating. Joren is still strongerpared to normal humans even when he is a lesser undead. Although Virena was holding by a lot back then, Joren still defeated her in an arm wrestle! But since Minos'' horn was removed, the blood finally began to pour down from the hole that was created in the middle of Joren''s stomach. He could feel excruciating pain from it. ''Shit! I think I''m going to faint!'' Joren thought but that made him pull his pants up and move forward. He had to defeat Minos first before he can fall down! Therefore, he ran forward with his fists ready. Minos flinched a little, remembering the pummeling he got from Joren. But when Joren got finally closer, Minos stood up and was shocked. "Gah, I forgot I can stand- ack!" While Minos was speaking, Joren gave him a heavy punch on the stomach. Even by instincts, Minos seemed to becking. Of course, Joren didn''t let go of this opportunity and dropped his pants again to- bam!* Joren''s punch pack a force again. Minos tried to swing his arm but because of the dizziness he felt earlier, that just made him out of bnce. This even made Joren tilt his head before he counter Minos'' fall with an uppercut. Receiving the fist solidly to his jaw, Minos'' eyes immediately rolled upwards as he dropped onto the ground, unconscious. Joren huffed but he put his pants up first before falling to his knees and holding the wound on his stomach which slowly heals up. [Win the battle against Minos, the Minotaur. Mission Complete. ept Reward?] Chapter 33 - Vigorous Training Joren saw the notification bar when his vision went dark. When he was about to fall, he stomped his foot forward as he remembered that someone tried to help him but was utterly destroyed like a flimsy wood in front of a wrecking. Well, at least he tried helping. Holding the hole in his stomach, Joren tried to stop the bleeding. He felt weaker the more his wound healed. He removed his hands since it seemed pointless and just put it in his pockets. "Joren, are you okay?" Jack galloped towards Joren as he asked. "I''m fine, Mister Jack. But that zombie there might not be." He pointed. The zombie tried to shake his head as he wore a smile but since it was not connected to his body, it was futile. "I''m... fine..." "I-I see... you''re a zombie, after all." Joren then walked over to him and asked. "Do you need help building your body again?" "Eh... how''d you know?" "Just a hunch." Joren shook his shoulders took the zombie''s head and ced it back on its body. As expected, the moment he ced it, it attached as if he smeared glue between. "Thanks... and, sorry..." "What are you apologizing for?" Joren then attached the zombie''s limbs. "Well... I''m... no help." While the two of them talked, the ghost professors went to Jack to ask some questions. "Alright, before I hear any of your annoying boos, I''ll take care of all the damage!" "Boo~" The ghost professors replied. Jack clicked his tongue before reading what they were trying to say. Ghost professors know how tomunicate so they get amunication device attached to their bodies. [Boo~] "Wait..." ... "Nah, it''s just fine." Joren replied to the zombie after piecing his bodypletely. "Also, you seem to know how tomunicate more now, huh." "Yes... I''m learning..." The zombie smiled before standing up. "That''s good..." Joren said before his vision finally went dark... Unknown time passed and Joren woke up, seeing a slightly familiar ceiling. "Joren, you''re awake!" Ness excitedly said. Joren''s head rang for a moment as if he got a hangover. He sat up and looked around to see his surroundings. "Ness... why am I here?" "You seem to hate being here." Virena replied but Joren just chuckled. "Quite the contrary. But what happened?" "Well, I heard you fainted after winning a fight like a shonen protagonist the second time!" Ness iled her arms in excitement as if this was the first time she encountered such a situation. "Second time?" Joren then remembered his fight with Virena. Although the first time, he greatly lost, the second was arm wrestling. "How''d you get into a fight anyway?" Virena asked which made Joren ponder for a while. Afterwhich, told the story and towards this, Ness asked him. "Why are you kicking doors in the first ce?" "Uhm... it''s my training." Joren didn''t lie. "Training for what?" Ness continued with interest. "For... getting stronger for getting my soul in the UnderWorld." "What kind of training is that? Are you training to be intimidating and scare the Cerberus away?" Virena raised an eyebrow. "Hahaha... I''m an Abnormal, remember?" Joren pointed at himself, he was trying not to lie and currently, he was barely seeding in it. "Oh, so that''s how you get strong." Ness nodded in understanding but Virena shook her head in doubt. "Yeah, but being a lesser undead, none of my training has real effects." "Huh? Then why are kicking doors then?" "And creepily jogging around your neighborhood." Virena added Ness'' words. "... it''s a preparation." "I see. I don''t think Joren is dumb at all. I trust that he''s doing what he thinks is right, right?" Ness looked at Virena then back to Joren. This made Virena smirk. "Even the Principal is saying that she thinks you''re not dumb just to not make you feel bad." "What!? That''s not why I said that!" Ness panicked since that''s the actual reason why she said that. "No, it''s fine. Thanks for trusting me, Ness." Joren smiled, unaffected by Virena''s sharp remarks. "Well, on that note, if that''s really how you get strong. How about we help your training?" Ness suggested which was pleasant for Joren. Of course, he wouldn''t decline it. "Sure!" "So thick-skinned, you could at least hesitate." "I wouldn''t decline a favor I''m sure I can repay." Joren said while pumping his fist. A momentter, a small room was propped in the misty yard near the Principal''s office. This is where Joren and Virena first met. "Wow, that was fast." "It''s quite easy, don''t worry about it." Virena said without giving an actual exnation. "But does it really needs to be a room? Can''t it just be a door?" [Mission: Kick one hundred doors upon entrance to a room. Time: None Progress: 373/100 doors kicked open. Reward: +1 Strength Points] Joren took a peek at the mission bar to make sure and nodded. "Yeah, it needs to be a room." "Hmm... but I don''t know if this qualifies as a room. It''s just four walls with a ceiling and a door. Also, with one chair inside." "Why is there a chair?" Joren pointed before cing his hand back in his pockets again. "You want me to stand? I thought you have to reply a stupid huh!? at every greeting?" "Oh, you will greet me when I enter?" Virena nodded and entered the room. "Tell me when you''re ready." Joren shouted which Virena replied. "Why would I need to be ready? I just need to sit and call you when you enter." "Oh... right, that was a stupid question." Joren swaggered towards the room. For some reason, he''s quite nervous. Bam* Joren kicked the door to see a redheaded beauty waiting for him in the middle of the room as she greeted him. "Hello, Joren." "Huh!?" But he replied with ''hostility''. "..." "So, how was that?" Virena nodded as she gave her verdict. "It was more annoying than I thought it would be." "Well..." "It''s fine, you can continue." "Okay, be right back." Joren exited, closed the door, and at the next second- bam* "Hello, Joren." Virena sighed as she greeted. "Huh!?" "..." "Is it that annoying?" "It''s fine." Joren nodded as he felt that it was not fine at all. He repeated this over and over again nonstop. After an hour or so, Joren kicked the door open and saw that Virena was standing with a stiff smile. Nerves were popping out of her forehead and her head twitched from time to time. "Hello... Joren." "Huh!?" Joren''s reply was quite weaker than before. He exited and kicked the door open again to see Virena''s position closer to the door. "Hello, Joren." "Huh!?" "Urgh..." A groan came out of Virena''s mouth. "Are you sure you want to-" "Let''s continue." Virena said which made Joren exit and kicked it open again. This time, Virena was at arm''s length. "Hello, Joren." "... huh!?" Pak* Joren suddenly received a p from Virena which made her sigh in relief. It was not heavy but it released a lot of pent-up stress within Virena. "Does... that help you?" Joren asked. "A lot... it helped me a lot." Virena said as she was able to deeply breathe. "Well, it''s fine for me. I would be annoyed too if I''m in your situation." "Then, excuse me." ... For every five ''huh!?''s, Joren gets one p. However, after another hour, one ''huh!?'' equals one p. Pak pak* Joren''s cheeks were bulging already. "That was two... and you haven''t greeted me yet." "Sorry, seeing your face just made me so annoyed." Virena said with a smile. Joren felt danger and suggested. "Why not we stop for today?" "There''s tomorrow?" Virena gritted her teeth, thinking she has to go through all this again. "Well, if you don''t want to..." "No, the Principal wants to help you so I should too." "Well, how about we substitute Ness for a while?" Joren changed his suggestion. "The Principal''s busy..." Virena said but she really wants to rest. A momentter, they went down to the actual Principal''s Office and saw that Ness was ying her console. "Is that busy...?" Joren pointed after waiting for himself to heal from traveling. "Oh, you two are back! How did it go?" Ness asked while her eyes were still stuck on the monitor. But when she won, she pumped her fists before looking at the two. It was a nce at first before she turned her head with widened eyes. "Joren... did Virena beat you up?" "It''s a small price to pay." He then exined it to Ness to which she responded. "Leave it to me! I''m the most patient monster in all Myth Academy!"--- "Huh!?" "..." Ness just smiled when Joren responded with a ''Huh!?'' towards her greeting. "I give up, this is annoying." "Ah..." Joren''s smile twitched. "I sympathize with Virena now, I want to p you too for rudely responding to my kind greeting." "But that was just the first." "We can''t have it this way. I have the perfect person for your training." Ness continued as if she didn''t hear Joren. A momentter, Jack was sitting on the chair within the room. Chapter 34 - Problem? "Just sit there and greet Joren when he enters, okay?" Ness said, trying to restrain herughter. "You''re the principal..." Jack just gave up with disinterest. At the next moment, Joren kicked down the door. "Hello, Joren." "Huh!?" "Bwahahaha!" Ness dropped onto the ground andughed. "Is it not annoying, Mister Jack?" Joren asked to which Jack responded. "Not really. I don''t know what you''re up to but you can continue." "What?" Hearing this, Ness stoppedughing and sat up with a face of disbelief. Afterwhich, Joren kept repeating it while Jack stayed cool. Ness stared at this with her index finger on her lips. "What''s the problem, Principal?" Jack asked with a smile on his face popped a nerve out of Ness'' forehead. "Joren, I think you''re going to have a long training." Ness said suddenly said to which Joren responded. "As long as Mister Jack can!" "I sure can." Jack just chuckled. When Ness and Virena went back to their office, the former asked thetter- "Am I really impatient?" "Of course not, Principal, Joren is just that annoying." "... I see... I see." Ness nodded in understanding before ying some games before dropping onto the bed. When the morning came, Virena woke Ness after she made breakfast. The two then took a bath together before Virena dressed Ness up. "Oh yeah... I wonder what happened to Joren now." Ness suddenly remembered and when the two of them came back, they could hear banging. "They''re still continuing?" Ness raised an eyebrow before she and Virena looked at each other. When they went around, they could see Joren in front of the room, kicking the door which he would then put his foot in the room before closing it and doing it again. It seemed that he had found the maximum efficiency for it. That''s why he''s be so bad. "Good morning." It took Joren a moment before he noticed and for the first time all night, he finally removed one of his hands from his pocket. "Were you two on it all night?" Ness asked with a bewildered expression. Even Virena has a small gap between her lips. "Not really." Joren shook his head as he continued kicking the door and hooking it close. "Oh, then, you must''ve woken up early for that." "Ah? Ahahaha, no, I didn''t sleep. Mister Jack got tired midway through so I brought him home and that''s when I continued." Joren said with hisrge eyebags. "Wait, by not really, you mean the part where you brought Jack home?" This time, Virena asked. "Huh?" But Joren didn''t seem to follow. "I think... you shoulde down and get refreshed first." Ness suggested, feeling a little guilty. Hearing this, Joren was delighted but he hesitated. However, it was an offer from the Principal so he agreed. "Well, as long as it wouldn''t take long." "Ugh... you stink!" Ness pinched her nose before they went down. When Joren was pulled by Virena down, he flinched and closed his eyes in ready for the painful travel. But before he could even feel anything, he heard. "We''re here now." "Eh...?" Joren looked at his own body and found that he was unharmed. "What? How?" "Uh... sorry about that. I can technically protect you from the current." Ness said, expecting Joren to be angry since she hadn''t done that since ever. However, against their expectations, Joren just smiled. "That''s cool. I feel like I''ve just taken a bath." "No, please go take a shower." Virena said as she prepared the towel. As Joren took a sit in the bathtub while a shower washes his head, he felt something off. ''They''re awfully amodating...'' Ness and Virena have been helping him but he felt that Ness was just doing it as a whim. After all, it doesn''t seem like there''s anything eventful happening in their everyday life. "Nah..." But Joren just shook his shoulders before standing up. The bathtub was toofortable that if he stays any longer, he might not be able to get up. Meanwhile, outside of the bath, Ness looked at the ceiling and asked herself. "How can he do it?" "I think it''s because he''s just weird, Principal." Virena answered. "No, I don''t think it''s because he''s weird. Also, I found that you''re secretly helping him too, aren''t you getting close to him?" "... no such thing." "I see..." Soon, Joren came out with a training outfit that surprisingly fitted him. "I feel refreshed and this clothing isfortable." Joren ced his hand in the pockets as the smooth cotton touch his skin for every movement he did. "It''s something that we have in the closet that we never really use." "Why do you have it though?" "I found it once in a store and it just looks so cool." Ness said with a smile which made Joren tilt his head. "Is there something wrong?" "Huh?" "I feel like you''re not in the mood right now." Ness looked at Virena to which thetter looked back but they don''t know what to say. "It''s nothing?" "... okay." Joren doesn''t think that he''s actually close either towards Virena or Ness. So, if they don''t want to say it to him then he had no right to push. "But, you''re really not lying when you said it''s your training?" Ness stood up and asked with an interrogative look. "No, I thought you believed me." "Hmm... that was a white lie." She turned and touched her lips while pondering. "What kind of training is that? How can you even get stronger?" Ness then dropped onto the couch. She became curious. If it''s just a joke, she would''ve left it as it is since she''s bored anyway. However, Joren was actually serious about it. "Um... I told you, I''m Abnormal. Isn''t the Myth Academy the one who took me in?" "Well, we don''t really know each one of your abnormalities. We just know that you''re abnormal... it''splicated." Virena said since exining everything to Joren again would be a hassle. "I see." Joren wasn''t so surprised. He just asked for the sake of asking since he already knew the answer. They wouldn''t ask him if they knew. "So you won''t tell us." Ness squinted her eyes. At that moment, Joren felt that the aura around her changed. However, his lips were quite tight. Currently, he needs the Gangsta System. If he were to lose it, then he would lose the opportunity to get his soul and save Scarlett. Of course, he hasn''t forgotten her even though the days that passed by is more than the days they''ve been together. "It''splicated too." He excused. For a while, they stared at each other. Soonter, Ness scratched her forehead before standing up while pointing her index finger up. "Alright! I''ll go to the UnderWorld with you! Yey!" Ness dered with a smile. "What? Ah... Yey!" Joren pumped and raised his fist as well. "But why?" "I''m curious if you''re lying or not. How the hell is this training!? You''re just kicking down doors and being rude! Therefore, I''ming with you to the UnderWorld!" "Is that possible?" Joren looked at Virena for while she smiled and answered. "No" Ness froze as her eyes lost their soul. "The Myth Academy and the UnderWorld are two separate ces with different rulership. If the Principal went there without notice, Hades might think of it as mockery or something which offends him for some reason." "Ugh... that guy''s unreasonable." Ness has to agree before hope filled her eyes again as she asked. "How about we ask for permission first?" "We''ll have to talk to Zeus." "Okay, I give up." Ness dropped onto the couch and opened her console. "I guess you really hate Zeus, huh..." Jorenmented. The situation was such a roller coaster but he wasn''t that disappointed. He had thought of going alone in the first ce. "No, it''s not that we really hate him." Virena shook her head, "But, we fear him. Not just him but the other Gods as well." "Is it because they''re powerful?" "That and also, because they don''t have respect for those below them. As Gods, they can do anything. They are just being restrained by each other. If there''s only one God, that God would''ve gone down to Earth and done whatever he or she desires, which may lead the world to its inevitable destruction." "Oh, that''s bad." Joren muttered before Virena shivered and continued. "Also, that Zeus is just a pervert. Not just him. As long as it pleases them, they will do it. That''s why we stay here in peace." Virena said while Ness was nodding in agreement. "Is that so... then why don''t we just overtake them?" Joren asked which made Virena and Ness looked at him as if he''s stupid. "If... you met Hades, you''ll learn the power of a God." Virena simply said which made Joren a little excited. They don''t know but he was serious. ''I did say that I''m going to repay them.. This is two birds with one stone.'' Chapter 35 - The Monster Afterward, Virena gave Joren something to eat. He rested after eating and went up again with Ness'' help this time. When Virena was about to volunteer herself to greet Joren, Ness stopped her. "Wait, Joren, don''t you have someone who could do this for you?" "... someone?" "Principal, I can endure it." Virena said, touched that Ness acted for her. "No, you''ll do it if Joren can''t find anyone." "But Joren can''t possibly have any friends, Principal." ''Virena''s roasting me while being emotional. Has insulting me been integrated into her DNA?'' Joren inwardly said to himself. While Virena and Ness were having some moments, he remembered someone who might do it for him. "Ah, I know someone." "Oh, who?" Ness excitedly said while Virena was doubtful. It''s not because she thinks that Joren is socially inept but he''s in a ss where everyone''s a ghost. His only ssmate that''s not a ghost is a minotaur whom he just had a fight with. Other than that, his teacher, Jack doesn''t seem like he would agree again after going through a night of suffering. So who could Joren possibly go to? "A zombie?" Ness looked at Virena. "Is there a zombie in school 1-3-5?" "I... don''t think so. Zombies are mostly within League 1-2." Virena, as the secretary, does all the paperwork and has vague knowledge about the First Level''s current state. "What? But that guy is a zombie, his body is even all mangled up but I put it back on my own." Listening to Joren''s exnation, Virena finally understood who he was talking about. "You''re talking about the Monster." "Yeah, I mean, he''s a monster-" "No, what I mean is, Frankenstein''s Monster." "..." "Or who you usually call as Frankenstein even though Frankenstein is the doctor." "Y-yeah, I know that. I was just shocked because I''ve heard of the Frankenstein before." Joren put his palm forward and massaged his face, "So, you''re telling me that little dude was Frankenstein?" "Yeah, he''s only little now but he could go big by taking another corpse''s body parts. The Monster is not the body but the soul within. Frankenstein made an immortal soul that permanently lives in the living realm. Therefore, once we kill the body, the soul is free to roam which is almost impossible to catch. That''s why we ced the soul in a weak and mindless body." Virena exined and it made sense for Joren why Frankenstein... the Monster, is in a shitty school. He''s intended to be within a weak body with a low intelligence after all. However, wasn''t he learning? Joren just shook his head and waved his hand to go meet this guy at school. He was excused from school since, of course, Ness is a principal. Opening the door with a Bam* to ss 1-3-5-6, Joren saw that it was actually empty. A room that he thought to be full of ghosts, there was nothing. "Hm, that surprised me, Joren?" A single figure then rose from one seat. With a bright smile, he looked at Joren. "You," Joren pointed at him before calling out, "You''re Frankenstein''s Monster, right?" At that exact moment, the Monster''s smile was shuttered. "H-h-how did you know?" Before his eyes became fierce as he gripped his fists. "Well, I heard from the Principal. Anyway, I''m here because I need help with something, are you free?" Hearing Joren''s words, the Monster''s fists loosened before his fearsome face turned to confusion. "What help?" "I''m actually in the middle of training. Don''t question the training but I just need you to sit on a chair and greet me. It''s more taxing than it sounds but you''ll just do that and repeat." Joren didn''t seem to notice anything strange as he exined casually. "Ah? So... you''re not here to do something else because you learned I''m Frankenstein''s?" He pointed at himself but Joren just shrugged his shoulders. "Nah, I mean it''s cool you''re Frankenstein''s Monster. I didn''t think I would meet you. Also, what''s something else should I do?" Joren proceeded to scratch his head in obliviousness. Meanwhile, the Monster sped his hands as his jaw dropped along with a big smile. "I''ll help! I''ll help!" "Thanks! Treat it as doing me a favor, I''ll repay it in the near future." "No need! You already helped mest time, remember?" "Hm, say that again after you experience what''s it like to be in that position. I haven''t been there but the people I know who did give up afterward." "Sure! I''ll do my best!" Jorenughed at him before realizing something. "Say... you speak really well now, I just noticed." They were already walking through the hallway which was suspiciously quiet. "It''s because I''m gaining knowledge in this school. Also, call me Monstein. I was unable to umm... articte that name until now." "Monstein... that''s a..." "Yeah, kind of a spin-off. Everyone''s been calling me either Frankenstein or the Monster so boom, Monstein." "I see, Monstein, it''s a cute name. I think it suits you." Joren lightlyughed while Monstein smiled widely again. "You really think it suits me!?" "Yes, also,e on, can you run? We have people waiting for us." "Sure! I''ll follow you!" A notification then popped up in front of Joren but he dismissed it, thinking that it was about his side mission of putting his hands in his pockets. He learned that if he put two hands in two pockets, the 50 hours bes just 25 hours. The math was wrong since it''s not even a day since hest finished it but Joren hasn''t had a whole night of sleep so he couldn''t be med. A night without sleep is like a long long night for him. Returning to the Principal''s grounds, they saw the two again. Ness slightly moved behind Virena as she takes caution on the new guy. Monstein did the same as he sidestepped to hide behind Joren. Virena and Joren looked like parents who coincidentally met at a park with their children being shy to each other. But not to mention the fact that Ness is more like a teenager than a child since she has that slight curve. "That was fast." Virena said while looking at Monstein. "Yeah, we ran all the way here." Joren replied. Towards this Virena shook her head. "No, I thought it would take a while since the Monster shouldn''t be able tomunicate. Did you carry him?" "Huh? But-" Joren was about to say that Monstein can speak well enough, however, he felt a pull on his back. When he turned his head around, he saw that Monstein was shaking his head before he whispered- "Don''t tell them I can speak well..." Ness and Virena clearly heard this. Their senses were extraordinary. "Ugh..." Meanwhile, Joren was ced into a dilemma. He wanted to be honest with Ness and Virena, at the same time, Monstein was going to help him. But thinking about it, Joren made apromise. "Well, I didn''t carry him. Monstein, here''s what you need to do." Joren didn''t lie but he didn''t tell the truth either as he changed the topic. He thought that it would be harmless, what could be the consequences, right? He even forgot about it after a second he did it since it seemed so inconsequential. Monstein nodded while Joren made him sit within. "This is what you should say, ''Hello, Joren.'', is that clear?" Monstein raised a thumbs-up before Joren continued his training. Bam* "Hello... Joren..." "Huh!?" Joren stopped and looked at what''s Monstein''s reaction will be. Virena had been affected from the very start even though shested long. It was the same for Jack. Ness was justughing her ass off to see that subtle irritation in the unicorn''s face. However, he noticed that Monstein only have a bright smile. Joren saw this and was delighted. He repeated a few times but there was no change. Instead, it seemed that Monstein was having fun greeting him. "Hello~ Joren, Joren." "Huh!?" He even hummed at it as he waved side to side. While the two were doing their thing, Ness ordered Virena. "Look at the school." Virena immediately understood and turned into a shadow. She traveled fast and felt some hostility looking at her from behind. She turned to her original form to look back and even though the Principal''s grounds were far away, she could feel a hostile stare. Virena scoffed at this before continuing. Meanwhile, Joren who was in the middle didn''t even notice anything. A momentter, Jack finally arrived at schoolte. "Joren is excused. I only have my stupid ghost students... although, on the plus side, Minos is gone. He''s still being treated." Saying Joren''s name made Jack recall the traumatizing event but he was able to handle it. The moment he felt the bedst time, he slept like a log and wasn''t able to wake up from the rm he set up. For a unicorn, he got slightly depressed and gloomyst night. However, as he entered the ss, he saw... "Where''s everyone?" He looked at the clock on the wall and it was synchronized with his wristwatch. "Don''t tell me..." Jack then remembered the ghosts professors having boos appeared on theirmunication device... ".... they''re boycotting my ss!? Damn those ghosts!" Chapter 36 - Training Montage "I can''t believe they have the intelligence to think that! I''m so proud!" Jack said as he left the ssroom with passion before sensing another presence there with him. "Secretary?" "Yes, have you only arrived?" Virena came out of the shadow and asked Jack. "That''s right. I got... tired fromst night- so, where did my students go?" "I''m just here not too long ago. When I arrived, they were already gone." Virena exined as she continued. "Also, your students are not the only ones that are not gone. Even the ghost professors are gone.... the whole school of ghosts is gone." "Wait, so... they all boycotted the Myth Academy, not just me?" "... no, I don''t think it''s as simple as them boycotting... I think they''re really gone." Jack raised an eyebrow towards her words. If that''s not the case, what made everyone note to school? As if reading Jack''s mind, Virena answered. "They weren''t just absent, I think they literally disappeared." "Really? And what made you think that?" Jack was dumbfounded by this news. "It''s Frankenstein''s, he learned how tomunicate even though his intelligence is not that far from ghosts or the minotaur." However, Jack just chuckled at Virena''s assumptions. "Are you telling me that the Monster can take in souls instead of just body parts?" "Is it impossible? After all the time in his form as a soul?" Virena asked which made Jack stopughing. It was not impossible. However, Jack didn''t want to believe it. If that''s the case, wouldn''t the Monster be unstoppable? After all, even a Witch can''t curse the dead, or a soul in this case, while a Shaman can only contact them. Long story short, those that are within the living realm have limitations. If someone living were to be able to master the ability of what souls can do, wouldn''t that be devastating? At that point, only the Gods can intercept but before that happens, the Monster will have a chance to wreak havoc first. "Frankenstein''s is special after all. A soul that ispatible with any type of body, even the heroes of the legends are not able topete with that." Virena said to herself as well. "..." Jack lowered his head to think while having his hoof at his chin as if he''s a human. "So, where is he now? From what I can understand, you already talked with him beforeing here." "About that..." Virena then told Jack that it was Joren who brought Frankenstein in. Meanwhile, back at the Principal''s grounds, Ness watched Joren ''train'' from the side. "It''s obvious that he can talk. Maybe he''s not that intelligent to know how deception works." She also thought about how Joren kept it from them. But since he doesn''t know how dangerous Frankenstein can be, Ness didn''t mind it at all, knowing that Joren doesn''t have any bad intentions. "If Frankenstein can really somehow absorb souls, then how should we deal with him?" At that moment, Virena appeared beside her and answered. "The ghosts are gone... no trace." "..." Ness frowned as she watched Joren train. "So, what are we going to do, Principal? Should we report it to receive permission to act?" Virena asked but Ness shook her head after a moment of thought. "How about... we wait first? Isn''t... Monstein a little too friendly towards Joren?" Virena was stupefied by Ness'' suggestion but she said no objection. Therefore, they just let it go. Meanwhile, Jack was at least happy to rx at his boarding house. If he were to be asked why he''s not working, he would say it''s not his fault that he no longer has any students. Regarding the ghosts... they are just mindless spirit remnants in the realm of the living. Their true selves are within the realm of the dead so he doesn''t have any shred of sympathy for them in the first ce. Time passed and days seemed to fly by. Joren woulde down to the Principal''s office from time to time while Monstein would just patiently wait up since he was staying in a room already. Of course, Joren would immediatelye up to give him food before continuing. After a whole day of nonstop repeat of his training, Joren felt like he was going to die, mentally and physically. However, of course, he wouldn''t die physically. While mentally, Joren would just stand up once again. Furthermore, he wouldn''t know how he would end up without his master''s drop of blood. Whenever he was getting slower, Virena would order him to go faster. He was the one who requested it in the first ce. An order from his vampire master is near-absolute which forced him to continued. Meanwhile, Monstein''s smile was still so bright. Compared to Monstein, Joren felt weak, thus, he continued. Three days after training, Joren was getting using to it. On the second day, he had a burning fever eve with Virena''s blood. He could barely move. However, he still continued and got over it as his body was rapidly trying to adapt After oveing his fever, Joren felt lively than ever and became faster in kicking doors and shouting "Huh!?" His speed sometimes makes him out of bnce but he got used to it. Of course, there are times he would faint. No human could stand such a regime. If he''s not a lesser undead, he would''ve died already... After a week, Joren had be so used to it as his body was following what he had on mind. Even Monstein found it difficult to keep up with Joren. He only needs to greet but he felt like he was rapping. Even Ness was shocked when the door wore down. It was supposed to be very sturdy that, with Joren''s level of strenght, he would only able to scratch it. However, there''s no need to rece it... "Huh!? Huh!? Huh!? Huh!?" Just like a martial artist who is vigorously training, Joren was kicking down the door as usual when Ness showed up with a smile. "Joren, are you ready?" Joren was not able to say "Huh!?" just to reply. "For what?" "For the trip to the UnderWorld!" "Huh?! It''s finally that day? I thought it would never arrive..." Joren was genuinely shocked that he stopped. "Yes! Finally, it ended!" Monstein came out of the room, feeling liberated as he jumped. But remembering that Ness and Virena was nearby, he stopped and made a dumb face... he''s literally ying dumb. Joren could feel Monstein as he did not take any offense. "But... am I ready?" He found his hand trembling. "Well, if your training really has some results." Virena said sarcastically which motivated Joren. He pumped his trembling hands into solid fists before nodding. "Yes! I think I can do it!" "..." Virena just stayed silent. Honestly, she have zero confidence in him. What''s the point of kicking down doors and replying rude to the person who greets him? She and Ness have no idea. At that moment, they could hear gallops approaching. They looked and saw Jack before he stopped in front of them. "Joren... I heard you''re leaving today." He said while sniffing. "Hahaha, Mister Jack, it''s not like I''m going to die anyway." "Oh, don''t worry, you will." Jack replied before sniffing again. "Yeah... I have to agree with that." Ness bitterly said while Virena was nodding. "No, I''ll be fine, I''ll just take my soul, beat the Cerberus, ande back up as a human again." Joren said when they heard. "What!?" They all looked at Monstein who had a shocked face. "Is that true!? You''re really going to the UnderWord and fight the Cerberus!?" ''So he really can talk well...'' Jack thought to himself. "Uh? Y-yeah... you don''t know that yet?" Joren asked as he scratched his head. "No! Don''t go!" Monstein grabbed his shirt while pleading. He seemed like a child whose father is about to leave behind. To this, Joren awkwardlyughed. "Come on, don''t discourage me too. It''s not like the Cerberus can destroy a whole house with its strength, right?" "..." "What?" "I don''t think... you know how strong the Cerberus is." Virena was the one who replied. Before she could further say anything, she felt a vibration in her pocket. "The ride''s almost here. We have to go to League 1-1 and go to the location of where the cruise ship will be." "Cruise ship...?" Joren muttered in question. "Oh, let''s talk on the way." Ness said as they all continued towards the teleportation gate. "You see, there are so many who wants to visit the UnderWorld that they have to innovate. Since the River Styx is wide, they improved their transportation from a small wooden boat to a cruise ship with an in-doors theatre, swimming pool, and many more." She exined to which Virena asked with a pleasant surprise. "You seemed to know a lot about this cruise ship, Principal? And also, what''s with the big bag that you''re holding right now?" "Ah? Well, it''s because I should know the ce I''m going to have vacation in." Ness answered as she pushed Joren into the teleportatoin gate and stepped into it. "Huh? Principal?" "Take care of the First Level without me, Virena!" Ness waved her hand before she felt a push from her behind. "Principal Ness, I think that''s irresponsible." Joren said with a smile. "Hahahaha, Joren..." Ness then pped Joren''s hand away as her face got serious, "Don''t push me out." before she pressed "1" button twice in the elevator-like teleportation gate. The shocked faces of Virena, Jack, and even Monstein were thest thing that Joren saw before he would travel to the UnderWorld with Ness, the First Level Principal of the Myth Academy. Chapter 37 - Off To A Vacation "Ness, are you sure you''re going to leave Virena behind?" Joren asked to which Ness just nced at him before answering something else. "You really can''t read the mood, huh? Normally, others would just stay silent after I p their hand away." "Well, sorry for that." "Also, you got a lot of nerve for a freeloader." Ness pointed at him, making Joren realize that there''s still a lot of things about Ness he doesn''t know about. "But don''t worry, it''s only for a few days, I''m going to bring home some souvenirs for her. She''s going to be so happy for it!" Ness then jumped and soon after, they reached their destination to which Ness pressed the hold button. "Wait, hold my backpack for me." "Huh?" "Hurry, freeloader!" She threw the bag at him. "Pervert and now, freeloader. Although this time, I couldn''tin." Joren muttered to which Ness grinned. "Nah, it''s just a joke. It''s fun to have someone new in the house anyway. You''re thick-skinned and stupid but you''re honest and got the spirit. You''re not bad." Although Ness was kind of praising and insulting him simultaneously, Joren was unable to give a reply as his jaw dropped towards her transformation. "I-Is it just me or you''re growing taller... and more mature?" ''And more curvaceous?'' But Joren just swallowed those words since he had learned his lesson from Virena. "Heh! I''m sexy, ain''t I?" Ness struck a sexy pose while having fun. She then opened the bag that Joren was holding and took the pair of sunsses and a cap before removing her tracksuit which revealed summer wear underneath. In an instant, the Ness Joren knew disappeared and some hotdy appeared in front of him. He knew Ness was cute but he saw her as too ''young'' to be seen as the opposite sex. Now, he was speechless. "So, how do I look?" She asked but Joren was too stunned to reply. "I''ll take that as apliment. And you''ll hold the backpack for me. Let''s go!" The sexy and mature Ness pressed the open button before pulling Joren out when suddenly. "Principal!" "Oh no!" Not too far where another teleportation gate appeared, Virena and the other two appeared. Virena had a worried face as she called out to Ness. "Hurry, Joren!" "Wait, no, you have to say goodbye firs- woah!" Joren tried to stand still but he was nothingpared to Ness'' strength. Being pulled away like a weightless object made Joren feel weird. At the same time, he looked around to see withered trees, dark skies even though it should be morning, lifeless soil, and barrennd before the view was shrouded by darkness. He doesn''t know how fast Ness was going but the wind was distorting his face. "Wawawawa!" Like going through a tunnel, the light finally entered Joren''s sight and he saw the sky... no, there was a tall ceiling. Apanied by the sound of river waves, there was a loud horn of a ship. Joren turned his head and saw that Ness was running towards arge cruise ship at full thrusts! Meanwhile, Virena and the two others were unable to catch up. Furthermore, Jack and Monstein don''t seem to be taking the chase seriously while Virena seemed hesitant, slowing her down. There was no chance that they could catch up to them therefore, Virena stopped to watch them with a sad face, making Joren feel guilt and pity. He would''ve done something if he could but at that moment, he saw that Ness have a serious expression as well. Eventually, they reached the cruise ship to which Ness went into the staff at the entrance before they actually climb the stairs and enter the ship. "Name?" The cruise crew with a little horn on his forehead asked while he looked at the list of reservations. "Joren Vierei and I''m the plus one, Vanessa Vierei." The crew guard took a nce at Ness before asking. "Rtionship?" "Ugh... is that important?" Ness raised an eyebrow. She just changed her form even though her usual form was already unknown to the others. Therefore, she can''t act domineering, or else she''ll have to reveal her identity which would be pretty disappointing. "Umm, we''re a couple." Ness'' face twitched as she lied. "Even though you have the same surname?" ''Why is this guy so inquisitive!?'' "Did I say we''re a couple? Hahaha, I mean we''re married. We just got married so I''m still not used to it, right, d-dear?" Ness called to Joren to which he stiffed up and replied with a robot voice. "Ah, yes." "Oh, so you''re on your honeymoon." the crew guard nodded in understanding as he write something on a piece of paper. "Gr...." Ness looked behind and saw a redheaded figureing at them with full speed. It seemed that she had made her mind to stop her! "What?" the crew guard raised an eyebrow. "I mean, yes! We''re on our honeymoon!" Joren gasped which made Ness re at him ''Act normally!'' "Alright, show this paper to the person who wees you into the ship and they will lead you to your room." "Room? Not rooms?" Ness leaned forward as if she heard it wrong. "Is there a problem?" "Tsk! No, give me that!" Ness then took the piece of paper then hurried to climb the stairs. Right after which, Virena just arrived at the entrance but the crew guard stopped her. "Name?" "Argh...! I''m not on the reservation list!" Virena, as the secretary of the First Level, knew what kind of a ruckus would ur when this scandal would spread, therefore, she didn''t want to go over the line. "I just have to talk to that person." "That person''s name?" "..." Virena can''t say the name of the Principal when she heard a shout. "Hey!" She looked up and saw Ness waving at her. "Sorry! I''lle back with a souvenir, okay!? Bye!" Hearing this, Virena just stopped and reluctantly waved her hand. "Um... have fun!" She didn''t call Ness'' name too but thetter just smiled and continued waving. "... so touching." The crew guard wiped the bead of tear from his eye. He then took out a walkie talkie and said, "Garas, here, Captain. Can you start the ship, now? It would make this scene I''m watching more emotional." [Bzzt- roger that, Garas. Bzzt-] The ship made a loud horn again before moving away. "Is... that fine?" "Oh, don''t worry, Secretary Virena, the whole cruise ship is reserved for Joren Vierei only." Garas stood up with a polite smile. "You know me?" "Yes, I wouldn''t forget Secretary Virena-" Bam* Garas immediately received a kick, dropping him into the river. "Gah! Then why did you stop me!? I''ll remember your name!" Virena then walked off while stomping her feet. "Hahahaha! It would be a pleasure, Secretary Virena!" Garas''ughter filled the gigantic cave that was like a world of its own. "Wait... I''m left behind! Wait up!" He then swam towards the ship. ... Meanwhile, Ness and Joren were led to their room and upon opening the door, it was revealed. "Have fun." The crew member bowed and left before Ness and Joren could recover from their shock. Pinkish decoratives, soothing music, heart pillows, and contraceptives on the table... this ce screams love hotel. "Umm, aren''t there a... milder room?" Ness turned around but saw that there was nobody there now. "I''ll find a staff to talk to." "Y-yeah... I''ll just stay here." Joren said before entering and exploring the room. There''s only one thing in his mind. ''Sofy'' He felt within the room. Furthermore, when he sat on the bed, it felt like it was eating him. "O-oh..." Joren shivered from how smooth and soft the bed is before he removed his shoes and rolled over it. It was a king-sized bed and as he rolled, it felt like there was no end to it. "Is this the feeling of being rich!?" Joren, a normal teenager just a month ago was now experiencing luxury. It was incredible. Excitedly, he looked around and found something on the table. "Is this snacks?" A momentter... "Nope, it''s a condom." He gargled his mouth many times after that. But afterward, he was most excited about therge television screen on the wall. As he found the remove and turned it on- [Ah! Ah! So good!...] Seeing the porno on a big screen, Joren was stunned but at the next moment, he realized something. ''I haven''t released it for a long while now... this is bad.'' A moment earlier, Ness just spoke with the staff and said that they can''t change the reserved room for them. She felt the urge to reveal her name as the big boss of the First Level but restrained herself. "Haa... it should be fine. It''s not like Joren would misunderstand it and be swept up with the mood, right? That would be awkward..." She muttered as she reached their room to hear something questionable. [Ah! Ah! So good!] At that moment, Ness saw the phenomenon, that only men experience, the ''second time''. Chapter 38 - Educational "Wait, Ness, I didn''t think the television would show a porn-" "No, i-it''s fine. I understand, I understand." Ness cut in Joren while covering some part of her face. "It doesn''t look like you do, though..." "Well...!" Ness took a peek before continuing her words, "-... I would''ve understood if you''re not so excited about it!" "I was... sorry, I''ll get rid of it!" Joren then ran into the bathroom which widened Ness'' eyes. "Wait! You don''t need to cut it! Isn''t that important to you!?" With her speed, she was able to catch up to him, pulling him back. "I''m not going to cut it, Ness! Let go...!" Joren felt like crying as his face burn red. "No! Just cutting it is already bad! What are you going to do with it!?" Ness genuinely panicked. Joren doesn''t have enough strength to release him from Ness. He had no choice but to be honest. "It''s not like that... Listen, I''m just going to beat it." "..." Ness stayed silent for a second. She imagined Joren punching his private part, projecting his shame and anger onto it until it falls off. Her eyes be teary. "No! Don''t do it to the poor little thing!" "L-little thing!?" Joren found that oddly insulting. For some reason, he wanted to defend his pride as all men should do, he thought. "It''s quite big for your information." "I don''t care! Don''t beat it to death!" Ness then decided to pull him and throw him onto the bed. "Calm yourself there and think this through, okay?" [Ah! Ah! I want more!] "How can I calm myself down with that in front of me!?" Jorenined to which Ness found a dilemma. Should she reach for the remote? But this would let Joren free and beat his meat until it''s dead! "Wait, I''m going to tie you first!" Ness then took Joren''s hands without him being able to fight back. She then turned him around and sat on his back to which he responded. "O-ouch, wait! It''s bending! It''s bending badly!" "S-sorry!" a bead of sweat dripped from Ness'' forehead as she turned Joren up before sitting on him again while pinning his wrists above him onto the bed. That was when they heard a gasp. Both of them looked at the entrance of the room and saw a staff member with a dropped jaw. "Sorry! I just wanted to say the time of when the buffet will...- I''ll just close the door!" Bam* The door closed abruptly, creating an awkward silence within. "N-ness..." Joren seemed like he wanted to cry, "Get off, it''s... it''s poking you." If only Ness was not in her mature form, he wouldn''t think of anything in this situation. But the brain in his dick was waking up and it''s in rage. Good thing that he doesn''t have enough power to overpower Ness or he would''ve done something irreversible. "Poking me? Ah-! Pervert!" "But you''re the one who suddenly sat on me!" "N-no, this is fine! It''s nothing immoral, we''re wearing clothes!" Ness tried to be optimistic but Joren just bitterly bit his lip. "Just get off me first." "This is your fault, why are you going to beat your thing!? Just because I saw you getting excited!?" "No, by beat, I mean I''m going to masturbate and release some frustration so get off me now." Joren finally said it and it was more embarrassing than he thought. "What kind of a ritual is that?" Ness had long raised her hips not to touch Joren''s thing but it was not enough. A hotdy was still pinning him onto the bed while porn was ying in the background. The worst part is that it''s just a misunderstanding! Joren had never been so miserable. "Masturbation! I''m going to stroke it myself and make myself feel good until I cum! How much more are you going to make me exin!? It''s healthy and not self-harm, I''m sorry for my wording but that''s just how it''s called!" "O-oh..." Ness'' face burned up as she released Joren. Afterwhich, he ran to the bathroom as if he''s running for his life. A momentter, Joren came out with a calm face. "Ness, we need to talk." "... y-yes, Sir." Ness sat on her knees on the bed as if she was ready to be scolded. Standing in front of her, Joren had a solemn expression. It seemed like he took a long breath in the bathroom. "I think we are both at fault here." Joren said even though he believes that he''s really not to be med here. "Yes, sir." Ness nodded. "However, I think it''s weird that you don''t know anything in this topic in particr. If you knew, we wouldn''t..." Joren didn''t need to continue since Ness already understand what he was trying to say. "So, what should I do...?" Ness fiddled her fingers as she asked. "We''re going to have sex education!" Joren strongly said. "We''re going to have sex what?" "Don''t cut the education part!" Joren felt like he was in danger. He might imagine it and enter an awkward state once again, "Ehem... but I understand if you''re ufortable with it. You can ask Virenater." "Eh? No way, it would destroy the respectable image I have in her mind." Ness strongly declined which made Joren drop his eyelids. ''What respectable image?'' "Well, then, you can ask Mister Ja-" "No" Ness'' face turned serious. Joren now felt like he was the one in the wrong. "O-okay, that''s my bad. Then you should ask somebody else that you''refortable with." Ness'' eyes then drifted to the side. "You don''t have somebody else, do you?" "Don''t make it sound so sad! I''m just an introvert, you know." Ness just shrugged her shoulder. "... then I''ll teach you. I don''t trust you if you''re just going to learn from games or some of the things that you watch. I mean, how could you not know that? Isn''t there a particr scene in one of your shows that shows you that?" Joren asked to which Ness pondered and recalled. "Well, whenever some strange atmosphere is happening between the characters, Virena would cover the television and skip the part. She said I don''t need to know that part and she was right so I didn''t really bother..." ''So this is your fault, Virena.'' Joren thought before deciding. "Fine, for the better of us both, I''m going to teach you right here, right now." "Isn''t that weird?" "It''s weirder that you look so mature but you don''t even know what masturbation means. What if a scumbag decided to deceive you, you will not even realize it?" "I-I see... I''m always hiding and alone so..." Ness frowned and nodded. "Yes, just think about Zeus if you want an example." Joren just said since he had heard of that God''s name from them in a hateful manner so he thought it would work. And, as he expected, Ness made a disgusted face. "No, I don''t want that! Okay, teach me!" "Alright, take some notes." When it''s finally lunch, the staff member that witnessed a ''hot'' scene earlier returned. "Ehem, I think this should be a good time. They should be finished, right?" He stood in front of the door and knocked. Afterwhich, the door opened and a questionable sound came out. [Ah! Ah! I''m going to cum!] "Hi, what is it?" Joren opened the door, fortunately, with clothes on, the staff member thought. The crew member then nced and saw thedy watching the porn on the big screen while writing down some notes. [Ahh~!] "So that''s how semen looks like, I see... so you should be drinking it." She then writes it down. Unfortunately, Joren didn''t hear this as he was waiting for the crew member to speak. Now that he looked at Joren''s face, the staff member was pressured and scared. "Umm... I''m just here to remind you that the buffet is now open again for lunch. You can enter from 10:30 AM to 1:00 PM" "I see, we''ll be right there. Thank you for reminding me." "Oh..." but hearing Joren so polite made relieved the staff member some pressure, "Alright, Sir, we''ll be waiting for you there." After the staff member left, Joren went back and told it to Ness. "Are we finished?" "Yeah... I mean, there''s not much to it. If you want, I can teach you the biology of how babies develop within a pregnant mother." Joren spoke like a professor. His words were purely educational which made him avoid being embarrassed about it. "Nah, I think I''ve learned enough. It''s kind of disgusting but intriguing. I felt hot and energized for some reason." Ness said which made Joren roll his eyes away. ''I wouldn''t me her for being horny after watching porn.'' But thinking that she would recover from it after eating lunch, the two decided toe to the dining hall where rows of meals were ced.. Joren haven''t eaten anything since dinnerst night, seeing this made him salivate. Chapter 39 - Fun Within The Cruise "Good afternoon, important guests." "Gah..." Ness reacted when the one who greeted them was a man drenched in river water. Also, doesn''t this man look familiar? "Let me show you to your table." Garas, the crew guardst time showed the middle table to them. "This is odd, why are we the only ones here? Also, why are you wet, aren''t you cold?" Joren asked to which Garas replied. "This whole ce was reserved just for you, Sir Joren. We take the orders from the higher-ups very seriously. Thus, we had canceled other guests for you to enjoy the whole ride for you and your wife." "Wife? Oh yeah, wife... we just got married." Jorenughed and took Ness'' hand. She tried to remove his hand but the staff member was especially observant as she noticed from the movement of his eyes. ''Vanessa Vierei. Who is this wonderful woman? I''m seeing a lot of simrities to her and to the venerable Principal-!'' Garas'' eyes widened, making Ness almost jump. In a panic, she hugged Joren''s arm. "Yeah... we just got married! I forgot that a lot too, hahaha..." ''No, I don''t believe it...'' Garas want to shake that thought away. There''s no way, right? If that''s true, the repercussions are intense. ''As a number 1 fan, how could I not know that Principal Ness has an older sister!? That would be a disgrace!'' Joren smirked at that moment. ''So soft...'' he was truly enjoying it. "What would you like? We will get the food for you, no need to stand up." Garas said which Joren and Ness found it convenient. "Okay, so, how do we know what foods there are? Don''t you have a menu?" Ness asked with a smile, excited to have a cruise meal. "Oh, you''ll have to take a look at the food ced there on the table." "But to get there..." Ness didn''t know what she was expecting so she just stood up, "Come on, Joren, let''s just get it ourselves." "Joren?" Garas frowned after hearing this. "... I mean, dear, my love, whatever,e on." Ness then pulled Joren away, annoyed. The one being pulled away wanted to give the waiter a thumbs up but obviously, he couldn''t. "What is happening here? Are they messing with us?" Nessined while taking a big te of the meal while her eyes are shining. "Isn''t that too much?" "Nope, never enough for food." After the two sat down and ate their lunch, they went back to their room. Ness stretched and dropped onto the bed. Joren sat on its edge too but since the bed was big, Ness wasfortable with it. "So, Ness, when are we going to arrive at the UnderWorld?" "Hm? After we wake up tomorrow, we''re probably there. And don''t think of training here! We have a whole day of vacation on a cruise ship! You already did so much for a week so you should rest your body... zzz..." "... thank you, Ness." Joren smiled and alsoid down on the bed to look at the rtively far ceiling. This is reality, huh... he''s actually riding a cruise as a trip to the UnderWorld. ''If my life continued as normal, I wouldn''t be able to afford this trip even if I sell four kidneys...'' Everything was like a dream and at that moment, he heard mumbling from Ness. He turned his head and thought- ''If she''s a restless sleeper, it would be awkward if another misunderstanding happens.'' Joren inwardly thought, thinking that it would be another trouble. However, deep down, he wished he would jinx it. Looking at the mature Ness, something really riles up within him. ''She looks so vulnerable. Even though she has now a more mature appearance, she''s still childish and innocent. Virena spoiled her too much. Speaking of Virena... I wonder why Ness did that earlier?'' Joren felt the urge to know more about Ness. But, ultimately, he shrugged it off. It''s not something she would answer just because he asked. ''I could see that she didn''t really care about me. I mean, it would surprising if she does. She''s just being whimsical and doing whatever she likes. But even so, I''m grateful for it. Thank you, again, Ness. Someday, I''ll be of your assistance.'' "But now, I should probably focus on getting my soul back... as for Scarlett, I wonder what she''s doing?" While Joren spends his time within his mind, half an hour just passed by and Ness woke up from her nap before sitting up to realize something. "Ah!" "What?" Joren woke up from his daydreaming when he saw that Ness was finally awake. "Oh... you''re awake..." "Didn''t I just say that we should be spending the day active!? What are you doing lying down just now? Also, why are you so disappointed?" "Huh... but you''re the one who slept first." "Details... details...e on. There''s a theater, a swimming pool, a gym, a spa, a yroom, and many more!" Ness ran up to the door to which Joren followed with a bitter face. ''Damnit! She moved quite a bit but she didn''t reach me. Also, I''m sorry for being such a sinner! But wait, a swimming pool? Are we going to...?'' Joren then imagined the mature Ness being in sexy swimwear. ''Wait! Wait! Focus, Joren, you are not a pervert. Every time you think like that, you''re proving Virena right!'' While Joren was having an internal conflict, they reached the in-door theatre. "What are the shows? Are there any anime?" Ness asked the counter which the female staff answered. .... In the middle of the stage, a woman was singing in a high-pitched voice. Joren and Ness were currently sitting in the VIP area while there were no other people even with the tens of rows of seats below them. "This is so boringggg...." Ness grunted. "Huh? But she sings so well." "So what if she can sing so well? Where''s the revenge plot? The main character powering up? The power of nakamas!?" "First of all, I have no idea what you just said in thest part. Second of all, this isn''t story-driven entertainment. It''s rxing and being able to-... wait, are you making faces?" Ness then giggled before standing up. "Come on, the bottom line is that I''m not enjoying it." "Hey, isn''t it rude? We''re the only people watching her. At least, let her finish. Look at her, she looks like she''s about to cry, I think she can hear us." Joren apologizingly looked at the woman singing in the middle of the stage. "Nah, let''s go to the swimming pool." "Swimming pool? Alright, let''s go." Joren''s face shifted from reluctant to neutral. He then put thumbs up onto the woman at the stage before going off... "Oh, sorry but the pool is closed today for a cleaning." A janitor said to them. "Noo!!" Joren dropped on his knees before Ness could, leaving her dumbfounded. "It''s fine, Joren, we can go swimming next time." ''He might''ve really wanted to swim.'' Afterward, they went to the gym. Ness looked around and was left disappointed. "These things are not even heavy. What am I going to do here? Stretch?" Joren could understand her. He trained a lot when he was a kid and was always left disappointed whenever the weights in the gym were no longer heavy for him. He then looked at one weight and found something odd. "Wait, is this a typo? It says that it''s 500 kg heavy?" "Yeah, are they mocking us? It''s so light, I could lift it with my eyelids." "Hahaha, that''s an exaggera-..." Joren stoppedughing when he saw Ness casually lift the weights up and put them on her closed eyes. With a serious face, she tried to open them but the weights just slipped off. THUD* The sound of the weights falling sounds like it was a whole car that hit the ground after falling off the cliff. "Oh, it''s not for eyelids anyway..." Ness sighed as if nothing happened. "Let''s go to the spa!" Arriving at the spa, Ness then passed by it. "Huh? Isn''t this it?" "I forgot I hate being touched." Ness casually said. "You could ask for a woman to give you the massage though." "No, I don''t like anyone touching me." Hearing this, Joren found it odd. Didn''t he touch her (nowhere sexual) many times already? "Here''s the yroom! I wonder what kind of games are within this room!" Ness opened the door before Joren closed it after seeing the objects within the darkroom. "Huh? Why''d you close it?" "I think it''s a different kind of yroom." "So what? It''s fun to explore new games." "There''s no video games there." Ness'' shoulders dropped while Joren looked around. They are at the amusement center where there are a lot of services for entertainment. They are not even far from the mall. However, it doesn''t seem like they would enjoy being there. "Ah, would you like to go there?" "Where....? Wait, a karaoke?" Chapter 40 - Filing For A Divorce! "You don''t like it?" Joren asked after seeing Ness'' hesitant face. "Ah... ahahaha, I don''t like singing at all..." "Your eyes are drifting. Are actually just bad at singing?" "What!? How dare you!?" Ness strongly replied while putting her hands on her hips. "..." "... yeah, I''m bad at it." "I''m tone-deaf too. Let''s see who''s worse!" Hearing what Joren said made Ness lift her head up. "Alright! I will not lose!" They then ran into the karaoke and took more time than they expected to find the songs that they want. Joren was only familiar with the popr songs that were always being yed in public. But after seeing Ness'' troubled face, he picked a song from an anime that he watched some time ago. "Ah... that''s-!" It immediately aroused Ness'' attention. "You know this?" "Of course, I know the ''I Want to be A Hokage but I Have this Fox inside Me'' anime. I even watched the ''I Still Want to be A Hokage but my Edgy Friend is Missing'' sequel. That''s a very popr anime, how could I not know that?" "Then can you sing it? I actually forgot the tone." Being offered the mic, Ness paused but when the theme song began, she just took it and sang. "Isse no se..." Ness began singing even though it''s anguage she does not know how to speak. Joren joined it with another mic. True to her words, her voice was bad. However,pared to Joren, she''s normal. When Joren joined, Ness gave an expected reaction but he still continued making Nessugh and just ignore the bad voice. The two continued for three more anime songs before trying the popr songs that they might know and found it good to sing. An hourter, they dropped onto the sofa with tired throats. "I need something to drink..." Nessughed while sweat trickled down her neck, making Joren gulp. ''Can''t you just turn to your normal appearance? Why do you need to make me suffer?'' He could only say inwardly as it would be questionable if he really said it out loud. "I think we can order there, let me try." Joren pushed the button below a speaker that''s on the wall. "Hello?" [Yes, what can I help you with?] Joren smiled at Ness after learning his right to which she responded with two thumbs up. "Umm..." he then thought it through before asking, "Is it free?" [Yes, everything is free as long as you''re on the cruise.] "Nice..." Joren muttered while deciding that he will treat Virena like a princess once he returns. He then asked what foods and beverages he can get to which he was given a wide variety of choices. Excitedly, he enumerated the ones he like before asking Ness- "What do you want... umm, dear?" He blushed but Ness justughed it off. "I want beer, dear!" "Eh?" Joren raised an eyebrow. "Come on, you''re not going to drink." "Are you sure you can handle it?" "Sure! Sure! Give me this chance, Virena doesn''t allow me so it''s been years since myst alcohol...!" Ness made puppy eyes which is super effective. "Give my wife all the beer she wants." Joren just like calling her his wife since, why not? This might be the only time he can get to call her wife. ''I''m sorry, Scarlett, but I''m enjoying this false rtionship even though it''s already limited to calling names.'' "Yes!" Ness celebrated after hearing that she can taste alcohol again. She looks like she''s already intoxicated before she had even drunk one drop. When their order arrived, Joren got intimidated by the size. "I think I got too ahead of myself..." "It''s fine, it''s fine, we can eat this all night. This is already our dinner!" Ness proimed. "Sure!" Joren agreed with determination. Thus, night arrived and their vocal cords were used so much that they can''t talk for a while. "Hm mm hm?" "Mmm hm..." Theymunicated with hums. The karaoke room was filled with stic garbage from the snacks they ate and cans of beer. Ness had already drunk three cans. It was enough to make her slightly dizzy. It was so obvious by just looking at her face. She seemed high. "Ergh... you okay?" Joren was the first to speak. "Yeah... yeah... yeah, of course..." Ness replied while her head was swaying left to right. Of course, Joren took this as a no. He took her beer to which she cried. "No! Bring it back!" "You''re already drunk, wife." Joren said and took advantage of the situation. "Husband, gimme the beer or I''ll file a divorce!" "Go ahead." "I''ll really do it!" Ness tried to threaten their fake rtionship that she only made up this morning. Joren find this amusing so he yed with it. "You''re going to give your children a broken family for a beer!?" Hearing this made Ness cry more. "No!! Not Johnny! I don''t want to give Justine a broken family!" Joren restrained himself tough as he continued. "You want to take this to court? I''ll sue you and get all the property and the children." "I can''t believe I''m married to a scumbag like you!" Ness clenched her fist. "I''ll sue you back for cheating!" "Huh? When did I cheat?" Joren stoppedughing as the joke took a weird turn. "Last night, you said you were working part-time but I saw you with your secretary." [Oh no, busted... Hey, I think the speaker is on. No, I turned it off earlier. Okay, but that husband is such a dick. How thick is his face?] "You said you love me and Charlie but you''re having sex with another woman!" [Scum That husband deserves to die. Yeah, she should really file a divorce.] "Ehem... umm, can I order a coke?" Joren finally talked after pushing the button. [He has the guts to order a coke while his wife is like that!? Scum... Hello, yes, your order will be there in a minute.] The speaker was finally turned off which Joren hoped for. ''So they can hear us...?'' "Why did I marry someone who would cheat? And also, who wouldn''t give me my beer?" Ness cried while clinging onto Joren''s thigh when a staff member knocked on the door. Joren opened and saw the smile on the staff member''s face which is definitely fake. "This is your order, Sir." "Thanks, also, I''ll appreciate it if you don''t eavesdrop." Joren directly said with a threatening smile, making the staff member sweat and run away. "Sorry!" After closing the door, Joren sighed and went back to Ness. "I''m just joking, I wouldn''t do that to you. But no more beer." Joren''s strength might notpare to Ness but he can still carry her weight as long as she doesn''t resist. Therefore, he moved back to the couch with his extra coke even though he still has lots. "Why?" Ness asked with a sad expression while her chin was ced on Joren''s thigh. "Because... I want to drink too." Joren lied. He''s a minor, he wouldn''t drink it. "I guess that''s fine." Ness seemed to dose off as she surprisingly agreed. Joren removed her from his leg and ced her on the sofa. He then sat on the floor beside the sofa since he couldn''t be bothered to walk. "Uck...! I hate the smell of alcohol, I''m definitely not trying it out even once I''m old enough." He then dropped onto the floor. It was a little cold but fatigue was getting to him. Now that he remembers it, didn''t he just train for a whole week with minimum to no sleep? The only rejuvenizing thing he got was Virena''s drops of blood. However, now that she''s not there to give him again, thest drop was losing its effect. Joren''s eyelids were about to drop when he was hit by something. "Gah..." He grunted before noticing that Ness fell on top of him. "Ugh, I forgot she moves a lot when she sleeps." With her face close to him, Joren felt his drowsiness disappearing. Her breath was touching his cheek while her sweet scent enters his nose. ''I didn''t expect it this time but it happened.'' Joren even thought whether he''s already dreaming or not as Ness'' breasts were pressed against his chest. She was just a little curvy when she was in her teenage form but her mature form really has the ability to make men go crazy. He gulped as he could feel his libidoing back. With her on top of him, sleeping and vulnerable, he could probably do something that she will not know nor remember. Thinking about this, Joren''s hand moved and held her head. ''She must be ufortable with her head down like that.'' He used his palm as a pillow to her head. "Yep, I''m not going to remove you becuase I like this situation. It''s just because I have no strength left, yes." Joren agreed with himself before he was knocked out. Chapter 41 - Arrival To The UnderWorldLand "Huh...?" After some hours, Ness opened her eyes and saw that Joren''s sleeping face. ''Who''s... this?'' That was the first question that popped into her head. But after her eyespletely regained their vision, she realized that it was Joren. "Am I... really that drunk or he dashing when he''s asleep? No, his face rxes... so this is supposed to be his normal face if he does not have that ring look..." After muttering that Ness found that Joren''s other arm was hugging her waist. "This guy is taking advantage of me..." She said before going back to sleep. Joren didn''t intentionally hug her. He just moved after sleeping since his arm was in an awkward position, trying not to touch Ness. ... After some weird dream about a talking Unicorn telling him that his soul in the UnderWorld that''s onlyprised of his lower leg was dashing, Joren woke up and immediately noticed the bright light piercing his eyelids. Afterward, he could hear a cacophony of noise. The ground also seemed to be swaying as his body moved along? No, the ground is not curved and soft. "What...?" He muttered before hearing a reply. "Joren? Are you finally awake?" Ness'' voice entered Joren''s ears so he replied. "Ness? Where... where are we?" Slowly opening his eyes, he could see that the sky was dark. Then... where do the lightse from? At that moment, the thing that''s been holding him up was removed, dropping him onto the ground. "Woah..." "Geez! Do you know how long have you been sleeping!?" "Huh?" Joren blinked a few times before he finally regained all his senses. There were a lot of people... no, monsters (!?) going to and fro in the wide road. There were stands that sells what it seems like candies with questionable vors on a stick. There were also humans who areughing alongside strange creatures. Surrounding them were establishments that offer different kinds of foods and services. Gift shops were prominent among them, selling merchandise about characters that Joren have no idea who but all of them have scary faces who were trying to smile. Furthermore, they have long horns like goats. Most of the noise wasing from the background music that was singing- [Hell for you, hell for me, isn''t this he fun! We, demons wouldn''t make you run. Embrace the world without a sun. And, enjoy your eternity in the UnderWorldLand!] "Umm... where are we?" Joren asked even though he just heard the song. "I''m asking you do you know how long have you been sleeping?" Ness stomped around while repeating her question. "A-ah... no, how long?" "Today''s the second day! We''ve arrived here yesterday, the others thought you''re dead and I was almost fined for illegal soul-trafficking!" Joren looked up and saw that the backpack Ness was holding was bigger now than before. That''s where he must''ve been sleeping. "Must be becuase I haven''t slept properly for a whole week..." He muttered. "That wouldn''t have been long if not for the fact that we only have two days more in this realm! The cruise ship will be leaving the day after tomorrow at noon! If we don''t find your soul before then, we''ll be stuck here for the rest of our lives!" Joren listened and processed what Ness said. His eyes widened as each second passed by. "Wait wait wait, that''s really important. Why didn''t you tell me that before?" "... teehee?" Ness'' eyes drifted as she lightly knocked her head. She acted cutely and Joren couldn''t believe its working on him. "Well, past is the past. Also, we only have one day on the ship anyway, we shouldn''t talk about business! Let''s talk about this in a quieter ce." Joren looked around and couldn''t believe that this really is the UnderWorld. Also, what even is UnderWorldLand? Are they copying D*sney? Also, this just seemed to be a Halloween version of it. He couldn''t see anything... hell out of it. The only fire he saw, which was supposed to be prominent in the Underworld he''s heard about, is at the streetmps. While Joren was sightseeing, Ness was leading him towards the hotel that was reserved for them by the cruise as a part of their trip. "Wait... is this what a normal hotel looks like here or is this..?" "Yes, another love hotel if not obvious for the heart-shaped doors." Ness snickered but it doesn''t seem to be towards Joren but towards the hotel. "We''re not going back to our room, let''s go to the lobby. But before that." She said while walking towards a ginormous guy with red skin and giant horns. This guy''s appearance screams ''I''m a demon!'' "Hello again, mister!" Ness said with an attitude. "Hm, what is it this time, Mrs. Vanessa? We already let you off earlier, are you seeking another trou-" "Let me off, look at this guy. Does he look dead to you? Huh? Is this guy dead?" Ness pulled Joren and poked his cheeks. The hotel manager propped up his sses and looked at Joren with menacing eyes. Joren gulped under this pressure simultaneously with the manager. These two scared each other. "Are you sure this is your husband, Joren Vierei?" "Husband? I mean, yes, are you telling me he''s a different person?" Ness doesn''t to be intimidated by anyone at all as she tried to be the one who intimidates which she failed, considering her pretty face. "Well..." the manager rubbed his chin, "you''re husband... how do I say this, sorry for the wording but, has a more refined face. Meanwhile, this one looks tough." "Are you saying my husband is ugly!?" Ness stomped forward while Joren''s face looked sad upon hearing this honest criticism. "No, no, I mean, he just looks intimidatingpared to your husband''s gentle face." The manager tried to exin as he began sweating. Earlier, when they tried to question this woman, they found out that they couldn''t use force against her to make an arrest. Strength is power, especially in the UnderWorld. Realizing that this woman, Vanessa, is not a simple woman on her vacation, the hotel let her ''crime'' go. However, it seemed that they offended her earlier that she''s back pushing her case. ''I should''ve just agreed with what she''s saying...'' The manager thought but he was really dumbfounded when Vanessa presented him with a ''different person'' He thought that this woman was presenting a half-assed proof to support her stand just because she was offended earlier. "It''s because he''s just sleeping earlier!" "Ne-... Vanessa, are you sure we should be wasting our time here?" "No! Wait, if they''re not weak, they could''ve got me arrested for false usation, you know!" Ness seemed to be riled up. ''So, we''re weak? Not that she''s super strong?'' the manager didn''t know how to respond to that. "Oh, close your eyes, Joren and rx. Come on." Ness thought and since she''s in this state, Joren gave up and close his eyes. "He still looks scary." the manager replied which he then realized his mistake, ''Wait, I should agree with her.'' Bam* Joren then felt a heavy hit on his neck before he fell unconscious. Once he woke up again, he saw two beautiful mounds above him. He had the urge to touch them. "Joren..." But good thing he restrained himself. He reluctantly sat up since Ness'' thighs were the best pillow he had in all of his life. "Argh... Ness? It seemed that I fell asleep again." He said before looking at Ness who have her head hanged. This was the first time he saw Ness have that sad expression. "Umm... sorry, I hit you..." The volume of her voice decreased with shame. Figuring out what happened, Joren asked. "So, did you prove that I''m handsome?" "Huh?" Ness was baffled by his question before answering, "Yeah? They apologized and I received a VIP pass for the UnderWorldLand." Joren then smiled, "Then what''s the problem?" "No, don''t you have a problem with me? I''m selfish. I even left Virena because I wanted to go out once in a while then I hit you pretty hard just to prove my point." "... hm, about Virena, you should definitely apologize to her. You could start by helping her with the task that''s originally yours." Joren suggested but Ness shook her head with an embarrassing smile. "Actually... I''m not really that smart. I don''t know how to run the First Level. I only got that position because of my strength. Even if I want to, I can''t help Virena. I took her in, not because I pitied her when she was a child, it was because I just want to train her to do all the job for me. Isn''t that pretty selfish?" "I don''t know the whole story but I think Virena is pretty happy that you took her in?" ''Wait, when Virena was a child?'' Joren found something out of ce but he didn''t think much about it. Chapter 42 - Sad Death "Eh..." Ness didn''t know how to reply to Joren. "But you should still apologize. Ask her to teach you and you''ll definitely learn. Who is it that proposed to me the ideas of how to get my soul back?" "That''s different from learning. I just know that after all the time I''ve lived." Ness replied to Joren''s question but thetter was not satisfied. "Then just proves my point. You could learn it given enough time. Do you think Virena is going to give up on you?" "No, she''s not that kind of person. But... she will think I''m dumb or something." ''What is this girl saying?'' Joren just chuckled before he heard. "So, since you know I''m already that stupid, you can teach me." Ness looked at him with hopeful eyes. ''I don''t know what kind of work Virena does but... I have to be very ungrateful if I deny her right now!'' "Then I''ll tell Virena to teach me then I''ll teach you back, how about that?" "Sure!" Ness stood up with a bright face before realizing, "Wait, I still haven''tpensated you for what I did earlier and you''re already suggesting to help me." "No worry, no worry. If I''m not an undead, I would''ve been very angry but I can''t die, remember?" "Is that a valid reason?" "No, you''re still at fault. I''m just forgiving you. So, how about you treat me nice with your VIP pass?" Ness took out the card. She was about to get excited when she remembered, "But what about your soul?" "Instead of aimlessly running around, why don''t we ask others while we make use of that VIP pass? Especially, since I heard that my lower half has be some sort of a celebrity..." Joren cringed hard, remembering the reality of the situation. "Oh, how about we ride the ming Wheel and see from above?" Ness suggested but it sounded awful to Joren. "One question, is that like a Ferris Wheel?" "Yeah." "Is it hot?" "No, of course not. It''s just a theme from Phaethon''s Sun Chariot which he got from his father, Helios h h h. Everything here is not safe. Hades, the Underworld, already transitioned to be amodating since this is where the dead first arrive, specifically in Erebus. What you should worry about is Tartarus." Ness warned. "Can you tell me everything that I should be worried about here?" "Eh... that''s a lot. Just stick by me. If I try to exin to you everything, we might spend the whole day chatting as we go back to where it all started, when the five primordial beings were born out of Chaos. In Greek''s myths, that is." Joren was interested but just gave up, considering that they don''t have much time. Afterward, the two set off and went to Erebus, the supposed entrance of Hades. "This is where the souls first arrive upon death once Minos, one of the three judges, not the stupid Minotaur. With the trip, did you know that our captain of the cruise ship is actually Charon?" Ness asked but Joren have no idea. "Well, whatever, I''m just saying that they are people who cannot mess with so you better not re at anyone too much. But since, the UnderWorld is big, I don''t think we''ll be encountering someone important. I mean, how unlucky can we get?" "Hm, is that you, Loch Ness?" A hoarse voice suddenly startled both Ness and Joren. "Huh? Who?" Ness looked around to see a man with a wicked aura, deathly wings behind him, and a scepter of darkness. His eyes sunken as well as his cheeks. "Oh, are you not Loch Ness? It''s me, Thanatos." the man pointed at himself with a depressed smile. "Who''s he?" Joren leaned towards the frozen Ness who didn''t answer him, instead, she answered the man named Thanatos. "Oh, Thanatos, the personification of death. Son of Nyx, one of the primordial beings born from chaos, also the Goddess of Night. I know you, Sir." Sweat glided from Ness'' forehead as she nced at Joren. That introduction was actually for Joren. ''Don''t be rude to him.'' She tried tomunicate with him with her eyes to which Joren nodded. "Yes, that''s me." Thanatos depressingly sighed, "The supposed death... well, anyway. It seemed that I got the wrong person. The Loch Ness would never call me Sir. I thought I could have someone to talk to. Even though I''m not close to Loch Ness, I''ve heard her name from the surface and saw depictions of her in art and poetry. Butpared to her, you look more mature." Thanatos then continued while Ness was just nodding in reply. "I''ve been just wandering these days. Hades no longer gives me orders. You see, I''ve been cheated so many times in the past. Even Hermes took my job from me and the Fates no longer update me when a person is due to die. I mean even the Grim Reapers whom I hired were getting overpowered. One of them is Loch Ness whose strength doesn''t have any bounds..." Ness'' face twitched while Joren nodded in sympathy, thinking. ''What a poor personification of death, he looks like he wants someone to talk to...'' "... oh, what am I babbling about. Sorry for the inconvenience." "No, no, if you want someone to talk to, you can always call me. My name''s Joren Vierei." Joren offered a handshake which Ness'' eyes widened to. ''Does this guy think that I''m joking when I said that the person in front of him is the personification of death?'' "Oh," hearing this made Thanatos'' face perked up, he was about to receive the handshake but stopped, "Wait, I see that you might be from the Charon''s ship. You might be a living person who came here on a trip. You might die if I touched you." "Is that so? Well, I''m an undead... a lesser, that is. I''m actually searching for my lower half of the body." Joren replied to which Thanatos was surprised. "You''re the owner of that soul?" He pointed with a raised eyebrow. "You''ve seen it, Sir?" "Don''t call me, Sir. Just call me Thanatos. Unlike other Gods or the past me, I don''t care if you''re strong or weak. Also, about your soul, yes, I''ve seen it." Joren got excited while Ness found it convenient. After all, Thanatos seemed to be just wandering around with nothing to do. He must''ve at least seen Joren''s half-soul. "Can you tell me where it is?" "Wait, Joren...!" Ness immediately covered his mouth. "Are you here to take your soul back?" Thanatos asked while Ness sweated before he continued, "Oh, don''t worry. They''ve been treating me like I''m useless. I don''t have the obligation to do my task anymore. I won''t help you but I won''t stop you either." Joren then removed Ness'' hand and smiled. "Thank you, that''s already a great help." "No worries, no worries, you''re the one who first offered me kindness. About your soul, I don''t think you''ll see it here." "Huh?" Joren paused. "Well, your soul has be a sensation. Megaera saw that your soul was making Allectough so hard that she presented it as a gift to her sister in order to mend their rtionship. At least, that''s the story that I''ve heard." "Megaera? Allecto?" Joren didn''t know who these people are. "They are two of the three Furies." Ness exined with a solemn expression. "Hm... it seemed that you two have a lot of things to do. I''ll be on my way. Joren Vierei, I''ll contact you whenever I can. Good luck." Thanatos then turned and walked away after a wave of goodbye. On his way, demons, souls, and monsters alike would drop on their knees as they meet him. But since he''s amon sight there, they soon stood and gave path to him. They didn''t want to bother him, no, more like they are scared of him. "The Furies? Who are they?" "Allecto, Tisiphone, and Megaera are the three Furies. They are daughters of Gaia and Erebus... there''s a lot going on but as you can imagine, they are Gods in their own rights too. If Megaera really gifted your soul to Allecto then... you would''ve to get to the Furies first, not just the Cerberus." Ness heavily exined before telling Joren. "Joren, I think you should give up on this one. This is a hundred percent failure. You only have less than two days left." "Are you saying I should give up on my soul?" Joren asked to which Ness nodded. "Then, how about we just enjoy the VIP pass for the whole day then?" Hearing this, Ness'' face perked up and her spirit went back to her. "Alright, let''s go! I''ve been going around for a whole day since yesterday around her and I found a lot of fun things to do! Let''s be fast!" Ness then pulled Joren''s hand in excitement.. Seeing this, he felt guilty. Chapter 43 - Run Entering the UnderWorldLand, Ness didn''t restrain herself at all and just blown abused the VIP pass. "Excuse us, VIP here!" She unted her card as she walked by the road. This attracted attention and other emotions. Joren looked around and saw the bitter frown either from anger or from jealousy on other people''s faces. However, for Joren, this was a bit refreshing. There are other monsters and demons whose faces are scarier than him. It was weird to admit it but he felt like he belongs in Hades. What he doesn''t know is that other people are making a path to them not just because Ness unts her card but also because of him. Not as prominent as in the surface but other beings are wary of him too. "Ness, I don''t think that''s necessary." "Joren, I thought you would be the number one person who would be on board with this?" Ness asked which made Joren question. "What made you think that?" "It''s because you''re so thick-skinned, you''re actually freeloading in the Principal''s Office?" "Well, if you don''t want me there, you could have said so." Jorenined. "Hm, nobody said we hate you there. I''m just saying you''re freeloading. Say one thing that you did for us in return?" "..." Joren had to ept Ness'' argument and his defeat. After that, he took Ness'' card and raised it up high. "Make way for Princess Vanessa! VIP of UnderWorldLand!" "That''s it!" Ness said but she was actually worried that coupled with Joren''s scary face, he might attract hostility. Fortunately, it seemed that no one went up to him. The two acted like a crazy pair as they abused the VIP card. Joren learned that having that pass really gave them a lot of benefits and privileges. Skipping the long lines, receiving the best customer services, and most of all, free rides! "GAHHH!!" Joren shrieked upon riding the attraction ride called "Death Coaster" while Ness had already fainted. After climbing down, Joren woke her up. "It''s finished already?" "Yeah, let''s not-" "What!? But I just slept through it, let''s go again!" "Didn''t you faint?" "... this time, I will not!" Ness fainted again after the first fall. After their second ride, she woke up and before she speaks, Joren covered her mouth. "Let''s go to other rides." "Oh, Joren, you''re such a wimp." "Whatever..." They went to others rides to which Joren found delightful for the fact that all of them were actually safe. This is definitely like a Halloween-themed D*snend. When night came, the two of them wereughing as if they were drunks. They have face paints on them, cotton candies in one hand, and demonic toys on the other which were rather cute. They are just teddies with sharp teeth and horns. Joren was d they are not alive. The Hades was pretty fun, he thought. But while they were having fun, Joren was looking for clues on where to find the Furies, especially Allecto and Megaera. He found that their ces were actually far from where the lesser demons usually are. That should''ve been obvious. It''s like how the rich are separated from the poor back on Earth. Also, from what he learned, they are Greek Goddesses who are much older than most Olympian Gods. For his soul to be taken by one of them, he must be the unluckiest person right now. Arriving at the hotel room, Ness still have a lot of energy, thus, she requested for a speaker with mics to be brought into their room. Also, some beer. "You want to sing and drink again?" Joren asked, thinking that she will drop deadter again. "Why not? We only have one more day left tomorrow." After the setup, Joren joined Ness and they didn''t sleep until Ness had dropped from being drunk. He waited for a ''lucky'' situation but it didn''t arrive that night, making him disappointed. Although the bed was much smaller than that within the cruise ship, about ten more people can fit there. However, Joren didn''t sleep that night. "Best scenario, I get my soul tonight and return to the academy with Ness." He optimistically said but the chance of that happening is near zero, therefore, he didn''t hope much. Joren''s n involves him spending months within the UnderWorld before going out. After all, returning with the cruise ship was not the only way out, he believes. Walking out of the hotel, Joren found that there were few beings out there even though the concept of night and day didn''t exist. However, it''s notpletely empty, though most of the rides were closed. "So they follow the same time pattern now? Maybe to amodate humans who have a sleep cycle." Joren assumed. He heard that the Underworld was treating humans equally now. However, he doesn''t exactly know why though. He''s notining, after all, it''s good that he can walk alone without being harassed by other beings. Opening the rulebook that he bought from a gift shop under the pretense that he wanted to learn more about the UnderWorld, Joren looked for rules that he might break. Is there a curfew? Do humans have the privilege to be out at ''night''? Although that second question has already been answered when none stopped him. "But how far can I go? There must be territories out here that I can''t go into." The rulebook was not the only thing he bought but a cheap map as well. Surprisingly, they could only be found in gift shops since the ce was alreadymon knowledge there. There was not much to remember. Besides the River Styx where Charon''s Ferry travels through, there is the wall of Erebus. It only has one gate which the Cerberus lies in wait. After entering, there''s the Judgement Pavillion before many more ces including the UnderWorldLand. From what he can expect, since the Furies are serving Hades, they must be inside his pce. Joren didn''t know the exact distance but he knows where it is located. "If that''s where we entered, the Erebus in the west, then on the southeast si the pce. I have eight hours before six o''clock when Ness is still sleeping. I''ll travel for four hours and if I still can''t find anything, I''ll just return for another four hours." Joren stretched his body to ready himself. Facing one direction, he ran. Faster than a jog but slower than a sprint. This speed will not exhaust him while, at the same time, fast enough to cover a long distance within four hours. Fortunately, no one stopped him either. Only when he''s sure that there are no obstructions on his path would he open the rulebook. He found that ghouls are the frequent guards there in Hades. They obey Cerberus as themander while serving Hades the ultimate ruler of the UnderWorld. ''So, Cerberus can talk as well?'' Considering that there''s Mister Jack, a talking Unicorn, Joren expected the Cerberus to actually be intelligent. After an hour or so, he found no specific rules stopping him from getting there. Although he didn''t know there are chariots that can take him there. "But I''m already far from the UnderWorldLand...." Joren looked far and saw that it''s just dark yellow and red sand everywhere. It''s not hot, it''s just their color. On the contrary, it''s actually quite cold there. After some running, he finally found find a field of tall yellow grass. It''s eerie since it''s the Asphodel Fields which most souls wander for all eternity. When he reached the fields of tall yellow grass, he slowed down. There was no going around that. "It would be scary if I get lost here..." At that moment, Joren saw a shadow on the edge of his vision. However, he ignored it even though it made him shiver in fright. That must probably be a soul. "If souls are here then what is the UnderWorldLand?" He asked himself, but after going through a few tall grass, he found himself before a neighborhood where souls live. No, they literally have houses there, a road... "Are those electric poles?" Joren felt like if he have a phone right now, he would be able to find public WiFi there. It was quiet just like how a night in a normal neighborhood would be. He then runs as this ce still gives him the creeps. Although he is thankful for the road. "Isn''t this ce a little too familiar?" Joren thought. At that moment, a voice entered his mind. The fish came out of nowhere and said, making him stop. "System..." Joren was going to say that it''s been a long while since he saw the fish but he was more concerned about what it said. "But shouldn''t there be a ''sun'' here? I mean, I know it''s night but earlier, I should''ve seen it here, right?" Joren looked to the side and saw that there is certainly numbers stered in the front doors of the houses. Chapter 44 - Tartarus, For The Vanished Joren was found surprised by the fish''s question. "Then..." "I can escape through here, isn''t that right!?" Joren pumped his fist with a determined smile. <... yeah, but I was trying to say that you, Abnormals are considered the highest threats because of the unknown factors that you possessed. That''s why you all reside in Hades, near Tartarus, the ce with the highest security known in the Greek UnderWorld.> "Yeah, okay, got it. Let''s go, time is running out!" Joren then ran towards the direction of where he thinks Tartarus is. Beyond that point is the pce of Hades. Obviously, he would go around the cave. Even though it was not forbidden in the rulebook, him being there would definitely be questionable. But, he was there to scout not to do anything out of the line. He just wanted to find the pce first and thene back before Ness wakes up. "I''m listening. What''s your problem?" Joren asked while the fish follows his run. "What? The Gangsta God is not so gangsta then." Joren just smirked andughed at this. "I didn''t know that there''s such a thing." The fish suddenly asked, making Joren look at it with a surprised look before facing straight again. "Yeah, but there''s no point in cowering. I''ve done that too much before I''m getting bored of it." He said, making the fish silent. After a few moments, it spoke again. "So it''s not just my scary face?" "If I could do that, I would have a long time ago. Anyway, I think we''re getting there." Joren said, making the fish say its final words before it disappears again. "... shedding my skin? I don''t think we''re on the same page." Joren muttered before arriving at the woods he''s familiar with. This was near his house so he could see it. But he never really went past it. This was the first that he ventured into it, the border of the Abnormals'' neighborhood. There was not much special about it except for the fact that the trees were oddly arranged. Joren slowed down as the darkness swallowed his surroundings. The illumination from the streetlights was unable to reach his location anymore as it pierces through the woods. Each footstep produces a crisp sound. Joren had to adjust in the darkness. He couldn''t exin exactly why but even if he had a shlight right now, he wouldn''t turn it on. The darkness was foreboding. However, Joren just gulped and walked forward without stopping. Trees after trees came out of the darkness as his vision adapts to the dark. The cold was biting but it was not what''s making him shiver. There was no silence. Instead, from far, Joren could hear eerie sounds. The more he walks, the more he prefers silence. The sound... they were disturbing. It was the sound of eternal suffering. Millions of screeches of pain and sufferingbined to make this sound. Finally, there''s light. A red waving light that''s telling Joren to turn around and slowly walk away. However, Joren didn''t relent. He continued to walk, screeches feeling his ears, making his body stand up, his bones cold and void, and his knees weak. "Haa..." Joren breathed out, he had to calm himself down or he would copse out of fright before he could reach his destination. Therefore, there was only one thing he could do. "Isse no se~" Joren sang, "-... de fumikomu gourain bokura wa~" He gulped and continued until the red light covered his surroundings. He truly preferred the dark and silence. The void and the unknown. This... this was hell itself. Thus, he continued singing. "One punch..." Eventually, he got out of the woods and a deathly cacophony filled the area. The ground was trembling while his vision was hazy. The noise was filling in his head and his primordial fear was breaking him down. "Haa...!" Joren could no longer hear his own breathing. Tartarus, the ce where the Titans and all of the Greek Gods'' enemies were sent to be punished for all eternity after the Titanomachy. It''s a ce where even the strongest beings will have their hopes distinguished. Even its presence alone was able to make Joren shake. Insanity was getting near. Joren gritted his teeth as he looked at the cave of evil. He stood up and walked forward. Only by experiencing the worst would he be able to endure the worse. It was unthinkable for many but he pushed himself forward until he gets closed to the mouth of a gigantic cave that glows hot red from within. [Bulletproof Will] He activated a skill to which he stabilized himself. His nose and ears bleed. Joren was losing consciousness but he had never regretted going forward. That was once his creed back in his youthful days. There was only a step forward, no looking back, not even a thought. Joren was a madman. He entered and saw the sea of mes... an unending sea of molten rock. This is what was depicted as hell. Not even demons themselves have the freedom to not scream. Joren looked and smiled. So this is the worst that could happen, he thought. This made him ready for everything. He calmed himself down when he looked at the terrifyingndscape that crossed from all ends of the horizon. Just one step forward and Joren would fall, unable to ever climb again. "Losers..." He muttered as his nerves stabilized. Joren''s face rxed as he made eye contact with one of its many eyes. It stared back at him from the sea of fire. Envy that someone was not suffering and wrath that someone was looking down on them who are ones that spread chaos over the universe before time had even begun. It stood up and walked up to him. It seemed that this being was unaffected by the heat. Joren''s eyes widened as they were already the same height even though this being came from the horizon. Every step made the whole Tartarus tremble as Titans woke up from their escaping slumber from the violent shaking. Numerous gigantic figures tried to stand up while the being with fifty heads and one hundred arms ran towards one of the Titans. ... and Bam!* Joren could hear the devastating impact when the being hit the Titan with one of its hundred big limbs. Following the sound was a shockwave which created a temporary crater in the sea of mes. The Titan''s head exploded and dropped onto the fire again. The being ran again and did the same to other giants. After its job, it looked at Joren again. Even though Joren was calmed down, he felt unspeakable fear after seeing what just transpired. The being walked closer. Each step covers thousands of miles. It didn''t get too close to Joren though as its voice alone would kill the little human, yet at the same time, it got close to be heard through the screeching cacophony. [I am the son of Gaia and Uranos, Gyges which many call a Hecatoncheire, a Guardian of Tartarus.] Joren didn''t speak since it, Gyges, won''t probably hear him. [Have Zeus given you protection from the wretched and sinful cries of these prisoners?] Upon being questioned, Joren shook his head which was a surprise to the Hecatoncheire. [You, a mortal, who is your lord and master?] Joren pondered. What is this being talking about? So he could only point to himself. But it''s probably time. He had already witnessed the terror and came to ept it. There''s no point in speaking to a being that''s stuck within hell for all eternity. He had real matters to attend or Ness will wake up before he returns. Gyges was shocked to see Joren''s answer but was more shocked that a mortal would wave his hand and leave. [Halt! I, Gyges, have yet to acquire all answers!] However, Joren had already turned his back and walked out. [Oh, this motherfucker!] Gyges then tried to sprint, covering the Earth''s circumference every other second. However, Joren''s distance to the exit was much shorter. He was already out before one of Gyges'' heads could try to fit out of the entrance. However, an invisible force kept him in, unable to disturb the outer reality. Joren turned his head as he sighed in relief. "I thought I was stuck for a second ther-" "Speak your name." A woman''s voice then interrupted him to which Joren looked and saw a woman with ashen skin.. The woman seemed scared as beads of sweat were rolling from her forehead. Chapter 45 - Pain Joren was about to raise his hands, however, upon seeing that the woman had no weapons raised up, he stopped. "Sorry to be rude but I''m first of the Furies, Megaera, daughter of Goddess of Night." She continued with cautiousness. "I see that you''re got out from Tartarus, may I know your name?" Joren froze up, realizing that this woman was one of the people he wants to find. Not that he expected to meet in this way. But seeing that Megaera seemed scared of him, thinking that he came out of Tartarus, Joren had an idea. "Name''s Gyges." He introduced ''himself'' ''Shit, I forgot how to pronounce the hatencore or something.'' "Gyges, one of the Hetanchoires..." Megaera''s eyes widened when she heard the name. She didn''t question his appearance, after all, no one would impersonate such a powerful being or they would be just asking for divine punishment, right? "Yes" Joren held his head up high. He had some ideas that certain monsters have the capability to shapeshift, like Ness, for example. He just had this thought and never gained any proof yet. However, in this new world that he was introduced to, every myth exists. How could shapeshifting be not? "Gyges, you may not remember but I''m a cousin of yours. Gaia, your mother, and my mother are siblings under chaos." She said as if it was for her own safety. ''He escaped from Tartarus? So that''s why I feel like there''s something going on within it. He must definitely know that Zeus betrayed him by locking him up there too.'' Megaera thought. "Is that right? I don''t really remember much. Being locked up in that hellhole has jugged my memories." Joren replied while actually thinking. ''Convenient! Also, now I''m half sure that my soul is in there. I should retreat for now.'' "Also, I must go now. I have somewhere to go." ''Is he going to climb Mount Olympus now?'' Megaera internally panicked. Although she serves Hades, if Zeus was bothered becuase of the UnderWorld''s negligence, he might do something towards them. "Wait, Cousin Gyges, I think we have a lot to catch on. Why don''t you stay here in Hades'' Pce first? I''ll go tell the news about your freedom to Hades himself." She offered but Joren shook his head. "No, I''m fine, I have something to do first." ''We didn''t participate in the Titanomachy but I''ve seen the Hetanchoire''s strength. They are so strong that Uranos have tried to put them back into Gaia''s womb. Only Cronus or Zeus might be able to stop Gyges if he were to go on a rampage. But before he is stopped, there will surely be destruction first.'' "Please, I insist, Cousin." Megaera said but Joren was determined as he turned his back to her. "Wait," she walked up to him and followed, "Can I know where you will be going first?" "It doesn''t concern you, Cousin Megaera." Joren acted and intentionally went around the cave of Tartarus. He wanted to say that she should stop following him but what if she took the risk and said no? Should he get angry and escte the situation or should he just go along with it? ''I have no idea what''s the personality of this Gyges is! But I''ll just go along with the setting that the experience from Tartarus has changed me quite a bit. Yes, that''ll do.'' "I have to know, Cousin Gyges. After all, we''re... cousins." Megaera awkwardlyughed to which Joren raised an eyebrow. ''Is this girl really a Goddess? But I guess I haven''t heard about them being smarter than humans in the first ce.'' Joren doesn''t hear a lot about Greek Mythology so he couldn''t be so sure. But one thing is for sure, this woman is Megaera, a literal Goddess, so he has to be careful. ''Speaking of Goddess, wow, she''s so beautiful...'' Joren shook that thought away. Megaera is literally out of his league. ''Also, I''m doing this all for Scarlett, don''t forget that Joren!'' "Even so, my private matters are private." He replied after a moment of thought. "Then... can I just follow you then?" Megaera asked, wanting to keep an eye on him while wanting to send a message to Hades and her sisters. However, she can''t reveal themunication device they call... ''phone'' in front of Gyges or it might incite some questioning from him. Towards this question, Joren pondered. ''What should I say? Should I say no? Once again, she might be stubborn and still follow me. What should I do then? Unleash my flimsy wrath? I cannot let her know that I''m lying and for that, I cannot things go to a situation where my identity will be questioned.'' There was only one thing that Joren could think of. Be domineering! "If you want to follow me, you will have to listen to my every word." Joren squinted his eyes as he stared into Megaera''s. ''What? By following, I don''t mean I want to be a follower.'' she wanted to correct that but was actually intimidated by Joren as if that''s natural. "That''s... fine by me." This was unexpected even though Joren was the one who initiated this. ''Hm, my every word...'' he looked at her body up and down before gulping. Meanwhile, Megaera shivered, thinking that Gyges was assessing her as his new follower. ''No, wait, Joren! You will meet more beautiful Goddesses in the future! Are you going to drool over every single one of them!? No, two is enough... or three...'' Joren felt like he was bing shittier and shittier every day but they were just thoughts. It would be different if he were to actually do them, he reminded himself. ''Should I run?'' he then changed his line of thoughts to a more pressing matter. It''s almost four hours since he left and it''s good that he''s returning now. The problem is that he couldn''t run because of Megaera. Why? Well, she would see how slow he is. One he learned is that the strength being is actually tied to their physical strength. Sure, their abilities are still their main power but their physical strength is notcking either. ''No, I could just run at a pace in which I will not show fatigue, right?'' Joren agreed to his idea and said to Megaera. "I will be speeding up a little. I want to feel the wind a little more." So he casually ran to which Megaera nodded and followed. ''Gyges... how did he escape Tartarus? I''ve been feeling guilty ever since I learned that he and his brothers were locked up there even though they helped Zeus overtake his father, Cronus during the decade-long Titanomachy.'' The Furies were once known for their thirst for vengeance. Once, they were on the surface world, seeking people who havemitted homicide and other sins as heavy. They were naturally inclined to justice and bnce. However, since it''s the Gods of Gods that they were talking about, the three sisters could only swallow their grief and listen to Hades, the lord of the UnderWorld. Thinking about this, Megaera had some introspection going on inside her head. ''Should I really warn Hades about his escape? Being in Tartarus for so long... even I can''t get near it because of the immense pressure it brings to anyone. I can''t imagine being inside of it. For someone who has gone through so much suffering, surely, he should be at least enjoy his freedom.'' She then nced at Joren to his side who was trying to be seamless in his running while not trying to so he would sweat. Joren was trying to achieve a high level of chillness. ''To be cool, how can I get so cool?'' he thought to himself as he rxes his body. However, at the same time he rxed his body, he let go of skill of his. [Bulletproof Will] was deactivated. At that point, Joren stopped and felt hopelessness invading him. This made him like an edgy teenager who''s always depressed and sad as he looked at the sky. "The coldness, I could feel it." Megaera''s eyes shone upon hearing these words. ''He has suffered from so much heat that he''s being mesmerized by this trifling cold. Is that why he wants to speed up a bit?'' As someone who loves bnce, it was always a joyful thing when a wronged person had found their happiness again. An urge to make this man, Gyges, happy sprouted within Megaera. "..." However, she didn''t know what to do. For now, she could only think of not interfering with his ''freedom'' Joren''s face cringed after hearing what he said. ''What''s with that painful expression? After experiencing the relief of the outside, are youparing it to the hell you once were, Gyges?'' She thought but didn''t say it out loud, not wanting ''Gyges'' to be further pulled into that line of thought. Megaera then walked towards his front, making Joren internally panic. "Gyges, truthfully, we sisters have been wanting to free you from your unjust captivity. However, we cannot go against our master''s brother, the Cosmic Father of the Universe, Zeus." she then kneeled down, "I sincerely apologize for that!" ''What, what''s happening?'' Chapter 46 - The Problem "Don''t worry about that, cousin. May my brothers'' sacrifice be worth it now that I''m here." Joren was just saying whates out of his head while cringing at it at the same time. If only he was not in the middle of his skill''s bacsh, it would''ve not to be shown on his face. Megaera looked up and saw the painful expression of Joren. ''So, to let their one brother escape, they sacrificed their lives? Although he''s free, he wears such a sorrowful face.'' There was a sensation of debt within Megaera. Meanwhile, Joren was sweating now that his digging his own lie deeper. ''It''s our fault that we didn''t move. Now that the three Hetanchoires are gone, there are no more those who truly guard Tartarus.'' Although she thinks that, Megaera wasn''t worried since Tartarus and Hades have been long separated in realms. But what intrigued her was the fact that one escaped. If a Hetanchoire can escape, how about the Titans that''s been imprisoned within along with the other vanished? She wanted to ask but couldn''t for she fears that ''Gyges'' might remember the horrific incident that entails within Tartarus. Megaera decided her mouth shut after the apology. "If there''s something I can do, please ask." she said. This made Joren''s face twitched. Who wouldn''t be happy when they were told by a literal Goddess that they can ask her anything? Obviously, Joren doesn''t want to think with his dick as it would only ruin his long oath of not wanting to hurt others. That, with the premise that he had yet to hurt anyone before this. By hurt, he means deeply. ''But does Scarlett even really love me?'' He doubts it. However, they had chemistry and one step before being lovers. No, actually, if he thinks about it, aren''t they unofficially a couple? ''The only thing that''s bothering me is the fact that we''ve only met...'' But enough about that, Joren just has to restrain himself from thinking with his dick. After all, it''s not like this Goddess will do it if he asked her to do lewd things. Joren couldn''t be med for this line of thinking. Standing before him was a literal Goddess, her beauty exceeds that of a mortal. It''s sad to say that even Scarlett doesn''t hold a candle on her. Any man would drool upon seeing Megaera on her battle dress. ''Hm?'' "If you want to be in favor of me, you could start by covering yourself up. I don''t know about me but others might recognize you. I don''t want any attention." Joren said still with his domineering voice. "Yes, cousin, please wait for one second." She unhesitatingly obeyed and with a turn of her body, a night-ck cloak came out of nothing, iling out in the air before covering her entirety to the point of unrecognizable. The hood of the cloak was conveniently covering her face with the shadow as well. Joren didn''t even know if he was looking at a man or a woman if he didn''t know who was here in front of him before. "Fascinating..." Joren muttered, making full use of the fantasy movies he had watched before in his life, "Can you also do that to me?" Someone might recognize him even for an unlikely chance. Also, this will be useful in the long run. If he could, he might take the cloak with him. "Oh, sure thing, cousin. Just spin around with aura." "What?" "Ah no, it''s unnecessary. I was just used to my sisters ying around." Megaera coughed as she realized, she disyed an embarrassing side of her. Meanwhile, this was fortunate for Joren, and took this chance to get onto that conversation. "Oh, you have sisters." Joren muttered while Megaera swung her arms up and a cloak flew from her to perfectly fit Joren. "Yes, I have two other sisters. It seemed that you really forgot but a long time had passed since west met so I wouldn''t me you for it. Also, even if you know us before, you wouldn''t recognize us right now, I think." Joren waved the cloak that Megaera just put on him and was satisfied. "Why is that?" "It''s because we changed. Before, we are always seeking vengeance but now, we are milder. But I think our past personalities are still within us, just not that prominent. More so now that we don''t do our old job anymore, you know, hunting men and women who have done grievous sins." "..." Joren just nodded since he had no idea that''s what they were doing. But after a moment of thought, he asked. "So, what do you do with liars?" "Liars... those who have their tongues sharp are cut and boiled for them to eat for theirst supper." Megaera casually said to which Joren gulped, "However, lying is seldom as grave as homicide or murder, thus, we don''t quite deal with them back in the days. There are a lot of monsters who deal with liars." The two then ran again while Joren was asking some questions under the premise that ''Gyges'' is just new to the outside world again and doesn''t know a lot of things. He took this opportunity to gain a lot of answers but it was hard to control the conversation to his convenience without making his intentions so obvious. "Also, Allecto and I just have a fightst week and so, I gotta tell you the funniest thing that I gave to her. It was a sex demon''s lower body." "A sex demon?" Kudos to Joren for keeping a calm face. As time passes, Megaera has been bing light on her words as if she was gettingfortable. Her social skills are terrifying, Joren thought. "That''s what we call it but actually it''s just a human''s lower half. It seemed that a new undead was created for a long while now since we''ve banned the interactions of humans and monsters. Oh, cousin, you might not know what a human is, do you?" "I think I have a rough guess." Joren was always in the gray area. "Humans. Some say that Prometheus, the Titan of Fire and Forethought created man and that created all sorts of drama between him and Zeus. While Zeus himself created the first woman, Pandora as a form of revenge. However, this was never really the whole truth. Let''s just say that there is more than one story behind the creation of humans." "Prometheus and humans..." Joren nodded as if he understood everything. He was just amazed by the fact that their God is actually a Titan. However, just as Megaera said, there are a lot of mythologies out there that also detail the creation of humans. What really bothers Joren was that if all myths are true, doesn''t some contrast the others? But maybe he''s wrong and that some myths are just true while others stay as myths. "About this lower half of the human, why do you call it a sex demon?" Joren somehow knows the answer but he asked so that he could continue that topic and gain more important information. "It''s because the man''s sexual tool is always aroused. Sorry for the wording but it''s big and vigorous. I think my sister is nning to use it." "What!?" Joren stopped and finally destroyed his calm image. "Oh, sorry, that must be rude of me to speak of." Megaera thought that ''Gyges'' might not like that kind of topic. "No... that''s fine." Joren shook his head as he tried to calm himself again, "I was just surprised, that''s all. But please, continue." "Then," Megaera nodded, clearly not understanding the reason behind Joren''s reaction, "You see, Hades, our master treats us... how do I say this." Seeing her reaction, it seemed that she''s too embarrassed to tell him. "Even though he''s basically our nephew, he treats us like little sisters... or maybe, even daughters. You see, time has passed by a lot and we sisters don''t do anything but either obey Hades or just entertain ourselves with worldly matters. The affairs in the human world are too darn interesting. So, over time, we forgot that we''re his aunties before he starts spoiling us and letting us freeload his pce. Though, we don''t reallyin and love our lifestyle, making us... spoiled." Megaera said to which Joren asked. "So what''s that got to do with your sister using the... sex demon." "Well, she hasn''t tasted a man yet and is quite ashamed of her virginity even though she''s as old as time itself. Since the lower half had no upper half, she''s thinking that it''s a perfect opportunity to lose it. I think Tisiphone is nning that too. But they are still hesitating. After all, if the words got out that their first times were taken by some unknown lesser undead, they would probably kill themselves in shame. At the same time, when they finally find their own lover, the shame should be equal as well." Megaera exined to which Joren nodded and understood. Obviously, he had a problem with it. ''I need to get my soul back so that I can experience having sex with Godesses myself, not just my lower half!'' Indeed, his brain went into his dick now. Chapter 47 - Leaving? "Oh, sorry if I''m being talkative about our private matters, cousin. I''m just used to being open with my sisters." Megaera excused herself to which ''Gyges'' disagreed. "It''s fine. It''s been a long since I have had someone to talk to. Small talk entertains me." Joren wanted to know more so he used his character''s setting to keep Megaera talking. "Oh, then excuse me for talking all on my own." Shen continued to talk about how the three of them sisters have been doing all this time. From what Joren was hearing, it seemed that the three of them were the textbook definition of what a shut-in is. It seemed that Megaera was only awake since she''s still binge-watching her favorite drama and that''s when she felt something from the cave of Tartarus to which she went to take a look. There, she found Joren who introduced himself as ''Gyges'' "I should apologize for having my guards raised up earlier, Cousin Gyges. The news about someone... exiting that cave would shake the whole Hades. You should know how terrifying the beings are within there." ''This runny mouth of mine!'' Megaera wanted to p herself for turning the conversation back to Tartarus. She looked and saw that ''Gyges'' have an agreeing and bitter expression at the same time. Joren remembered the hell within that cave. Recalling the scene while he''s under the aftereffects of his skill [Bulletproof Will] made ufortable. That ce had no equal for Joren. Nothing couldpare to it. "Yes" Joren didn''t want to say more since he might say something that would conflict with the setting he has for his facade. After all, he doesn''t know a lot about the actual Gyges who he encountered there in Tartarus. Meanwhile, due to guilt, Megaera tried to switch the conversation once again. The two traveled at the pace that Joren wasfortable with. However, as they get nearer to their destination, the more Joren anxious had be. ''Oh shit, what should I do once I''m there. Should I keep up the lie or should I tell the truth and just dash away?'' Obviously, the second option wasn''t really an option. There''s no way that Joren could escape the Goddess of Vengeance once he said that he''s lying. While he was still unable to get the answer to his troubles, in the meantime, he was gaining information from Megaera as she continuously speak and tell stories that Joren didn''t ask. Four hours is a lot of time for a conversation. However, Megaera was still far from finished when the two of them arrived at the UnderWorldLand. "Cousin Gyges, this is the UnderWorldLand. This ce is built to amodate the souls thate in here. This is so they can have fun in Hades. Hades, our master, wants to change the image of this ce so that''s why he made it fun. Are you here since you''re attracted and curious?" "You could say that." Joren replied while his interest was piqued. "Furthermore, Hades changed his ways from just giving punishments to reinforcing reward to those who follow the rules. You see, the number one thing that Hades hates the most is the people trying to leave his ce even after death. There were many who tried to escape with their soul but just incited wrath from Hades, leading them to their forever demise in... the cave..." Megaera really hated how she alwayses back to that topic. On the other hand, she does not know that what she just said heavily hit Joren. "Oh... then, are there any cases where someone was sessful?" "There were two; Hercules and Orpheus if I''m right." Megaera then exined what Joren already heard from Ness back then. He just remembered when he heard again. Right then, before they reached the hotel, Joren stopped. He looked at Megaera and said. "If possible I would like to be alone for now." "Ah, but..." Megaera wanted to let him enjoy his freedom but at the same time, didn''t want any risk of him rampaging as revenge. After all, she doesn''t know what goes through his head. Although she told him a lot about herself, they''ve only met for four hours and it was not enough to gain her trust. ''Gyges'' have yet to tell about himself. Well, that is due to the fact that Joren didn''t want to say more as to not dig the lie any deeper. "I just want some time alone and I''m curious about the ce here. All I see is fire and burning bodies, this ce, I think, will help me forget about it." Joren was just gambling and didn''t know if what he''s saying would actually work. However, seeing the pitiful look of Megaera, he knew what he''s doing is right somehow. ''As long as it''s not a look of suspicion or anger, I''m fine.'' "Okay, Cousin Gyges. I will not report to Hades and the others first. However, promise me by your mother''s name, Gaia, that you will not do anything that will harm anyone until we meet again." Hearing this made Joren ecstatic while he barely kept up aposed expression. "Yes, I can''t me you for doubting me but I shall put my mother''s name, Gaia, into this promise." he just went with the flow while not knowing if what''s he''s saying is correct. "Good enough. Thank you for your cooperation. Let us meet again in the future." Confident in the power of oaths, Megaera left and only when she was out of sight did Joren return to the love hotel. It was already the break of dawn when he arrived and when he entered the room, Ness was already standing in front of it. "N-Ness... you''re awake." "Where were you?" She raised an eyebrow, however, from her tone, it doesn''t seem like she''s suspicious of anything at all. Ness sounded just curious. "I just went for a morning walk." After keeping up a facade for four straight hours in front of a Goddess of Vengeance, this little lie doesn''t bother Joren anymore. "Oh, I see. Then, you should be ready. Let''s make the most out of UnderWorldLand before we leave!" Ness excitedly announced to which Joren cheered in return but in reality, he was seriously tired. ''I''ve once trained for seven straight days, this is nothing!'' He tried to motivate himself. The two of them explored the rest of the UnderWorldLand and have their fun. There are times that Joren felt like breaking down but as usual, he went through it with willpower. Compared to the time when he was ''training'' it was not that hard. He didn''t evenpare it to the time he entered Tartarus since, for him, that ce was iparable. After seeding in having fun, the time for them to leave finally arrived. Ness went on a buying spree at thest second even though she already bought so much during their fun for Virena. She was preparing her apology but since Joren was there, he avoided her buying too much. Afterward, they exited the Gates of Erebus. During that time, Joren looked around and didn''t seem to find Cerberus whom he had expected to meet from the start. The two of them then returned to the cruise ship and dropped onto the king-sized bed. Ness was satisfied with her trip here. At that moment, Joren asked. "When''s the time the ship will leave?" "I don''t know... maybe, an hour?" Ness said but Joren was worried that the cruise ship might leave before he can get the chance to escape. "Say, while traveling, can you get off the cruise?" Joren tried not to be obvious but hearing his own question, he knew he failed. "Why do you ask?" Ness sat up and looked at him with a curious expression. "I just want to know so that I am assured that I will not be thrown out for some reason and be stuck in Hades for eternity." Upon hearing this, Nessughed and just waved her hand. "There''s no reason for you to be thrown out. But I feel you... even though it''s illogical, what if we really got off the cruise while traveling?" Ness pondered but soon just shrugged her shoulders. "But you don''t have to worry. Once we''re set off, Charon wouldn''t let anyone leave the cruise ship until we reach our destination." "I see, that''s a relief." Afterward, Joren tried to stir the conversation away. Fortunately, his questions were all abrupt and doesn''t have any pattern in the first ce so Ness didn''t pick up anything. After half an hour, Joren stood up from the bed and stretched. "I think I''ll get something to eat. I''m hungry again." "Me too. Even though we just ate. Let''s go get something." Ness was about to stand up but Joren raised his hand. "No need, let me get it for you. I haven''t thanked you enough for this trip." "What? You''re thinking about that?" Ness chuckled since it doesn''t bother her anymore. She just waved her hand and said, "Sure, be my servant until you repay your debt." "Yes, Ma''am!" Chapter 48 - [Bonus ] Jumping Off The Ship Joren had exited the room and of course, he lied. ''I swear, I''ll be your servant for a month once I returned.'' He sneaked out with that thought while trying to shove away any feeling of guilt. When he finally reached the exit, however, he was blocked by a certain fellow with a horn on his forehead. "Excuse me, Sir, can I know where you will be going?" Garas asked with a serving smile. Joren knew that this is trouble and said. "I just left a few things back in the hotel so I want to get it." "Sorry, Sir, but the cruise is leaving and it does not wait for anyone. It may leave earlier as well but neverte. You may be a special VIP, close to the school leaders of Myth''s First Level, however, Captain would not care about that. If you''re a secondte, you will spend the rest of your life¡­ no, an eternity in Hades." Garas gravely advised still with his serving smile. "It''s fine, I''ll be fast." Joren said, hoping to get past. If he can''t get past this man then he wouldn''t be able to make any excuse as to why he didn''t get his soul. "No, sir." Garas now dropped his smile as he raised his palm, "We are not risking it. List the items that you left. We''ll get it in the next trip and contact you." Joren''s face twitched. He couldn''t get angry because he''s in the wrong and this guy is just thinking for his sake. "As you know, the Lord of the Underworld doesn''t like anyone leaving his ce. You, guests, are technically not entering the underworld so you''re not technically ''leaving'' either. To use this loophole, the Lord of the Underworld have given us a condition. Any person who stays for more than a week is considered a Hades dweller. Each trip has a gap of one week which Hades has nned. Do you understand why I''m restating the obvious?" Garas said now with a sharp look. ''So, it''smon knowledge around here. I just learned it now.'' Joren felt really bad for thinking he should just exit by force. However, this guy seemed strong so that''s more difficult and he would be getting himself more trouble. "Is the cruise going to leave now? I need my things now, getting it by next week will be toote." Joren pleaded onest time. "Sir, that is the consequences of your action. Please, think about what your wife will feel if you got stuck in the Underworld before your death. You will get your things next week, thank you." Garas said, closing the conversation. "This is just really important." Joren said with a determined face, "I swear I''lle back to her no matter what happens." Hearing the resolution in his voice, Garas was touched as his eyes got teary. "I see, so much determination. This must be really important to you." ''Yeah, just like what I said.'' Joren thought as the situation seemed to be turning on his side, "So, can I pass through now?" "No," Garas said before telling everyone, "Alright, it''s time, the ship''s leaving, close all exits." Joren sighed. It seemed that he failed. ''I didn''t know that this would happen.'' Seeing that Joren had the face of defeat, Garas nodded, "Sorry, Sir, but it''s for you own-" his words was stopped when Joren''s handnded on his shoulder. "Sometimes, only by acting as the bad guy would you get what you want." Joren muttered before using all of his force to push Garas to the side as his other hand dropped his pants. ''I have to say a cool line then shove him away in one fell swoop!'' he though and as his strength increased, Garas left the ground and moved to the side. Joren''s eyes widened as he had already given a burst of his strength only to find out that Garas was as light as a feather. Bam* Garas hit the wall of the hallway to the exit and dropped onto the floor, trembling in pain. "What the!? You''re weak!" Joren didn''t mean it in a bad way but he really expected that Garas was strong. "I''m deeply hurt, Sir, by your action and by your words. However, I''m telling you to stop. If you leave now, you will not be able toe back." Garas stood up as if nothing happened and still tried to stop Joren even though he was in pain. "Shit! Sorry! But I gotta leave!" Joren saw the doors were closing and jumped out of it at thest second before it closed. Hended on the stairs but tumbled down because he was unable to pull his pants up in time. At that moment, he heard a shout from the ship. "Joren!?" ''Fuck! How tall is this staircase!?'' Joren was still tumbling down when Ness shouted at him. "What are you doing!?" "Argh! I''ll be back! I promise!" He shouted back as he tumbled down but Ness knew that he had zero chance of ever escaping if he didn''t get into the cruise by now. Joren then saw that Ness was thinking and hesitating as the ship blew its horn and began moving. He knew that she''s thinking of jumping out so he said. "Virena will be worried if you jumped off right now!" He said to which Ness stopped on her tracks. She then shouted back. "But I will be worried about you then!" "No need to worry! I got this!" Ness was given a choice, jump off the ship right now and help Joren ore back to Virena and just hope that he will return. However, she was one hundred percent sure that he will not be able toe back. If he attempts to steal his soul away, he would be sent to Tartarus which, at that point, she will never see him again. However, she can''t jump right now. Even she didn''t have the confidence of leaving Hades with her strength. Should she risk everything for Joren who they just met or just let it go ande back to Virena who is more important? Ness didn''t expect it but thinking about it made her tearful. "Fine! Then, goodbye!" "Yeah, see youter!" "You will not see meter!" Ness cried and wailed as if in a tantrum. At that point, Joren could only hear the echoes of her voice before the ship became a dot in the vast River of Styx. "Heh," Joren rubbed his nose, "For a shitty guy, I''m pretty lucky for Ness to act like that." Afterward, he noticed that he''s in the center of attention. Everyone was looking at him as if he''s the dumbest person alive. "Did he just jump out of the Charon''s Ferry?" "So he really forced himself here?" Hearing the whispers made Joren''s face red. He even remembered how he tumbled down the long staircase while his undies is for everyone to see. "I wouldn''t be in his situation. I''m having second-hand embarrassment." "Well, at least he''s not the guy who owns the sex demon." "Yeah, ahahaha, the owner of that lower leg must''ve died by embarrassment by now." ''That''s me too!'' Joren clenched his fists as he walked away, however, he didn''t notice that someone was calling out to him before a hand held his shoulder. It''s like he was caught by steel and he was stopped dead on his tracks. "Excuse me, but could you spare me a bit of your time?" An old man''s voice called out to him. "A bit of his time!? He''s forever here now, hahaha- cough cough!" Then, a second voice of an old man sounded from the same direction. "A bit of his time, because if we confirmed that he really intends to escape, he will be spending the rest of his time in Tartarus." Finally, a third voice of, again, an old man which came from the same direction sounded. Joren froze up as he had a bad feeling about this. Well, probably because of what they just said. He turned around and saw a short old man who''s wearing a cloak. The cloak''s hood had uplifted corners resembling the ears of a dog. But that''s not what caught Joren''s attention the most. It''s the fact that there are three standing hoods above the cloak. All hiding the faces it covers with their shadows. "Sh! Why can''t you keep your voice down? Now he knows that we''re about to ask him about what he meant by he''ll be back." The first head moved, suggesting that it was the one who spoke. "What can he do about it? Lie? Even if he does, we''ll put an eye on him." Joren gulped. It seemed that shouting earlier was a dumb idea. No, even if he''s aware, he will still say to Ness that he will return. "Umm, who are you?" He asked even though he already has an idea. "Oh, we''re Cerberus and we want to have a talk.." the first head said. Chapter 49 - [Bonus ] First Encounter With Hell Hound Inside the Walls of Erebus, there are multiple rooms. Mainly, the ghouls sleep there. Being undead and all, they don''t really need the basic necessities when they were humans. It was their reward for working. In one of them, there''s a special room near the gate and this is where Cerberus brought Joren in. Underneath a red light, there was a table and two chairs opposite each other. Joren knew where this is going so he sat in one of the chairs. "Hey! That''s our chair!" the second head shouted, obviously the hot-blooded one. "Oh, sorry." Joren immediately stood up and went to the other chair. "Hey, that''s our chair too!" "Eh?" "Kakaka!" the second head thenughed which the first head tried to exin. "He''s making a joke, don''t worry about it, you can sit anywhere." Joren tried to process the joke. "Oh, yes, technically, these are your seats." he nodded with a pitying smile. "Ehem¡­!" The second head harrumphed, knowing that his joke failed. "Just stop being funny, you''re not." the third head whispered which incited a whispered argument. Meanwhile, the first head seemed to be controlling the body and asked. "Do you want a drink?" "Oh, I want a c." Joren responded after being offered. This stopped the second and the third head from their argument. "He''s a bit too calm¡­" "Nobody had ever asked us of anything." "The biggest problem is, where can we get a c?" Just hearing the name of Cerberus normally induces fear, more so when the Cerberus themselves are in front of them and about to interrogate them. "O-oh, if you don''t have a c, I''ll just have cocoa." There was silence¡­ Cerberus was getting pressured. The first head was just asking out of formality. "Hm, let us¡­- wait a moment." The three-headed man then went out and ordered a ghoul to get either c or cocoa. The pressure that Joren was feeling lessened by a lot. ''They''re amodating¡­'' He was naturally thick-skinned. Cerberus then sat opposite to him after a while and the first head said. "Your drink will be dyed for a while." "No, it''s fine. I''m not that thirsty anyway." Joren waved his hand, making the Cerberus feel less pressure. For some reason, the more they talk with this man, the more they notice a strange aura from him. It''s not energy or something special like that. It''s just something else natural. "Alright, let''s get down to business. You just jumped off the cruise and Charon doesn''te back for anybody." "Yeah, back in the days, he would even beat the souls of the reluctant with his oar, hehehe." the second head followed the first head. "Who''s Charon?" the first head asked but was ignored. "And you must know that after a week, a ''guest'' will be a Hades dweller." the third head said after them. Joren just nodded. He already knows this from Garas, though, he doesn''t know about the oar part. "Then that begs the question, why would you jump off the cruise ship?" The first head asked and at that moment, the ghoul they ordered came back with the c. "Oh, thanks." Joren took the c and drank it, hanging up on Cerberus. They have lost their fierceness after so long of being feared. No matter what they do, others will fear them. Although not as much as the walking death, Thanatos. Thus, they have lost their ability to release a terrifying aura. Only Gods and other high-ranking beings would act like this towards them. This developed an instinct where they have to respect those who those not respect them. It''s all automatic even though they know that this person in front of them is just a mortal. Not to mention the strange feeling of fear that they feel from this man. It''s definitely strange and somewhat creepy to them. What they don''t know though is Joren has already encountered the Titans, although far away, and Gyges, one of the terrifying Hetanchoires. Especially, he had seen the horror of Tartarus. Cerberus, whom he had already envisioned to encounter was no longer a surprise to him. It''s not as if this old man with three heads is hostile against him, right? Yet, he''s still not perfectly fine though even after everything he went through. He was still feeling some pressure. After all, only once did he experience Tartarus and the beings within it. It was not enough for him to get used to it. "About the question, I jumped off the cruise by mistake." Joren naturally lied. He was actually thinking and that''s why he took his time sipping the c. "By mistake? Does it look that way?" the third head asked the other two heads. "Also, you don''t look like you''re a person who got off Charon''s cruise ship, being left behind in the UnderWorld for all eternity." the first head nodded and said. "Oh, I don''t look devastated, is that what you''re saying?" Joren said and kept his calm. The three heads nodded to which Joren replied. "Well, it''s not like Hades is such a bad ce, right?" "Hm, yes, you''re right. You must be confident that you''re a person who has lived a good life." the first head said which raised some questions for Joren but he tried not to ask anything as not to arouse suspicion. "Who''s Hades?" the third head asked but was ignored. Meanwhile, Joren was walking down on a thin thread. He didn''t n anything that he says. Hell, he didn''t even expect this. He just wished that Cerberus doesn''t find his answers to be too convenient. "But still, it seemed that you have a woman whom you left behind." "It''s fine, she can visit me once a week. That''s already enough." Joren said before sipping a c. At that moment, Cerberus excused themselves and exited the room to talk to themselves. "His answers are too convenient. Could you smell anything?" "I think he''s lying about it being a mistake." "I smell that he''s already dead yet living, like a ghoul." "He also smells like a girl." "Wait, how is that possible? Is he what they call trans in the surface world?" "No, not his gender, it''s just his smell. Maybe because he was just staying with a girl. He must''ve used her shampoo and soap." "Is that important?" the first head asked the other two. "Well, yes, I do think that his answers are convenient. However, he didn''t have the face of a liar, albeit, he had a face of a terrorist." "Hmph! We''ll just see if he tries to escape the next time we see him since he''s not being affected by our pressure." The first head then sighed after hearing the third and the second head respectively. "We have gone senile." "Yes, soon, Nebarius will rece us." "Hearing those guys'' name makes me angry!" "Who''s Nebarius?" "Let''s not dwell on the future but focus on the present. We can still do our job right." "Alright." "Kakaka, it''s not like we''ll have to do any job. That guy will never escape." "Why?" After some talk with each other, Cerberus came into the room to find Joren waiting for them. "I half-expected he will try to escape." the second head muttered. "You can go now, Joren." the first head then said, surprising Joren. "Oh, really?" Joren felt like this was too easy. At the same time, he was thinking about how they know his name. They must''ve heard it when Ness called out to him. "Then, thanks." he said. "But before you go, I have onest question." the first head said, stopping him. ''Is he finally going to ask about the time I said I''m going to return?'' "You''re the owner of the sex demon, is that correct?" "..." Joren''s jaw dropped. "Oh, wait, you must''ve not known. But you''re the only undead now on the surface world, although you''re finally here. That new half-soul should be yours, right?" Joren didn''t know what to answer but he could feel the smiles behind the shadow under their hoods. "Wee to Hades, Joren Virei." the three of the heads said at the same time. "Heh," Joren squinted his eyes as he smiled back, "Thank you for the warm wee." ''I will leave here sooner orter.'' ''He will not be able to leave since his soul is in Goddess Allecto''s hands. I wonder who''s he''s fooling.'' The three heads thought. Joren left and sat down on the chair at the side of the road. "What''s Cerberus'' deal?" he doesn''t understand the interrogation at all. Meanwhile, back in the room, Cerberus was talking to each other. "I just remembered that the only undead now is Joren Vierei." the first head said. "Who''s Joren Vierei?" The second hand asked and the first head was about to answer before he scratched his head. "Who?" "The name, why did you forget?" "This is getting frequent." the third head worried, "There''s three of us and three of us actually got Alzheimer''s?" "What''s Alzheimer''s?" "What what?" "Hey, why is there a c here?" the third head pointed at the cup on the table, taking the two heads'' attention. "Wait, I don''t think we have c, right?" "No, this is getting scary." The three heads shivered in fright before asking the nearest ghoul to which they remembered what happened. Chapter 50 - Back In His House After Joren had some rest after the long day, he stood up from the bench and walked towards Hades'' pce. He had worn the cloak that Megaera gave him which he sessfully hid from Ness earlier. It should be noted that Joren didn''t have sleepst night. Instead, he ran for the whole night, entered Tartarus, met Megaera, kept up with the energetic Ness, escaped the cruise, and was interrogated by Cerberus. Without Virena''s blood, fatigue was getting onto Joren. But maybe he''s in the realm of the dead, he was still able to stand up and walk. Joren was in no hurry, however, it''s best for him to sleep where nobody could see him. He decided that once he reached his house in Asphodel, he will sleep there and rest. On his way there though, he walked first before increasing his pace. He had to wait for night toe so that there will be no other Abnormals to see him in his house. He doesn''t know any of them so it''s best to hide. And so, Joren continued on his journey. "Shit, is this the right direction?" It took him more than three hours to get to the Fields of Asphodel back then. This time, with his walking speed, he would travel for more than just three hours. Joren sighed and forced himself to run at a bearable pace. "Was resting to think actually a bad idea?" Resting made his adrenaline drop, debilitating him. His running was staggering from time to time. There are even times he would lose control of his breathing so he needs to stop to catch his breath. Being undead is confusing. Not just because he will not die¡­ easily, he would ignore the pain. He still have to worry about not pushing himself or his body would break down. Without Virena''s revitalizing blood, he will not be able to heal himself and continue. If his body broke down, he will have to rest for much longer. Thus, thinking of it this way, Joren dropped onto the dark red sands of the underworld. His eyelids were flickering as he tried to stay awake. Although he''s not worried about the ghouls wandering around, that''s only when he''s awake. He wouldn''t know what would happen to him if he slept in the middle of nowhere in Hades. Furthermore, he''s so tired that he knew that it would be like the other day when he slept as a lo and Ness went through all sorts of problems. "Just a little more¡­" ''Ah, damn it¡­ Scarlett, once I save you, there will be no time where you will not be by my side. I feel like an Italian plumber saving a princess from a spiky turtle!'' It was not just a little more. Joren continued to run and stumble for five more hours. Tripping down, catching his breath, and dropping on his back to rest dyed his travel, but finally, he was back at Asphodel. Ignoring the wandering souls in the tall des of grass, he set foot on the paved road that he''s familiar with. "House 12¡­" He muttered but saw that the house was in thousand''s. This made him sigh before he p his face. "Just a little more¡­! After this, I don''t care anymore, I will sleep for days, even for weeks if I wanted to!" Joren motivated himself. It was already night for the Abnormal neighborhood. Maybe, it was midnight since he was dyed. He didn''t have a watch or a phone to keep track of time. He ran for about an hour. His feet were already bleeding when he reached the house with a te number engraved with the number 12 on its front door. This ced a smile on Joren as he walked towards it only to realize it''s locked. "..." Joren''s face paled¡­ "No, wait, don''t panic. You''re the owner of the house, you have the card." He looked for his pockets and found it not there. Once reality sank in, Joren loudly gasped with a deathly paled face. "I put it in Ness'' bag to make it secure! Fuck security! Fuck burrs! Fuck doors! Fuck my Alzheimer''s-having ass!" Joren''s mentality broke down first as he hit the ground with every curse. While he was regretting his dumb ass, the door opened. Since he was wearing the cloak that Megaera gave him, he was unrecognizable. Therefore, he looks like an intruder with an Alzheimer''s-having ass. "Who are you?" A cold voice permeated through Joren''s cries as he looked up and saw a red-haired prettydy with a maid outfit on. "V-Virena?" Virena''s face contorted into a frown as she put her guard up. "I asked, who are you?" Joren received the pressure and with his tired mind and body, it was hard to resist. "Argh¡­ it''s me!" "I''m not going to be scammed, show your face." Virena coldly looked down on the ''intruder'' ''Ah, I forgot!'' Joren immediately removed his hood and removed his paled face. "Joren!?" Virena was clearly taken aback as she retracted her pressure. Looking around, she immediately dragged Joren in as she slit one of her fingertips before plunging it into Joren''s mouth. "Don''t make it sexual." She reminded him after the times he was licking her fingers off. But she couldn''t really me him. As undead, blood is full of vitality thus, it tastes more delightful than nectar. When her blood entered his body, his tired heart began to vigorously pump, rejuvenating his limbs and torso. "Hm!" When he regained energy, he greedily sipped Virena''s finger, making her blush. "I said don''t make it sexual¡­! Don''t lick it!" She then pped him away after he crossed the line again. "Huh?" as if he just recovered his senses now, Joren stared at Virena, "Um, where am I?" "You''re in your house¡­ you''re in your house." Virena repeated as thetter was for her. Joren is in his house. Doesn''t that mean he''s back? It doesn''t take a moment for even an idiot to realize that but Virena took a while. "Shouldn''t you be in Hades?" Joren smiled, not knowing what to tell her. He just gave her a peace sign and said, "Sorry for making you worry." "I''m worried about the Principal, not you." "Oh¡­" Joren removed his peace sign as he was just taken down, "Well, Ness should probably be back. Wait, but why are you in my house?" "The Principal is back?" Virena dropped Joren and was about to leave when he hold onto her. "Wait, don''t tell her I''m here." "Huh? Why?" Virena was surprised at his sudden request and got curious so she stopped. "Zzzz¡­" But Joren was knocked over after feeling the softness of the sofa he was lying on. "Ah, what a cliffhanger! Is he ying me?!" Virena said and hesitated before going back to meet Ness. However, she did keep in mind not to tell Ness about Joren''s arrival. Of course, if the Principal specifically asked, she will not lie and say the truth without hesitation. Once she arrived there, she saw a figure of a beautiful woman by theke. Virena remembered that Ness changed her appearance before escaping to the cruise ship. Therefore, she knew that this was the Principal. "Principal!" However, when Ness turned to her, Virena''s expression changed. After the night, the door to Joren''s house opened. Meanwhile, he was still sound asleep when suddenly, his cor was grabbed and raised up. "Zzz¡­" Pak* "Eh? Huh?" Joren was literally pped awake as he realized what state he is in. Virena was holding him up while giving him an angry re. "W-what''s the problem?" "You made the Principal cry¡­!" she growled while fuming. "... oh¡­" Joren frowned before-, "Zzz¡­" "Wait, what!? Can''t you understand the severity of what you''ve done!?" Virena dropped Joren onto the sofa and stretched his cheeks out of anger. "What you''re doing is cute but it hurts¡­!" Joren muttered before going back to sleep. "..." Virena didn''t know how to respond to Joren''s reaction to her anger. He then held her hands and said while his eyes were closed as if still tired. "You''re spoiling her too much." "Spoiling?" Virena was surprised by his sudden words and stopped her harassment. After processing his words, she rebuked, "Spoiling!? The Principal is an ancient being, the Loch Ness, she''s like a mother to me, I''m just caring for her!" "No, she looks like a child to me. She didn''t know what reproduction even means¡­" Joren said while his eyes still closed as if he''s going to sleep at any moment now. "A child? That''s just her outer appearance. Do you know that the main goal of the Myth Academy is for monsters to fit in into human society? To fit in, they have to learn how to appear like. Out of all the graduated monsters, the Principal is one of the few who can morph into more than just one human appearance." "Eh? Does that mean that''s not her original form?" That''s what piqued Joren''s interest. "My point is, she''s not a child who I can spoil." Virena said but after a while, she dropped onto Joren''s stomach with a defeated face. Thetter felt pain in his stomach but before long, he felt the soft sensation so he let it go. "Am I spoiling her?" she asked. Chapter 51 - [Bonus ] Follow "Am I spoiling her?" Virena asked. "Yes," Joren didn''t hesitate to reply. "But, the Principal did so much for me. Shouldn''t this be natural?" "Hmm¡­" Seeing that Joren was toofortable in his position to reply, Virena just sighed. After all, these questions are something that only she could answer. At that moment, Joren sat up but since Virena was sitting on his stomach, it was just an attempt. Not that he''sining. "Have you thought of what you''ve done to her?" Joren just asked a question instead of saying anything else. This made Virena think of the answer and found that- "Wait, yeah, I''ve been working for her my whole life¡­" But it still feels wrong to think like that for Virena so she was still unsure. "Maybe, you can start acting as if she owes you." Joren suggested, which made Virena frown. "..." "You think she will get angry at you?" "No, the Principal is not that kind of person, maybe." Virena showed a troubled face. "What''s the worst that she will do? Also, what is it that you''re trying to say earlier? About me making her cry?" Joren asked, making Virena''s face return to a frown. "She said you left the cruise ship and will now forever stay in the UnderWorld¡­?" Virena asked since that''s not what she''s seeing right now. She doesn''t believe that Ness was lying but, at the same time, why is Joren here? "Yeah, I left. She doesn''t believe that I can escape." Virena nodded in admiration. She too has zero confidence that Joren can escape the UnderWorld with his strength. She even expected for him to kneel down and asked for them to get it for him. That''s why she was a little shocked when Joren actually just trained for it, even though it seemed stupid. "So, you did escape. But¡­ you''re still undead though." she said while internally thinking that it''s already good enough. The question now is: How? But at the next moment, that question was turned down. "No, I haven''t escaped yet." "...?" Virena then raised an eyebrow. ''So the fish is right. They don''t know that this ce is in the UnderWorld.'' Joren didn''t know if he should say it or not but decided to be against this. If the Principal doesn''t know then this must be a big deal. He doesn''t want to engage in it for now. Although he would ept any challenge, it''s smart to be grounded to reality. As of now, the difficulty of what he will go through is already too much even without adding other problems. At that moment, Virena stood up before looking at him. "Is there something that you''re hiding?" "What¡­ do you mean?" Joren replied, ying dumb. "Joren, Imand you to say what you''re thinking." Virena didn''t beat the bush. Joren''s face paled as the words from his thoughts came out of his mind. "I think your ass is really soft, I want you to sit on me again!" "... huh!?" Virena blushed in both shame and regret as she covered her bottom, "You''re thinking about tha-... I sat on you as some sort of an insult, why are enjoying it, pervert!?" Joren awkwardlyughed, "I don''t think there''s any man who wouldn''t like that." "Okay, stop saying your thoughts. It''s my fault." Virena massaged her face before she turned around and left, leaving the words, "I''ll do what you said. After Ifort the Principal, that is." Seeing her leave without further interrogation made Joren sighed in relief. Although he doesn''t see any immediate trouble for saying what he found, it''s better to be safe. He had to control himself and, most of all, he''s really damn tired so he slept. "Sleeping¡­" <...> "Zzz¡­" The fish then disappeared when Joren whispered. "No turning back¡­" Back to the Principal''s Office, Virena had the urge to tell Ness about Joren''s state, however, stopped herself. ''This is the first step of learning to control yourself.'' She internally said to herself. ''But¡­ why is the Principal so depressed about Joren?'' Virena could only think of the Joren harassing Principal and then disappearing before thetter could have her ''revenge'' That was why she was so angry but seeing that Joren was so calm about it, it doesn''t seem like he did something bad. ''Or he really is just good at keeping up the act¡­'' But Virena couldn''t believe that too since in her mind, Joren is may be thick-skinned and even a pervert but not cunning. She had seen through him the first day they met. ''No, but it''s also impossible for the Principal to get close to him¡­'' Virena sat on the sofa to think as she learned that Ness locked herself up in her room. She reminisced about the time when the monster that is Loch Ness let her ride on its back, not letting her enemies get near her even though they are right in her face. Every day, as a child, she lives by fear; fear of being hungry, fear of being hunted, and fear of being caught. However, to see the hunters, who she thought was relentlessly vicious, stop in the face of the Loch Ness was a feeling she could never forget. Security and safety. When she met the Loch Ness monster, she learned how those words felt. For a girl who lives in fear ever since she was born, Virena treasured this feeling. She would do anything to make the Loch Ness ept her. Before she knew it, she was followed the monster every day. Calling out for it and waiting for it toe ashore. Her wait bore fruit when a pink-haired woman came up to her and asked if they can live together. Virena replied with an astounding yes. The Loch Ness would smile andugh but Virena could still feel the distance. As if the monster was looking down on her... as if it would not care if she died at the next second. Her safety and security were unreliable and unstable. She had to work hard to have worth for the monster. Virena took years before she knew that the Loch Ness was no longer a monster for her. She didn''t know when exactly but Ness began to care for her. But, their rtionship as master and servant stays the same. She works and the master leisure. Virena never thought that she could influence the Loch Ness, therefore, she just did her best. ''Did the Principal change¡­? If she did then that would exin how Joren could make her open up to him.'' This irritated Virena in so many levels but there''s nothing she could do about it. For now, the door was closed between her and Ness. A dayter¡­ Joren finally woke up from his sleep and stretched as he regained full energy again. "That was a good sleep!" Before he did anything, he went to the kitchen to cook and then, take a long shower while the pot heats up. When he returned to the kitchen, he ate and found that it was already dark by then. "I must''ve woken up at evening already¡­ perfect!" Joren whimsically cloaked himself and went out to run to the Pce. This time, he brought with him spare clothes so that he wouldn''t be as dirty as he was before. Suddenly, he felt lighter. ''Must be because I''m so tired when I ran back then.'' Joren thought and half an hourter, he returned to the cave of Tartarus. "Hearing their screams still give me the creeps." He didn''t think it was necessary to enter again. His fear at it was no longer as deep as he would feel the need to challenge himself. ''I hope I encounter Megaera. I feel butterflies in my stomach whenever I hear her enthused voice while she talks about anything.'' Joren went around the gigantic cave and reached the woods again to see the Hades'' Pce from there. Before he stormed in, he sat down and thought for it. ''Should I still keep my character of Gyges up?'' It was risky since he doesn''t know a lot about the guy. What if he met Hades or anyone in particr who knows Gyges before and got suspicious? He doubts that he could keep up with the ''Tartarus stirred my memory up'' setting. ''But the problem is sexy Megaera who¡­'' Joren frowned and looked at his crotch. "Am I thinking with my dick?" He realized that he hasn''t released some yet and get that rity! "But it''s toote already! Only if I''ve taken advantage of my ''morning wood'' then I could be thinking straight today. I really am a pervert!" Joren was in a dilemma. He was too horny to think, especially since he would be meeting with Goddesses whose beauty knows no bounds. Joren then looked around and saw that he was in a barren ce. No sound to be heard, no one to be seen. He shook his head. "No, it wouldically painful if someone spotted me here. I''m not a degenerate. Just think straight." ''Stop thinking about women¡­ stop thinking about Megaera¡­ stop thinking about her body¡­'' Joren squinted his eyes as he knew this would go nowhere. "Let''s just barge in." He decided thatter, he would pray to Virena and confess that he is a pervert who thinks of lustful things in a critical event. ''Saint Virena, forgive me.. Let your sharp insults extinguish the perverseness within me.'' Chapter 52 - Into Hades Palace "My Lord, it seemed that we have a visitor." In the throne room of the UnderWorld, there sat a tall man with two twisted, in cinder, horns pointing upwards. There was a huge frown stered on his face, revealing two sharp fangs. "A visitor?" His voice was husky and deep. In front of him, kneeling down in respect was a humanoid three-headed crow in a military general outfit. "Yes, My Lord." with a thin voice, the humanoid three-headed crow replied. "Hm, how many years has it been?" The ''Lord'' restlessly tapped his foot onto the floor. "It''s been three millennia, My Lord, if I''m correct." "Three millennia¡­ this¡­ who is the visitor?" "My Lord, the visitor is wearing a familiar Unrecognizable Cloak. It seemed to be the cloak that you bought for Miss Megaera, however, she had been home since days ago and have never left her room with the rest of her sisters¡­ as usual." It was strange for a frowning man to frown even further but it urred. "However, it must be just my misjudgment, My Lord. Miss Megaera is not the type of person who would give her belongings to others." The ''Lord'' sighed at this. "Yes, I think I spoiled her rotten. But, enough about that. See who and what''s the intention of the visitor before letting them enter, Nebarius." The three-headed crow, Nebarius, was flustered when its ''Lord'' admitted that he spoiled the Furies. However, he couldn''t say that wasn''t the intention of his words since he was given an order. "Right away, My Lord." When Nebarius flew out, the ''Lord'' who is obviously Hades, the Lord of the Underworld muttered to himself- "Whoever this is, it''s going to be interesting¡­" In front of the dark pce that stood an astounding half a kilometer high, Joren was getting dizzy. "Hm, I wonder if there''s a doorbell to this ce?" While he was searching, somethingnded from the sky, almost making Joren jump from where he stood. "Greetings, guest! My name''s Nebarius, General of the Hades Militia, also, a direct servant of the Lord during non-warring times, may I know your name and see your face before you can step into the gates?" The middle of the crow''s three heads talked and politely asked. It seemed that the other two will stay quiet for a while. ''Another three-headed being¡­ is this guy strong too? I only heard of the Cerberus dog and even he was just an old man now.'' Joren thought to himself while taking off his hood and introducing himself. "My name is Joren Vierei and I want to talk to one of the Furies, Allecto." "Hm?" all three heads frowned and red at Joren after hearing those words, "Excuse me, did I hear it wrong? Did you just say that you want to meet Miss Allecto?" "Yes, that''s true." "For what reason?" "It''s a private matter. But, if it''s only possible." As of now, Joren has no n whatsoever. He was not the type to n in the first ce. His method was to always get straight to the point and figure out things on the way. Well, it''s not like he has any choice either way. He could, however, go around the UnderWorldLand, making connections, building intelligence, and something like that. But¡­ he would rather just fight Cerberus fist to paws than do that! ''My time is limited anyway¡­'' He was still thinking of Scarlett. Even at this moment, he doesn''t know where exactly she is. "It is possible, guest. However, before talking to any of the Furies, you''ll have to talk with Hades himself first." "... sure, that''s fine." Joren nodded with a smile but inwardly, he''s panicking. ''Wait, what!? Isn''t this escting a little too fast?'' However, he didn''t reveal it from his face. Meanwhile, Nebarius had his guard up. The gates then opened and he led Joren up into the pce. "That man seemed dangerous." The left head said to the other heads. "Joren Vierei, this is the first time I''ve heard of him." the right head replied. "No matter how dangerous that man is, he is no match against Lord Hades." Towards the middle head''s words, the left heard responded- "But that no matter who is he, just the fact that he would visit the pce alone tells a lot about his strength." "That''s right. After all, I don''t think anyone is stupid or brave enough to enter the Lord''s domain without any confidence in their strength." The crow heads were talking to each other while Joren was thinking something else. ''I wonder what Hades looks like. I can''t believe the moment I stepped into the UnderWorld, I will meet a God right away then a Goddess then another God. Are Gods actually thatmon?'' The first God that Joren was talking about was Thanatos, the God of Death. Meanwhile, he was getting excited to meet up with Allecto. ''Oh no! I have to focus!'' Joren wanted to p himself, however, he had to maintain hisposure on the surface. He was amazed by the insides of the pce. Everything was luxurious and grandiose with a theme of dark and fire. There were cinders everywhere yet it wasn''t that hot. Inside of the pce haverge open spaces that would wonder if they''re inside of a structure or actually inside with painted skies? ''Also, what should I tell Megaera? I just hope that we won''t meet. I''ll be getting my soul out of here. It''s mine to begin with.'' That was Joren''s n which can''t really be called a n. He wanted to politely get his soul back to him without saying that he would be escaping with it. After he had some distance, or at the very least, getting off their sight, he would try to escape. However, if he actually angered Megaera then he just has to force his soul into his body and escape. How could he force to put his soul into his body? Well, Joren thought it alles down to willpower. If somebody else were to hear this ridiculous n, they would mock him for it. They knew that he would be a dead man by then. While he was thinking, they had already reached the throne room to which Joren saw, at the end of the hall, was a demonic tall man, sitting on his throne that is made out of skulls. Joren squinted his eyes and thought to himself. ''Are those skulls real? But wouldn''t they break over time if you always sit on them?'' "My Lord, his name is Joren Vierei and he''s here, requesting a personal talk to Miss Allecto." Nebarius kneeled down to which Joren didn''t notice. He was focused on the skulls. The left head turned and saw this and had its eyes widened. However, it couldn''t talk much in the presence of Hades. "Alright, you may leave for now, Nebarius." "Understood, My Lord." Hades waved his hand and that''s when Joren finally noticed that Nebarius kneeled down when he stood up. ''Ah, I should''ve followed him. Isn''t that disrespectful?'' Joren wanted to kneel down to show his respect but Hades then talked after Nebarius left. "Joren Vierei, what is it that you want to talk about with Allecto?" "..." Joren frowned as he found some trouble. ''Should I call him My Lord too? Also, he looked pretty pissed off. Does he already know why I''m here? Or, maybe, because I was disrespectful earlier for not kneeling down?'' "Did you not hear my words?" "Sorry, Hades¡­-!" Joren slipped up but there was no change in reaction to the lord in front of him so he continued, "Do you know that my soul was taken by Allecto?" ''Ah, I finally asked it. But is my tone rude? It shouldn''t be, right? I think I have a pretty amiable voice.'' Joren thought to himself. Meanwhile, Hades was confused. ''Joren Vierei, he''s just a lesser undead and hopes to reunite with his half-soul that''s within Allecto''s hands.'' he already saw right through Joren when he noticed that this ''mysterious'' man was just a lesser undead, ''He''s talking very casual with me¡­'' Outside, Nebarius couldn''t hear what they were talking about but he was sure. "That man was pretty disrespectful, surely, the lord must''ve been pissed off. Any moment and he would be calling us to clean up the corpse." The middle head said which the other two nodded. "It''s been so long since another body was ced in Tartarus." "I wonder what that man was thinking? Barging into the pce. If the lord is not bored, then that man wouldn''t have been ignored from the start." Just as they were talking to each other. Hades called out to them. "Nebarius¡­!" "Here it is¡­" the right head muttered as they entered back to the throne room to hear Hades'' order. "Wake the Furies up then tell the head chefs to cook food and prepare wine for our guest tonight." The three crows'' beaks all dropped at the same time. Chapter 53 - A Feast Within Hades Palace Nebarius had no say regarding Hades'' orders, therefore, he hurriedly passed the words to the pce''s staff to which they dly epted. When was thest time they had work to do? Furthermore, it''s not a holiday, but there will be a feast due to a guest. They don''t know who this guest is but they were pretty grateful. Something to work on, finally, they thought. Eternal is pretty boring. Meanwhile, Joren didn''t know why the hell Hades actually invited him to a feast in the middle of the night. ''I just want to talk with Allecto¡­'' but he couldn''tin. After all, he expected to be at least thrown out. "Follow me." Hades stood up and Joren just noticed that this being is twice his height, making Joren looked like a little child. Butpared to Gyges and the Titans he saw¡­ well, they were smaller than ants. Joren, with a straight face, followed him as the two talked. "So, you''re the first new undead in a while." "I don''t know about being the first in a while but yes, I just became an undead." "iming what is yours is reasonable." Hades said to which Joren had a bad feeling. ''This is all going too smoothly. Am I actually a genius?'' No "However," Hades then continued, making Joren relieved and tensed up at the same time, "I doubt that Allecto would give it back. It''s just my thoughts though, she might actually return it since it''s weird why she would keep a lower half of someone''s soul." "Then I''ll be prepared for it." Joren could only give a simple reply. As they further walk, the more pressure he felt. Hades said to wake the Furies up, that definitely means Megaera would be part of the feast too. ''Say the truth? I wouldn''t know what her reaction will be.'' After some thoughts, Joren decided to just go with the flow. If Megaera immediately asked him, that would expose him as either lying to Hades or her depending on what name he will be sticking with. Upon arriving at the dining hall, Joren salivated after a delicious aroma entered his nostrils. The door opened and he saw the big meals that were ced atop the table. ''Huh? Is that set up in the first ce or are they faster than fast food?'' Hades sat on the biggest chair at the end of the table before one of the maids with skin the same as Megaera, Joren noticed, led him to the chair opposite to the lord. At that moment, he saw someone sitting adjacent to him. "What a surprise, my friend." Thanatos was sitting there with an excited smile on his face,pletely an upside-down expression of what Hades was showing. "Oh, you know each other?" "Yes, Lord Hades, we just met some time ago while I was moping around." Thanatos answered to which Hades ignored the second half. "Joren, you''re not scared of death?" Joren was surprised by Hades'' sudden question. Fortunately, he came up with an answer. "What''s the point of living in the realm of the dead?" "You have a point." Thanatos nodded while Hades wasn''t sure if he agree or not. Well, that was a peculiar answer so he let it go. Meanwhile, the former who nodded was entertained by Joren''s answer. Thanatos knew that Joren was here to steal his soul back. He was greatly surprised when the guest the Hades Pce was preparing a feast for is the soon-to-be soul-stealer which Hades hates so much. ''If Hades knew that I''m turning a blind eye to this, he will surely punish me. Joren, I hope you can aplish this smoothly.'' "Let''s wait for the girls. Although I know you just want to talk to Allecto, I have to invite the three of them. Those girls don''t leave their rooms, always ying with their phones andputer." Hades sighed, making Joren question if what he said was not a joke. "You should give them some work to do, Lord Hades." Thanatos wanted to bite his lips since he was the one who really wants something to work on. "No, their job had long been unavable due to the agreement with the human ancestors. I believe, now, they are just calling us myths. The Myth Academy is doing great in hiding the history and other things." Joren took a sip of the cup, not knowing it was wine. "Kah-!" he suddenly coughed but sessfully gulped the liquid instead of spitting it out towards Thanatos which would have been a great disaster for both parties. "Is the wine not fitting to your taste?" Hades asked but Joren wiped his lips with the towel ced on the table and waved his other hand. "No, it''s delicious¡­ just a little strong." ''Fuck, this is so strong! I didn''t notice it by its mild smell!'' This was actually the first time Joren had drank wine. He didn''t want to indulge in it since didn''t have the money in the first ce, or friends to drink with which is sad. Furthermore, he''s still a minor so he couldn''t buy one even if he wants to. "Do you want another drink?" "Yes, if there''s c¡­" Joren asked for hisfortable drink to which Hades raised an eyebrow. "A c?" he then nced at the head maid who led Joren to his seat earlier. She came to him and whispered something. "Sorry, Joren, but it seemed that we don''t have any c anymore. Interestingly, however, it was Cerberus who ordered thest one. As you know, transactions between the realm of the living and the realm of the dead are very difficult to do somon stocks in the surface world are actually scarce here and vice versa." "I see¡­" Joren found that fact interesting as that exins a lot of things. At that moment, the door somewhere behind Hades opened and Nebarius entered to hold the door with his head cast downwards. After him, there were two women with ashen skin entered. Joren knew the one at the front. She''s Megaera while the woman behind her must be one of the other two Furies. ''Aren''t there three of them?'' Joren thought but this was also asked by Hades. "Where''s Tisiphone?" "Lord, she¡­ didn''t want toe." Megaera said with an apologetic smile. Hades just sighed. "Where''s Persephone?" "I don''t want to disturb her sleep." Hades said. "What if she gets angry that you didn''t invite her to a feast only happens once in a while, Lord?" Megaera frowned, making Joren confused who''s actually the Lord here. "Will she really get angry?" Hades seemed to get antsy. "Long time no see, Half-Sister Megaera and Half-Sister Allecto." Thanatos greeted them. Joren almost jolt up from his chair, hearing the name who holds his half-soul. "Thanatos, you''re here too?" Megaera asked before whispering to her sister, "Allecto¡­! Stop hiding behind me!" "Shut up¡­! I''m not hiding¡­" Allecto nced at Joren and sat farthest from him. Meanwhile, Megaera finally looked at who the guest was. She sat down as he looked at him and saw a familiar face. "Eh?" ''Cousin!? So, did he finish his business with the UnderWorldLand. Since I haven''t heard any news, it seemed that he didn''t really do anything big there.'' Megaera thought. Seeing her reaction, Hades introduced. "His name is Joren Vierei, the new undead." "Joren!?" Megaera almost stood up from her seat upon hearing this. Meanwhile, Joren had prepared himself for what''s toe. "Lord, what''s he doing here as a guest, isn''t he just a lesser undead? What''s with the feast?" Allecto grumpily asked after she leaned towards Hades. "Don''t be like that. Was there ever a time a lesser undead knocked on the doors of my pce?" "... no." "That''s why we can treat him like a guest." "No, the reason why they don''te is that why would we even let any lesser undead here!?" Allecto speedilyined, "Much less prepare a feast for him?" "Allecto, do you want to kick him out?" "Yes, please!" "Then you will be kicking Thanatos out too." "Ugh¡­ w-why?" "Because he wouldn''t be here without the feast." With that logic presented by Hades, Allecto shut her mouth up and just took out her phone. "Don''t take that thing out. We''re in the middle of dining with a guest." Allecto just rolled her eyes as she put her phone down. "Also, do you think Persephone would be angry if we let her out of this?" "I don''t know. I mean, she''s always angry if you wake her up from sleeping." "Hm¡­ what do I do?" Hades pondered before recalling that he''s the host at the feast for a guest at that moment. "Alright, since we''re all here, let''s begin eating." Joren stopped chewing after hearing that. ''I thought we can start eating the moment we sat down.'' But he was being pressured by Megaera''s stare that he didn''t realize he was the only one eating. ''It''s more pressuring that she''s not talking¡­'' "Do you two know each other?" Thanatos then asked when he noticed the strange atmosphere between the two of them. Chapter 54 - Taking Hand Joren could already feel that he was about to sweat bullets. ''I thought we were friends?'' He inwardly cried. But to his surprise, Megaera shook her head. "No, this is the first time I''ve seen this man in my life." "Ah¡­" Thanatos could only slowly nod. Meanwhile, Joren wanted to cry tears of joy. Seeing that the little exchange from the three had finished, Hades reinitiated the conversation. "Earlier, you said you have some personal matters to speak with Allecto." "Yes," Joren replied and nothing else. This made the others look at each other thinking- ''Does he not understand the Lord wants him to speak that matter with everyone or does he prioritize his privacy rather than obeying the Lord?'' They are thinking if either Joren is dense, disobeying, or has really some private matters to say. But what could that private matter be when Allecto doesn''t even know him? Ah¡­ "You''re here for your soul, half-dead?" Allecto finally talked to him with an attitude. Earlier, she was shy since she didn''t know who the guest was but upon knowing it was just a ''nobody'', she can''t see him as a guest at all. Joren nced at Megaera, who seemed to be connecting the dots, before replying. "No, it''s not about that." "Then, what?" Allecto raised her eyebrow. She went so strong on saying what she was sure earlier that being denied made her blush. "It''s a private matter. If possible, I want to speak with you about it alone." "..." Allecto didn''t reply, she just nced at Hades before sitting down. Meanwhile, Thanatos could be seen having an ufortable smile. He haven''t finished his food but he stood up and said. "Then¡­ I''ll be going now¡­" "Stay" Hades''s stern voice echoed within the dining hall. This made Thanatos quietly sit down. ''My friend, the Lord is already so generous by letting you in his pce and giving you a feast with the presence of two Furies, you should rethink your position.'' He wanted to say to Joren but couldn''t under Hades'' stare. But, actually, Thanatos didn''t need to say it. Joren already knew what''s happening. He offended Hades by disregarding the Lord''s wishes. This was forcing him to change his direction. Joren is thick-skinned and is always charging forward but he''s not an idiot who stays on a sure-doomed path. "Actually¡­" he stood up and walked to Allecto. He doesn''t know what this will yield but it''s better to gamble instead of continuing to be stupidly headstrong. From what he knows from what Megaera had been talking saying to him, he chose this route. "I am here to court Miss Allecto and hope to be his partner for all eternity." He kneeled down like a prince wooing another kingdom''s princess, startling Allecto and the others. A lesser undead have the guts to ask for a Goddess'' hands in marriage? That''s unheard of! ''He doesn''t know his ce!'' Thanatos knew that this was the end of Joren, ''Forgive me, my friend, but even if I do everything in my power, what you''re doing is very stupid.'' Megaera stood up in shock too, thinking- ''How did ite to this?'' the dots that she was trying to connect all crumbled down. She realized she doesn''t know a thing about this man who has proimed to be Gyges. Joren avoided being associated with his soul and going against Hades. Megaera was still in the dark whether what kind of being Joren really is. She clearly saw him leave Tartarus. That''s a fact she cannot deny. What other possible exnations could there be? That he''s just a lesser undead who walked into the cave to sightsee then walked out without harm? That''s the case but Megaera couldn''t wrap her head around the possibility. Even Zeus issued to have Tartarus'' realm be separated from Hades, locking the Hetanchoires inside in fear of the possibility that hell might let loose someday. Hades only agreed as this would benefit him as well. If the Titan were to rise and initiate their revenge, Hades would be their first target, being that he''s the closest before climbing Mount Olympus and preying on both Zeus and Poseidon. For that reason, one escaping Tartarus will never mean good. Megaera knew this but was also pressured by the guilt of being an aplice to the injustice they gave to the guardians of Tartarus, the three Hetanchoires. ''But he had his promise with his mother''s name, Gaia, on the line.''s This shouldn''t be a scheme, right? While Megaera was thinking of hell letting loose and an end-of-the-world scenario, Joren just wants his half-soul back. After a brief pause, a slow pping could be heard. "This is wonderful, Allecto, what do you say?" Hades said with a less frown on his face. "Lord? How can you even consider it?" Allecto was stupefied. She didn''t need to exin the problem of a Goddess marrying a lesser undead. "It''s fine. I just hope for your happiness. If possible, Joren can take the three of you sisters as his wives." "What!? Don''t rope us into this, Lord!" Megaera said in protest but soon realized she raised her voice after a re from Hades. "No offense to Joren but this is what you get for being cooped inside your rooms all the time! Can''t you go out and meet love? Do you know how happy I am with Persephone? Or do you just n to spend the rest of your eternity with your¡­ phones?" Hades argued with them. Hearing this, Allecto and Megaera looked at each other. After that nce, Allecto came forward and confessed. "Lord, actually, I have already found my love." "Hm? Who?" Hades excitedly raised his eyebrow. Although they don''t say it, he''s like the father figure to them and he really treats them like daughters. It would be weird to officially say it since Hades is literally their nephew. The abundant time that had passed buried that thought into them and they stayed to what they arefortable with. Since Hades is the most mature, he''s the head just like how Zeus became the Gods of Gods even though he''s the youngest of the siblings. Furthermore, he''s the strongest in the UnderWorld which couldn''t be denied. Joren wasn''t unfamiliar with this concept. The number one example of this was Ness. He sometimes thought that Ness was his little sister or something. Of course, except for the time she transformed into the adult form. Allecto gave a proud smile and quickly went through her phone before putting it on the table. "His name is Alexander Great. He first came to the UnderWorld after saving the world once. There''s even a time when he defeated Hercules. Then, he was also offered by Zeus to take the throne but Alexander denied it as he just wants a simple life. Not only that but his face is cute, totally my type!" This shocked everyone in the room. There''s such a person? "Let me look at that." Hades hurriedly took the phone and looked at Alexander''s profile while Allecto was proudly lifting her chin. "Why didn''t I hear the name of Alexander Great? This person is too magnificent! But¡­ why are his eyes closed here?" Hades showed to Allecto and pointed at the profile picture. Joren inevitably saw this picture too since he''s kneeling behind Allecto. ''What¡­?'' Joren found this face familiar, however, he was not sure. The picture shows his sleeping face. Joren has never seen himself asleep so he doesn''t know. He must''ve been pictured during the times he was asleep in UnderWorldLand. "Of course, his eyes are closed. It''s all about as aestheticism and poetry, Lord, you wouldn''t know about it." Allecto proudly exined before Megaera entered the scene and snatched the phone away and took a look. "Don''t be so jealous now, Megaera." Allecto knew well that Megaera is the Enriye (Fury) of Jealousy, basically the Goddess of Jealousy as she is the Goddess of Anger. "No, that''s not it. This guy is a poser." Megaera pointed. To this usation, Allecto''s face contorted into a frown, "Last time, you said that same thing. Are you picking a fight again?!" "And I was right thest time. Even though I was right, I was the one who have to apologize to calm your anger. Now, I''m telling you that this is another poser as well. Have you two seen each other yet? When did you two meet? Do you have any proof that what this guy''s been saying is the truth? Why didn''t we get any news about this guy then?" Megaera kept poking Allecto''s delusions. "That''s¡­ true¡­" Hades muttered and then asked, "If that guy is lying with Allecto, I will send him to Tartarus! Contact him right away! I want to meet him if he''s real or not!" "Alright! Alright!" Allecto gave in, "You think I''m being fooled again!? Okay, I''m going to video call him right now! Be ready to be in wrong this time!" Allecto was about to push the dial button but hesitated. "Just tap it!" Megaera helped her. "Hey, wait! This is the first time we will call each other, I''m still not ready!" Chapter 55 - Deceived! The phone began dialing the person whom Megaera contacted, Alexander Great who is supposed to be the perfect man for Allecto. Allecto couldn''t do anything to stop it as even Hades wants to meet the person himself. Eventually, the call was picked and there was a man''s voice behind the phone- [Hello?] "H-hello, yes, hi." Allecto immediately answered with butterflies in her stomach. [... who is this?] "Alexander, it''s me, Allecto. Sorry for suddenly calling you." Allecto grinned while looking at Megaera and the others with an ''I told you he''s real'' face. "Allecto? Huh? Y-you''re a girl?" "Um, yes? Don''t be silly, of course, I''m a girl." [R-r-really? O-oh¡­] The man''s voice then began to panic for some reason. "Tell him to turn on the video." Megaera whispered to Allecto after some whisperings with Hades. Even Thanatos went behind Allecto, curious to see this Alexander Great. "Umm, Alexander, can you turn on the video? I''ll be turning on mine." Allecto said with a huge grin on her face. [Is that fine? Wait-] Allecto then requested the video through the phone and a notification popped up on the other side, asking for permission for both parties to open their cameras. [I''m not ready yet¡­!] "It''s fine, it''s fine, there''s nothing to be worried about." Allecto said before asking as if she just found it out just now, "Also, you seemed to be acting different today. Did something happen?" Hades'' face twitched at how Allecto can shamelessly speak in a flirtatious tone in front of them, especially with a guest involved. [D-different? Haha¡­ what''s different?] "... Allecto¡­" Megaera could only sigh at how gullible her sister is since that man is definitely suspicious. "Come on, hurry up. I want to see your cute face." Allecto then began giggling. [-ah] The audio call then turned into a video call as ''Alexander'' had finally shown his close-up face. With a surprised look, he looked down on the camera with his double chin hiding his real chin. Allecto was petrified with her jaw unhinged. "That''s Alexander? He''s very far from his profile picture, what a surprise." Megaeramented with a monotone. [E-eh? You''re so cu- I mean, you really look like the real Goddess Allecto!] ''Alexander'' got excited when he found out the true identity of his girlfriend. [Also, the one besides you look like the real Goddess Megaera! Wow! Are you all cosyers?] [Then, that man really looked like the God of Death, Thanatos¡­] [... and¡­ that one¡­ looks like a very very very angry Hades¡­] [...] Just like Allecto, ''Alexander'' got petrified with his jaw unhinged once he realized the reality of the situation. "So this man is truly lying to you!?" Hades shouted in wrath, making the whole pce tremble from his sheer voice. Joren felt like his ear will split if Megaera was anyte in stopping Hades. "Wait, Lord! Maybe this is not this man''s fault!" Since Hades seemed to be not listening, Megaera immediately asked the man. Afterward, the man immediately exined that he met Allecto on a role-ying page of the social media they were on. The ount was forged after he snapped a picture of a ''handsome'' sleeping man on the streets about a week ago. Everything that he said was a part of the role y and thought that Allecto too was aware of it. This stopped Hades'' wrath as he was reasonable enough to understand that it''s Allecto''s naivety that got her into that. Allecto dropped to her knees. "I-I was deceived!" Deceived! "No, didn''t you just hear a word on that man''s exnation!?" Megaera rebutted, "How gullible for love can you be?! Don''t you dare be angry at anyone but you on this one!" "We''re as old as time yet we still don''t have any lovers, Megaera! Are you fine with this!?" Allecto hugged Megaera''s thighs, "It''s because we''re depicted as ugly hags by the humans, those fucking humans, I will ughter them all¡ª!!!" her voice eerily multiplied, making anyone who hears it, even Hades, go temporarily numb. "Stop it, Allecto! It''s just a misunderstanding on their part¡­" Megaera panicked, not knowing how to calm Allecto''s wrath before seeing Joren again and recalling what he said earlier, "See, this man wants you. You''re not an ugly hag, right!?" She threateningly looked at Joren to which he found as his signal to act on his part. He stepped forward and kneeled down once again to meet Allecto face to face. "For me, Allecto is the most beautiful and no one can change that-" "Are you saying that she''s more beautiful than me!?" Joren''s cor was then lifted by Megaera as she growled at him. "..." Allecto was stunned for a while before reacting to what Megaera did, "Release him! Control your jealousy at least for once, Megaera." Noticing this, Megaera released Joren and apologized, "S-sorry, I guess old habits die hard¡­ and you''re thest person who I want to hear that, Allecto!" she pointed a finger at her sister. Thanatos then slowly stepped away since another fight is going to begin again. "Stop raising your voices!" Hades raised his voice. "..." However, in the presence of the UnderWorld''s Lord, Megaera and Allecto couldn''t argue. "Since Allecto doesn''t have any man right now, I allow Joren to court her in one condition." Hades sat down on his chair. Of course, as a lesser undead, Joren wouldn''t have any right to even talk to the Goddess of Anger, much less take her in for marriage which everyone assumed was what Joren was talking about. "You''ll have to prove you are worthy first." Hades said and looked at Joren, non-verbally telling him ''You should''ve expected this, right?'' Teren stood up and nodded. "Everything for Allecto." he said without restraint. "..." Allecto frowned towards this and muttered, "As if he''s able to pass the Lord''s tests anyway." "Alright, we have an agreement-" Hades stopped as the door banged open behind him. "What''s with all the noise?" Everyone was then silenced while Thanatos knew that his chance of escaping was lost. "P-persephone?" Hades looked over the chair and saw a grumpy woman who was disrupted in her sleep. Persophone, a fair woman even with her face frowning, walked into the hall. Her hair was red and curly, her body an hourss, and her face pristine. She was in the league of Megaera and Allecto. After all, she''s also a Goddess. Andpared to the Furies, she''s a real Goddess, daughter of Demeter, one of the twelve Olympian Gods, and queen of the UnderWorld. "What is this!? Why are the food on the table in the middle of the night?! Why are the servants gathered here!? Why is Thanatos here?!" "I-I can''t¡­?" Hades and the Furies just red at Thanatos to shut him up. "Finally, who is this stranger!?" Persephone pointed at Joren while shouting at Hades. Joren didn''t know if he was hallucinating but Hades was now just as tall as Persephone, even shorter than him. Instead of a frown, he was wearing a smile. It was as if Hades disappeared and a new person appeared. Hades was about to exin but before that he ordered Nebarius, "Nebarius, give Joren a room to stay for the night!" He then apanied his grumpy wife out, who wasshing out on him but he patiently exined what happened. It seemed that the night was just beginning for the Lord of the UnderWorld. When they left the room, Thanatos waved his goodbye immediately right after as if he just found his escape. "Wow, Lord''s able to transform quickly today." Allecto muttered to which Megaera replied. "It means that he knows he''s in the wrong. If he stayed frowning, Persephone would''ve been madder." Allecto nced at Joren first before leaving when Nebarius came forward and said. "Follow me, Guest Joren." the middle head stayed polite but the other two heads did not. "Guest? Tsk!" "Shh!" Joren ignored this while left dissatisfied by the anti-climatic event. It ended abruptly. He looked at where Hades left with Persephone. He was wondering what trials would Hades test on him. Something that will make him deem worthy for a Goddess¡­ Eventually, Nebarius led him to a guest room where he found it pleasant to be in. It was aplete renovation from what he expected to be a room with a grim theme. It''s better than the love hotel that he and Ness stayed in, actually, although falling shortpared to the cruise. Falling onto the bed, Joren was about to close his eyes and rethink of what happened today when the door suddenly opened, making him jump out of his bed. Even with lights turned off, he could see her ashen skin. He immediately knew who this was based on her ponytail. Megaera closed the door before looking at Joren and asking with an interrogative gaze. "Cousin Gyges, can I ask you something?" ''Gangsta God, protect me.'' Joren prayed before calming himself and replying, "Sure, whatever it is." "Who are you lying to? Me or the Lord?" Megaera squinted her eyes.. The fear she had back then on him was nowhere to be seen. Chapter 56 - 56 Sneaking Out Joren was faced with a difficult question. The answer is easy to find but to answer it is difficult. Fortunately for him though, this Goddess is not of Anger but of Jealousy. But that plus side doesn''t pull up the whole situation. "I lied to you, I''m not Gyges, I''m just a lesser undead." Joren came out of it. This is because Megaera already knew that he''s lying, she wasn''t just sure to who. However, she''s not being hostile to him. This gave him a chance to say the truth. "No, you may not be Gyges but you shouldn''t be a lesser undead, stop lying!" Megaera said, her patience turning zero. "But¡­ I''m not lying. That''s actually the truth." Joren wanted to say that the soul Megaera gave to Allecto was his. But him being aware of that would question his intentions in courting Allecto. "I''m not as gullible as my sister. I saw you, with my two own eyes, came out of that cave of Tartarus. Let''s say that the Gods are so petty that they would put a lesser undead in Tartarus, but you shouldn''t be able to escape! If you, a lesser undead, escaped Tartarus then why aren''t the Titans out right now?" Megaera gave a ''Don''t y me dumb'' look to Joren. "That''s just a misunderstanding. I didn''t escape Tartarus because I wasn''t in there in the first ce." He exined but this just made Megaera slowly shake her head. "Are you telling me that my eyes deceived me back then? You even used the fact that I saw you out to lie to me, saying you''re a Hetanchoire." "No, I dide out of Tartarus." "..." Megaera squinted her eyes as she was about to get angry. "But, what I was saying is that I''m not locked in there. I just entered the cave to see what Tartarus looks like. Just the cave, not Tartarus." Joren immediately exined. With that, the misunderstanding should''ve been cleared out. However, Megaera just rolled her eyes away in disbelief. "So, you''re telling me. A lesser undead had the guts to enter Tartarus?" Joren nodded. "Stop¡­ lying¡­!" Megaera growled, having enough of the ''lies'', "Any lesser undead would be shaken in fear just seeing the red tint once you''ve gone near the Tartarus. Walking further, only the brave can endure the terrifying screams of suffering. Getting close enough, only the Lord could endure seeing that hell. Are you telling me, you have more guts than the Lord?" "Then, how about this? I''ll enter again." Joren suggested. "..." Megaera pondered. In her thoughts, Joren was already inside Tartarus once. Therefore, entering there would be much easier for him. ''Wait, no. Whether he''s really a lesser undead or someone who was locked up in Tartarus for an unknown period of time, he still shouldn''t be able to enter.'' If Joren was locked up in Tartarus, he should''ve been traumatized enough not to get close to the cave. If anyone can just get used to hell then that screams of suffering should''ve been toned down after millennia. "Sure, if you can enter, I''ll believe you." Megaera fully expects him to either wimp out or remember the traumatizing ce. "Also, you keep doubting me even though I was already telling the truth, risking my life. It should be fair that if I prove myself correct, you will help me with one thing." Joren put his index finger up. Seeing Megaera having zero belief in him, this is a chance for him to promise her anything. ''No, junior, calm down. I wouldn''t make that request. There''s a more important matter.'' Junior was sad that night. "Sure," Megaera easily agreed like what Joren expected. She had seen no one, even Zeus or Hades, has their nervesposed walking out of the cave. That had been ages but it''s not like Tartarus changed. "Wait, I want you to put your mother''s name on it." "... didn''t you put Gaia''s name before? She''s not even your mother." Megaera remembered but Joren wasn''t affected. "I still kept my promise, even if she''s not my mother." Even if he wants to wreak havoc, he couldn''t. He just didn''t have the strength for it. ''Although stealing my soul and making Hades angry is one thing¡­ will I go through some diving retribution?'' Joren stopped thinking about it. If he did make Hades angry, then even if Gaia is added, Joren would still be fighting against Gods, including Zeus. "Then, I promise with my mother''s name, Nyx, Goddess of the Night, on it." Afterward, Megaera led Joren to where the cave is. First, they sneaked out through the halls. While Megaera was nervous since she will have to go to that literally God-forsaken ce, Joren was enjoying his time sneaking out with a beauty. ''This feels like a lovers'' tryst¡­'' "Come on¡­" Megaera whispered before she turned to the corner. "Why are we sneaking anyway?" "It''s becuase we''re forbidden to go outside at night. Don''t worry, I enjoy going out during the night so I know how to sneak around. Also, is it just me or do you sound happy?" "It''s just you¡­" Joren lied. Also, he''s a bit curious why these Goddesses are forbidden to go out in the night, so he asked to which Megaera answered- "That''s just how strict Hades is. He likes to think that we''re his possession. Although he doesn''t do anything bad to us and even gives us everything we want, well, except for freedom. That''s why we''re always cooped in our room since there''s nothing to do anyway." "I see¡­" Like what Megaera said, they were able to exit the pce without being seen effortlessly. Megaera then jumped over the tall wall without thinking much about it. When she turned to her side, Joren was nowhere to be found. She looked down from the top of the wall, Joren was like an ant looking up to her. She went down as if gravity doesn''t apply to her. "Is there a problem?" "..." Joren didn''t know what to say except for; "I can''t jump that high." "That high?" for a Goddess, height was no longer relevant. Although only her Sister Tisiphone has the power of flight among them, she doesn''t need to stay up in the air to go over the ''little'' wall. "I don''t have the strength to jump that high." Joren rephrased himself. "You''re lying to me. It doesn''t have anything to do with strength. You just jump." Megaera has forgotten the difference of strength between an immortal and a mortal. Instead of speaking any further, Joren jumped as high as he could. He crouched down and leaped up, gaining distance from the ground by several meters. The height of his jump was incredible¡­ for a human that is. He didn''t even reach a tenth of the wall''s height. "What was that?" Megaera asked since she was confused. "That''s how high I can jump." "..." Megaera just frowned but Joren could somehow hear what she was thinking. "Yes, I''m weak because I''m a lesser undead. So, let''s find another exit." "No, this is the only exit without those ghouls becuase this is towards Tartarus." Megaera stopped him. "Are you saying you will carry me?" Joren got excited by the idea that he will have a chance to hug this Goddess¡­ but his excitement shattered to pieces as Megaera pulled his arm and jumped, almost detaching a limb from Joren''s body. Landing on top of the wall, Joren dropped to the ground. "... I¡­ did very¡­ good at not shouting in pain¡­" He said while huffing. "Pain?" Megaera has forgotten that concept. "We still have to jump down, are you going to be fine?" she asked. "Wait, aren''t I going to die¡­ if we do that?" Joren tried to sit up but failed. Megaera looked at him with a frown and in silence again. "Yes, I know, I''m weak because I''m just a lesser undead." "So, you''re really going to die if we fall down from here?" Megaera epted the reality that this man is super fragile. "Not if you hug me." Joren couldn''t help but joke seeing Megaera''s beautiful face above him. "... will that help during the fall?" Megaera asked since there had been so many surprises at that moment that she was led to believe that what Joren said is correct. "Yes" Joren straightforwardly said as he stood up and opened his arms. "You seem fine now¡­" "No, I''m about to fall." Megaera nodded and stepped forward to wrap her arms around Joren. Feeling two soft mounds pushed upon him, Joren forgot all the pain in his body. "There, is this tight enough?" "Tighter." "Really? Okay." Megaera felt weird but couldn''t exin it. Crack* "Okay, I''m going to jump now." While blood spurted from Joren lips, Megaera easily carried him and jumped from the top of the wall. Joren almost lost his consciousness there and found that he got too greedy. Megaeranded like a feather. "There¡­ you lied again." Megaera lowered her eyelids, "Hugging didn''t work, you''re bleeding." Joren wanted to point out that the fall didn''t cause this but then, he stopped himself. He wanted this to be a lesson to stop his horniness. "Let¡­ me rest first¡­" Megaera sighed, "You''re not going to die, right?" Joren shook his head before muttering. "Maybe¡­" "Then, we have to go. We don''t have all the time in the world. I''ll carry you." Joren raised his hand and put a thumbs up. Chapter 57 - 57 Entering Tartarus The Second And Third Time Joren didn''t know why he expected to finally be infort when Megaera said she''ll carry him. "Ow¡­ w-wait, you''re dragging me, you''re not carrying me!" Joren exined but Megaera just increased her speed, lifting him from the ground. "AHHH~!" "Stop shouting!" Megaera shouted. With her speed, Joren felt like he was about to be separated from his limb. Fortunately, before that happens, they''ve arrived at a ce where the shadow of red light could be seen. "Why¡­ why are women always so rough on me?" Joren huffed and tried to catch his breath even though he was carried. "You''re so weak¡­ how are you able to escape Tartarus?" Megaera asked and began doubting before she ''realized'', "Oh, maybe it took all your strength to escape, is that it?" "No, I''m really this weak¡­ let me rest first." Joren said and lied down but Megaera just frowned. "Are you scared?" "A little¡­" Joren didn''t lie. "Say, I still haven''t decided what to do to you for wasting my time, didn''t I?" A foreboding voice entered Joren''s ears. For him, this is scarier than Tartarus since she might really do something to him. "Alright, I get it, let''s go." "Huh? Me too?" Megaera pointed at herself, a little surprised. "How are you going to see me enter then? Also, have you seen since Tartarus?" "Of course not! But I know that it''s literally hell with an infinite sea of mes, burning every being that sinned against the Gods." Megaera described what she had heard before. "Yeah, that''s about right. But you should see it, it''s an amazing sight too." Joren said with a smile and forced her. "No, you just want someone toe with you because you''re scared." Megaera reasoned to which Joren just sighed and let it go. "Fine, but if I enter once, you''ll go with me the second time?" "Sure¡­" Megaera unsurely responded. Although she no longer bears the pride she have before as a mighty Erinye, she still has her pride. If a lesser undead can do it, why can she not? Joren nodded with that and went on, walking closer to Tartarus as Megaera followed from behind. She still couldn''t see the entrance from there. However, the closer she is, the heavier her chest bes. At this point, not even greater undead can bear the screams of million sufferers. Megaera already knew that Joren once exited Tartarus but seeing him enter now after knowing how weak he is, she was greatly shocked. He was getting slower upon getting closer. As if his body weight was increasing for every step he takes. Eventually, she was gone from her sight. Her heart beating heavily from worry and fear. She wouldn''t be surprised if she no longer see Jorene out. A minuteter which felt like an hour, Megaera could no longer take it as she muttered. "Maybe¡­ he''s dead?" She took a step back and slowly turned around. Her steps was bing faster and faster. After getting out of the shadows of the red light, Megaera was finally able to calm herself. She had never stayed that long near Tartarus. If she was not an immortal being who has lived a very long time, she would''ve gone insane from the sinister cacophony that envelops the area. "What should I tell the Lord and Allecto?" she heaved a sigh, "No, Allecto would justugh at his demise but Lord might get angry at me for bringing him to Tartar-" "Megaera" she suddenly heard someone call out her name apanied by a hand ced on her shoulder. "Kyah-!" The Goddess of Jealousy, one of the Furies, Megaera shrieked and crouched down. Realizing whose voice it is, she looked back and lifted her head to see Joren trying to restrain hisughter. "Y-you¡­" "Sorry¡­ I must''ve scared you¡­" Joren doesn''t seem like he''s sorry at all. "You''re alive?" Megaera stood up, forgetting the fact that she just shrieked out of fear. "Yeah, don''t tell me you didn''t see me enter?" "I saw, I saw you, that''s why I''m shocked to see you alive." ''You wanted me to die?'' Joren raised an eyebrow but let it go. The two of them are not that close. So what if he dies? "Why are you far out here anyway? I thought you''re going to wait on me." "No¡­ you''ve been too long there. I thought you''re dead already." Megaera exined. She didn''t know why she''s relieved but she felt something heavy disappear from her chest. "Oh, then I''ve proven myself, is that correct?" Joren cheekily smirked. "I don''t know about that but a promise is a promise." Megaera no longer cared about the deal after being shocked like that. Joren pumped his fist in celebration. Would a Goddess go back on her word? If she does then he''s in big trouble. But there''s no point in worrying about that. Having a promise is better than nothing. "Then, let''s go." He then pointed with his thumb. "Go where?" Megaera tilted her head. "Go to Tartarus, you included." "H-huh?" "I thought a promise is a promise?" Joren asked against her. Megaera gritted her teeth and just nodded with a forced smile. Joren found this side of her cute. He couldn''t help but grin. "Follow me." "You''re being¡­ too full of yourself. I bet Tartarus isn''t actually as scary as I heard it to be." Megaera got annoyed by his obvious teasing. "That''s what I''ve been saying. If you want, you can walk in front." "No¡­ I don''t know the direction so, you can go ahead. I''ll follow you." Megaera looked away as she said that. "I see¡­ well, if you wanna hold your hands, it''s just here." Joren was having fun as he offered his hand. However, Megaera stayed silent and just followed him with a frown. ''Did I go too far?'' "No, I am not that scared." She then suddenly replied, her voice full of resolution. ''If I was still in my prime, I would be pushing people off into the cave myself!'' "Alright," Joren then led her and it didn''t take them long to get near the cave. Megaera could feel her heart beating quickly and heavily again. This was the nearest she had ever been to Tartarus. This is akin to a person who doesn''t necessarily have a fear of height but is scared to walk closer to a cliff. It''s natural to fear something that might cause them death. The closer that person is to the edge of the cliff, the more they feel dizzy, the cold into their bones, and the debilitation of their limbs. Although Megaera is an immortal Goddess who''s not scared of height, being imprisoned in Tartarus to a Goddess is like the death of a person. Getting closer to her eternal damnation, Megaera couldn''t help but get cold feet. "You sure¡­ I wouldn''t slip and fall into Tartarus?" "Don''t worry, I''ll hold onto you." Joren felt pity for her but turning their back now might destroy her resolution so he supported her. Hearing this, Megaera looked into Joren''s face that was free of fear. Somehow, she found this lesser undead reliable. Joren was having fun more than being scared. Maybe, thinking with his dick is sometimes helpful. Entering the mouth of the cave, Megaera tightened her grip on Joren''s hand as her eyes span over the ming horizon. It was scarier than what she expected. [Joren Vierei, don''t turn your back now and you even brought¡­ Megaera?] The real Gyges was talking to Joren earlier and that''s why thetter was a bit longer inside. But Megaera''s eyes were rolling now, not knowing what''s happening as she dropped onto the ground. Meanwhile, Gyges, who finally saw a woman after countless millennia of being stuck in Tartarus, drooled over the sight of the weakened Megaera. So, what if they''re blood-rted? There''s no such thing as incest between Gods. The prime example is Zeus'' family. Not only was Megaera a woman, but she was also a stunning Goddess. [Mortal Joren, in exchange for this Hetanchoire''s favor, you''ll just need to push that woman. Just a push all your lifelong dreams will be yours!] The other conscious beings began looking in their direction as they heard Gyges say the word ''woman''. Although there are undeniably women there, they could no longer be viewed as one. With their face and body melted, lust was no longer a thing in the sea of mes. But beings that can still walk and talk in Tartarus like Gyges all looked at Megaera as if she''s a heavenly treat for them. [You''ll have favor from me too!] [I was once a king! Just push her and I''ll tell you where I hid my treasure!] Many men shouted. In thend of suffering, they were desperate to relieve themselves. [Even if I cannot escape, I will tell you where I buried my inheritance!] Only those who are powerful enough truly offend the Gods and thus, was sent to Tartarus. None of these people were small. "Sure! However, I don''t trust any of you! Tell me what you can first before I push her!" Joren replied, making the weakened Megaera look at her with pleading eyes. She can''t seem to gather any strength within there. Joren pulled her arm up and held her face as if he''s a ve trader, auctioning Megaera, the ve. "Don''t be scared, I''ll never push you even if it meant that I will get stuck here.." Joren whispered to her, "Let''s take advantage of these fools." Chapter 58 - Useless When Megaera felt those words, she felt excitement rather than fear. She didn''t know she can feel such emotion in that kind of ce. [I heard your whisper, Joren. A mortal calling us fools!?] Gyges furiously shouted in reply to Joren, making others know what he whispered amidst the cacophony of chaos. "But they heard you now¡­!" Megaera didn''t know whether tough or cry. "So what if they heard me?" Joren justughed and wrapped his other hand around Megaera''s bare stomach. "I still haven''t heard any useful information from you. If I feel grateful, I might push her into you all, I don''t know." "Huh? Even if know I wouldn''t push you, they are no longer in their right minds." a wide smile could be seen on Joren''s face, "I don''t know how long they have been there but seeing a perfect woman like you in front of them, they will cling on that little hope which I might really push you if they persuaded me enough." "..." Megaera didn''t believe Joren at all. Before a person shouted stronger than the others. [My name''s Tantalus, a legendary king of Sipylus, the wealthiest when alive! I''ll give you all my inheritance, just push her to us!] Megaera was instantly disgusted upon hearing this. Another reason was added why she hates Tartarus. Looking at Joren, realizing he was right, she found that this man was more wicked than she thought. "Useless! Anything valuable that you can give me right now?" Joren shouted. These people were once great people, standing at their own peak. But now, they could only greet their teeth while thinking of a way to persuade this mortal. What valuable thing could they give right now? There''s only one thing that''s left with them down there, knowledge! [I''ll make you a student of mine!] [The secret to an immortal life is¡­!] Each sentence that was spouted at that moment was so valuable that countries would wage war for them. However, they were all speaking at the same time that Joren couldn''t really hear who was talking nor what they were saying at all. Furthermore, the majority of their voices were still being drowned by the shrieks and screams of others tormented. Meanwhile, Megaera had a face of shock. She could discern most words, however, found out that almost all of them were iplete. These were the secrets of life, some were a way to absolute power, and there are those who may even be spouting nonsense by saying they know how one can control the universe. "I guess, I couldn''t get anything from them¡­" Joren sighed and let go of Megaera but she didn''t move. On the contrary, she felt unsafe now that he let her go. However, she will never admit it so she moved away from him. Tartarus was not as scary as it seem. However, it was so creepy in another sense that Megaera would nevere back to this ce! Though she still couldn''t stop her legs from trembling. This just made the men more excited as they desperately shouted for Joren to push her down. "There''s a reason why they''re down there, let''s go¡­" Joren just said, held Megaera''s hand, and was about to turn around when he felt a grasp on his other hand. It was obviously not Megaera¡­ then who? She and Joren''s faces went paled when a demonic creature somehow climbed up to the cliff. Joren looked at the imp and saw that Gyges was holding it up with one of his long arms. [Never thought others could pass through? Some beings are meant toe in and out. I just don''t let them because how could they when we''re still stuck in here?] Gyges smiled widely as he lightly tugged the demonic creature''s foot, making Joren flinch. [Push Megaera down here or I''ll pull you into this hellhole.] He threatened. Joren was still holding Megaera''s hand. ''Oh no, I still haven''t recovered all of my strength yet!'' Not just because of fear but also because of some restricting power within Tartarus that made her weak. If powerful monsters and demons still retain their power, they wouldn''t suffer as much within that hell. Joren, on the other hand, was already weak. Meanwhile, Gyges was one of the Guardians and he wasn''t affected by this restricting power so he could stand the heat of Tartarus. Megaera knew she was done for when against her expectations, her hand was released. Joren showed how he released her and raised his hand up. "Pull me then." "...!" Not just Megaera, Gyges and other creatures who were wickedly smiling at his fate were dumbfounded. [This is yourst chance, grab her, or I will pull you into your eternal damnation with everyone here as your enemy!] "I said, do it, multi-faced fucker." Joren straightforwardly stared at the Hecatonchire, Gyges. A nerve popped out of Gyges'' forehead. With his strength and size, he simply moved his hand a little and it already felt like a mountain was dragging Joren down. Blood spurted on the cliff as the demonic being fell into the sea of mes again to suffer forever. With its grasp is Joren''s hand. Joren raised his other hand and pointed a middle finger at Gyges. "You failed." "..." Megaera was speechless. This guy¡­ he''s like a thug among Gods. Joren then turned around and held Megaera''s hand again to exit Tartarus. Megaera looked at his hand that was mauled from the force. Yet, he was treating it as nothing. Once the red tint was gone. Joren dropped onto the ground andughed. "Hahaha!" "Why¡­ why are youughing?" Megaera found that she was still not finished being stupefied by Joren''s actions. "No, it''s because, I got out, hahaha! I thought I was done for. I got too ahead of myself again, hahaha!" "Is¡­ that funny?" "Hahaha¡­ yeah, o-ouch!" Joren then felt the sharp pain from his missing hand. He squeezed his wrist not to let any blood out. "You should''ve done that from the start!" Megaera dropped on her knees to help him with that task. "I think the only time I''ll be able to hold the Goddess of Jealousy''s hand is when she scared." Jorenughed again, making Megaera taken aback. "So, you like holding my hand more than saving your blood?" "It''s not like I''m going to die¡­" Joren replied with no regret in his tone. "Not really, a lesser undead can die like any mortal. You''re just harder to kill and basically have an infinite lifespan. But a loss of blood may still kill you." "R-really?" "Are you stupid!? Let me wrap that up!" "You suddenly know a lot about a lesser undead, huh?" Megaera was not sure about what she was saying but she didn''t like how Joren was bleeding so she made up some excuses. Afterpletely covering Joren''s wound, she helped him walk to which Joren let her. Why wouldn''t he? After all, with her strength back, she was in no way like before, weak. "Say, how do you know that those people will react that way?" "You don''t know how hard it is to be itchy." Joren only replied. Megaera blushed when she heard this. "Of course, I know that. But those people are so desperate. I know that they want to relieve themselves from all the pain but¡­ they are degenerates." She didn''t know a worse word than that. "Well, seeing someone so beautiful as you, they would go crazy. And since all of them are sinners, there''s no need to hold their urgers back." Joren exined as if he knows what they feel in and out. "Someone so beautiful¡­" Megaera lowered her head as she muttered before asking Joren, "So, who''s more beautiful, Allecto or me?" "H-huh?" Joren then received a sharp re. "What''s with that question?" "Earlier, you said she''s the most beautiful girl and that you want to take her hand for marriage. But when you saw me the first time, you didn''t tell me that. So, are you saying that she''s much much more beautiful than I am?" Megaera''s voice became piercing cold. ''I would be happy right now if she''s my girlfriend or something but she''s not.'' Joren cleared his throat and finally told her honestly. "That was a lie. I really just want my soul back from Allecto. I have to be human again and that''s where I will need your help. You remember your promise, right?" "So, that was a lie." "Sorry, don''t be angry." Joren said but he knew that his words hold no weight. "That''s not my question, Joren." This was the first time Joren heard his name from Megaera''s mouth. "I asked, are you saying that Allecto is more beautiful than me?" "Eh? You two are equally pretty¡­?" Joren said. "Answer me not with a question." "Why are you getting angry- o-ouch, don''t tighten your grip on me!" "Answer!" "Megaera is the most beautiful, I swear!" Joren shouted in pain before Megaera released him. "I see, whatever you say." She chuckled. "Whatevery I say?" Joren muttered and may have found a person with thicker skin than him. Megaera then brought Joren over the wall. This time, she was carrying him better so the ascent didn''t hurt as much as earlier. Sneaking in, Joren fell onto thefort of his bed. "Tell me about your nter." Megeara was about to exit his room when he stopped her. "Wait" "Is there anything you want?" "Goodnight." Joren smiled to which she smiled back too and nodded. "Then, goodnight." Chapter 59 - [Bonus ]The Sisters Plan That night was incredible for Megaera. She witnessed the insides of Tartarus and came out. How many people are there in the whole universe could replicate that? Also, the second thing that surprised her the most was what she saw before she left Joren''s room. And, at the same time, it seemed that incredible night was yet to be finished. "Sister, why did youe out of that guy''s room?" Allecto asked Megaera who was standing in the middle of the hallway just in front of the guest room where Joren was sleeping. "Allecto, why are you out here at this time?" Megaera was not that nervous. There was nothing to hide from her sister who she''s been with since the start of time. "Don''t reply with a question. Did that man fancy you?" Allecto walked to Megaera andughed before she stopped her and face paled, "W-wait, did you do it with that guy? Did you just betray us?" "Of course not¡­?" Megaera could only lightlyugh at her sister''s imagination. "Then¡­ then what did you in there?" Allecto continued to ask with a doubting expression. "Hmm¡­" Megaera rolled her eyes to the side and remembered what she saw earlier, giving it as an excuse, "I thought that man was familiar so I came to look at him again while he''s sleeping." "Really?" Allecto raised an eyebrow before Megaera asked her question again. "So, what are you doing out here?" "Hades and Persephone are at it again." Allecto squinted her eyes in irritation, "Only, Tisiphone can sleep under their moans." "... they do that every time after they had a fight¡­" "But don''t they fight almost every day? That''s the reason why you''ve been going out in the night, right?" "You know?" Megaera was surprised to which Allecto smiled. "How could I, your own sister, not know? If Hades knew that, he would be really mad, you know?" "He wouldn''t since he''s busy with Persephone." Megaera confidently said. "Oh, is that jealousy I''m hearing?" Allecto giggled. "Want me to make you angry?" Megaera casually replied. "Yeah, I know. It''s weird how Hades became our father-figure even though he''s our niece." "I don''t see him as a niece at all." Megaera honestly said. "Oh, you see him as something else then?" Allecto continued to tease with a smirk. "You know, I''m getting irritated. Do you really think I look at Hades that way?" "Then, why can''t you bear their moans, Goddess of Jealousy?" "... alright, it''s true, I''m jealous." Megaera finally confessed before continuing, "But not just to Persephone, but to both of them." "W-what, you swing both ways?" "That''s not what I mean! I mean, that they have someone to be with while we''re just cooped in our rooms, It''s really dementing. Why does Hades hate us going outside so much?" "That guy''s just paranoid of people leaving him." Allecto waved her hand as if it''s not something new, "He thinks that because he''s the Lord of the UnderWorld, he will be avoided and hated like a gue, like Thanatos." "Poor guy¡­" "He likes his job, don''t worry about him." Allecto then wrapped her arm around Megaera''s shoulders as she whispered, "You''re escaping during the night since you''re in heat, right? Megaera, I would be utterly disappointed if you''re doing it with random ghouls. Leaving us Tisiphone with ourselves." "Stop being a pervert again, Allecto. We did it a few times but that''s really wrong. Also, why would you think I would do it with ghouls? Are you insane? I''m just looking around and sometimes, going to the UnderWorldLand. That ce is a fresh breath of air sometimes." Megaera said with relief. "Oh, you''re using your cloak well. I wonder what Hades would think that he''s buying you stuff to help you sneak out during the night?" "Tsk! I would rather he would get angry than I keep myself here all the time. I''m not satisfied to just surfing the unlike you two, addicts." "Haah¡­ you don''t know the joy of online dating." Allecto shook her head. "What? You like dating frauds like Alexander Great?" "I didn''t know he was a fraud at first!" Allecto''s face was tinted by red as fury engulfed her. Megaera has always thought about this but she just couldn''t but be so d their powers were usually restricted or Allecto would''ve destroyed the pce at least once a week just by her stomping from anger. Thinking of a way to make her sister calm down, Megaera remembered something. "Oh, follow me. I have something to show you." "What?" Allecto''s face was twitching as she looked at Megaera who walked towards the door of the guest room, opening it. "What''s so interesting about that guy? He''s got the words and passion but his face is just scary and not my type." Allecto scoffed but still followed when Megaera waved her hand. Entering the guest room, Allectoined. "This guy is so noisy when he''s asleep." "Look at his face." Megaera pointed at Joren''s sleeping figure on the bed and Allecto went, curious at what her sister was on about. "Hm¡­?" even though the room was dark, it was not able to impede any of their eyesight. Allecto was finally able to see Joren''s sleeping face clearly. "Alexander..~?" her eyes glittered as the thin voice she uses for flirting with guys online came out. "No, he''s not Alexander. How long are you going to delude yourself?" "But¡­ but look at his face, he''s seriously the man in Alexander''s picture." Allecto cutesily blinked her eyes as she wiggled around. Megaera found this behavior weird and a little bit scary so she said- "Alright, that''s enough. I just wanted to show you that he may be the man that fake fraud had on his ount." "Okay, you can go ahead." Allecto said with a smile as she sat on the bed. "Huh? What are you saying?" A bead of sweat dripped from Megaera''s cheek as she realized the severity of her action. "What do you mean?" Allecto asked as she covered herself with the same nket that Joren was using. "Stop that, let''s go already. Hades and Persephone should''ve been finished by now." "I don''t know what you''re saying. We finally have such a beautiful man in our pce since forever..!" Allecto said as if she was insane and wrapped her limbs around Joren''s body as she heavily breathed near his face like a creep. ''He''s still not waking up after that?'' Megaera didn''t know why but she was getting pissed at this. She looked at her own sister as if she''s one of the men from Tartarus. Actually, aren''t they quite the same? Their lusts have umted since the start of time without being released. Although the three of them sisters have tried to relieve themselves with each other whenever the heat has ovepped their minds, it was clearly not enough. "Megaera¡­ call Tisiphone. This is once in an eternity opportunity, if we don''t make this man ours now, he might escape." Allecto said before running her tongue on Joren''s cheek but halfway through, her hair was suddenly pulled. "Release him." Allecto rolled her eyes towards Megaera and saw that this sister of hers was not joking. "M-megaera¡­ don''t be so jealous. Didn''t we agree that we share our things?" "He''s not yours." Allecto frowned and released Joren. She sat up and argued. "What are you talking about? Did you forget that this man likes me? Even if he doesn''t, there''s nothing in this world that we can''t get. Hades will just hand him to us." Megaera then remembered about Joren''s real intentions and couldn''t help but smirk. "Are you really sure he likes you?" "He just said it himself¡­" Allecto squinted her eyes as she p Megaera''s hand away. Megaera opened her mouth and was about to say something yet stopped. She just smiled and said- "He''s yours but wait for him to finish Hades'' tests first. Before that, he''s unworthy to even tough your foot. Do you want a scandal about you and a lesser undead to spread?" "..." Allecto pouted and stood up. "Alright, fine. But there''s no way a lesser undead like him will get through Hades'' tests, you know that." Megaera then pulled Allecto out of the guest room before this girl gets any weird ideas. She closed the door and agreed. "Yes, Hades ns to marry the three of us off to him if hepleted the tests. A test that would make you worthy of three Goddesses at the same time¡­ I''m sure it''s as hard as crushing Mt. Olympus." "If Hades really said that, I will just intervene and say that I''ll just make him our ve, how about that?" Allecto drooled just thinking about it. There will no longer be lonely nights, she thought. "Sure," Megaera nodded while inwardly thinking another thing, ''Before you can do anything to him though, he had already escaped. I''ll just take his soul and hand it over to him. How easy is that?'' "If that''s the case, why can''t we just use him tonight if the end result is going to be the same anyway?" Allecto was about to turn around ande back to the room but she felt a tight grip on her shoulder. "At least wait for Hades to give you permission. What if we anger the Lord?" "... you got a point." Allecto nodded, making Megaera relieved. Chapter 60 - Like An Amoeba Joren woke up the next day and sure enough, he felt pain from his mangled arm. ''Damn that demon and that hundred-faced freak!'' he internally cursed after remembering Gyges'' smug look. After getting a night of rest, his mind restarted and began to think- "Hey, I was pretty recklessst night¡­" It must be the tendency to make a fool of those sinners that made him act like a viin. ''No, I''m not the bad guy here¡­ right?'' Although he understood what they were going through without experiencing it himself, Joren was pretty pissed at their request to push Megaera down. He just has to put a middle finger towards them. That''s the best he could do. What can he do in that situation? Joren could only spout words and he thinks that it''s pretty pathetic. ''I really want to shut their mouths off!'' At the same time though, it would be pretty dumb to get closer and pick a fight he have zero chance of winning. After some thinking, he let it go. Thinking about it the other way around, what could they do? Unless something major happened, they would be stuck there forever to suffer. Since they''ve been there a long time already and even though they really want to get Megaera but couldn''t, there''s no reason to be scared of them getting out and searching for him. That would just be an irrational fear and unnecessary anxiety. So, Joren stood up and stretched himself. He looked at his mangled hand and found that it dyed a part of the bed dead. "Wow¡­ if I was a normal human, I would''ve died from blood loss already¡­" Losing a lot of blood only made him tired. That got him thinking, just how much immortal is he? At what point is it fatal to kill him? If his head was severed? If his blood waspletely drained? Joren has no idea but wouldn''t want to try it. What''s good about having an undead body is that he just has to rest and regain the lost energy. He thinks that if he rest enough, he would recover his hand as a whole again. ''So I don''t have to worry aboutpletely losing half of my hand for the rest of my life, huh?'' he sighed in relief but he wasn''t that worried that much in the first ce considering that he recovered a whole arm before by drinking Virena''s blood. After some more thinking, Joren chose to find some fitting clothing to cover his hand and fortunately, there was a bandage within one of therge closets there. Is this really a guest room? He thought. After wrapping his hand, he went out to see one of the ashen-skinned maids waiting for me. "Good afternoon, Sir, I was tasked to wait for you and bring you to the Lord. Please, follow me." The maid said to him but Joren could feel a different aura around her. ''Why am I bowing my head to this lowly lesser undead!? And he made me wait until afternoon when he''s supposed to wake up in the morning!'' Joren was thinking if he could read minds from people''s aura now. Leading him back to the dining hall, Joren found that they were already halfway through eating. "Oh, you''re finally awake." Hades, in his tall and stern form, greeted Joren as he was eating. He nced at the maid and she understood, bringing Joren to his seat which is also his positionst time. "Good afternoon, Joren Vierei." A fairdy closest to Hades then sat up. Joren knew her. She''s the one who angrily stepped into the dining hallst night and was able to shout at the Lord of the UnderWold so she should be Persephone, Queen of the UnderWorld and wife of Hades. "Good afternoon¡­ sorry I woke upte." Joren looked to his side and saw that Thanatos was not there this time. However, there''s another ashen-skinned girl seated in the middle of Allecto and Megaera. She didn''t greet him or even spare a look at him. Compared to Megaera and Allecto, she''s the most ''gothic'' of them. With dark eyeliner and lips, it''s natural to her ashen skin. "No, it''s okay, your body needs a full rest, right? You slepttest night after all since Hades still hosted a midnight feast instead of amodating a room for you first. I apologize in his stead." Persephone was the only person who called Hades by his name in front of him. Meanwhile, Hades looked like his pride as a man was getting chipped away in front of the guest. He was so used to it that he didn''t think it would be embarrassing in front of a guest. "So, tell me," Persephone let out a beautiful smile, entuating her stunning appearance. Joren couldn''t help but freeze for a moment. She''s a real Goddess unlike the Furies who are another species altogether. "What''s so special about you?" she asked, stunning Joren who was already chewing on his food. "Persephone, I think that''s a rude way to ask a guest to introduce himself." Hades intercepted but Persephone just nced at him before turning to Joren again. "How are you more than just a lesser undead?" ''Why are you eating on the same table as us, Gods?'' That''s the message that Joren was getting from Persephone''s words while at the same time, directed to Hades too for letting this lesser undead in. "I don''t know, I''ve never thought of myself as special." Joren asked while chewing on his food. The energy to recover his arm really took a toll on him and being in front of another delicious feast, he couldn''t control himself. "Now, now, Persephone. Joren is the only one who had the guts to entertain our family. Even Thanatos rarely visits us." Hades answered as well. "That''s not enough." Persephone only replied in a cold voice that even struck Hades. But it was not her fault. A God''s position is truly higher than any other being. It''s like humans eating on the same table as dogs do. No, a lesser undead to a God is farther than a dog to a human. It''s like an amoeba eating with them. Maybe that''s why Tisiphone is not even sparing him a nce while Persephone only talked to him because Hades specifically let this amoeba in to eat with them. Normally, she would just cast him away with a flick of her finger if she found him not suiting her sight. "It''s fine, he might not be worth today but he will after he passes my tests." Hades said with pressure. "A test? Why?" Persephone wanted to continue with ''why would he get this opportunity?'' but just didn''t bother to continue speaking about someone so insignificant. If any lesser undead gets a chance to try Hades'' trials, then anyone could. Is the pce a testing center? "He wants to take Allecto''s hands and I''m willing to give him a chance." Hades answered with a lower voice than before. Persephone stood up with wide eyes as Hades expected. "You''re willing to give this¡­ thing a chance to take Allecto''s hands?! So, everyone can have Allecto then!? What do you think Allecto is!?" She then looked at Allecto herself. "Why aren''t you saying anything?!" "We''ve already talked about thisst night, Queen,"pared to how she actedst night, Allecto seemed more epting today that even Hades sensed something wrong, "as long as he gets to finish the Lord''s tests, he will be worth it. But if he couldn''t, well, he''s as good as my ve." She said, letting others think of it as a metaphor. Megaera just rolled her eyes. "Are you serious?" Both Persephone and Tisiphone looked at her with questioning eyes. Normally, Allecto would be the one who will deny this the most. "Yes, the Lord''s words are the Lord''s words. If anyone could pass the Lord''s tests, then that person is worth it. It''s simple." Allecto tried to wrap it as simple as that but Persephone was unable to ept it. "How is that simple? I thought you had that amazing guy, Alexander Great?" Persephone asked. "No, Queen, that guy''s a fake¡­ again." Megaera entered the conversation. "Eh, really?" Persephone was visibly shocked. ''Are these two blood rted?'' all of them thought but thinking about it, yeah, they are actually blood-rted. Persephone is a child of both Cronus and Rhea, and one of the many grandchildrens of the five primordials whereas Allecto is a daughter of Nyx, a primordial herself. Just like Hades, Persephone is their niece but she acts like her mother. No one questions it anymore. "Yeah, I don''t want to talk about it. Everyone on the inte deceives me!" Allecto gritted her teeth, remembering it. "Calm yourself." Persephone knew about Allecto''s anger issues, being a Goddess of Anger herself, so she coldly reminded her. "Hm¡­" Allecto just squinted her eyes and continued eating. Tisiphone was finally convinced to spare a look at this lesser undead. What did he do to make the high-profiled Allecto tolerate his existence? ''He''s not cute, if he was, I would''ve understood¡­'' Tisiphone''s curiosity was piqued. Chapter 61 - 61 Suspicions "See, Tisiphone agrees and to take three of the Furies, my trials will not be short of impossibility." Hades said, making Tisiphone look at him and mutter- "Three of the Furies?" "Yeah, the Lord ns to marry us all with the same man." Megaera simply exined. "Isn''t that what you want?" Hades asked. He knew that these three sisters are inseparable so he assumed. Furthermore, it''s no issue at all. The only issue is- "Lord, you really think this lesser undead has what it takes to get all three of us? What are his trials? I want to hear it." Tisiphone said with a calm voice. Joren''s face became solemn as he was about to hear his trials. From what he had been hearing, the difficulty should be the same as stopping an asteroid from hitting the Earth if it''s on its way. "Alright, the first trial. I''ve decided to call it- the Trial of Blood." Hades said with his heavy voice. ''The Trial of Blood. It seemed that this wouldn''t be so easy.'' Joren''s heart pumped. "For this first Trial," Hades lifted his chin and looked down on Joren as an intimidating aura covered the whole dining hall, even making Persephone feel the weight on her shoulders, "You and I are going to the UnderWorldLand. At the end of the day, if I didn''t have fun, you fail." "What the Hades is that Trial!?" Persephone rebutted and stood up again, "How is that difficult!?" All of them were thinking the same thing. Even if Hades is the most depressed being right now, the difficulty of that Trial is far lower than what they had expected. "What''s the Blood about?" Allecto asked with a raised eyebrow. "It''s not all about his worthiness, it''s about him as a whole person. If your family doesn''t agree with his personality and he was unable to make meugh even once, then he''s not fit to enter this family." Hades exined. "So, Lord, you''re saying if he has the right to take our Blood?" Megaera asked what she had guessed. "If he has the right to enter our family, yes, something like that." "Why would you name it that way?" Persephone sat down while sighing, "So, after that, the real Trial begins?" "This is already a real Trial. No matter how strong one is if he''s not fitting into this family, he is unworthy." Hades straightforwardly said. Everyone then looked at Joren. After he just finished eating and drank the whole ss of water, he noticed the stares and smiled. "Then, let''s do this. When?" "Now, I have all the time in the world." Hades said with a grumpy tone as if he was being forced. Looks like he wouldn''t go there to have fun but to see Joren''s character. Actually, others including Joren have no idea how is Hades going to judge him and on what basis but since he had already decided on that idea, there''s no one stopping him. Persephone would if it was just nonsense but if Joren did miraculously pass the trials, he would''ve to be with them for the rest of the eternity. If they were not to like him as a whole then it would be hard for him to fit in there, creating an awkward home environment if he was added. That would''ve been awful. In other words, Hades did not prioritize their image. If it was for image, they could just hide Joren, who could find him out? Thinking about it, this really should be the first test. "Let me prepare first." Hades have long finished eating and stood up to walk out of the dining hall. With the Lord of the Underworld out of the room, Persephone has the highest seat so she asked- "How did you even think that you have the right to ask Allecto''s hand?" Joren didn''t know the answer since that wasn''t his original intention in the first ce. That''s why he has to give a deeper lie. "I think that it''s not about having a right or not, Queen. I fell in love and it''s natural to pursue it. If after all my effort, I still fail, well, that''s just how it is." It was poetic but looking at it from a realistic point of view, Joren seemed delusional since a lesser undead should''ve zero chance of standing beside a God. However, what stopped Persephone from saying it out loud is that this lesser undead did get a chance which is already a miracle. ''He''s good at lying¡­'' Megaera thought while Persephone eventually responded. "Fine, you have the freedom to act. I''m going to be fair and say that it''smendable for you to act on your emotions." Joren replied with a smile. "If there''s nothing special about you¡­ how do you think you''re going to pass Hades'' trials?" Persephone raised an eyebrow. It seemed that Joren was already being interviewed but he was not pressured. He had been through worse and he didn''t even see this as being in a hot seat or anything. He just thought that he was being asked casually. Yes, this is just a casual conversation¡­ except for the fact that it was Persephone who was questioning him and his motivations. "I''ll just try my best." Joren simply replied. ''This guy''s an idiot.'' all except for Megaera thought. Thetter knew that Joren can answer anything. It''s not like he''s really serious about it. "Allecto, don''t you have anything to say? Do you see something special in this lesser undead?" Persephone then looked at Allecto. Although Hades ns to marry all three sisters to him if he ever seeds, Allecto was Joren''s ''target'' "As I said earlier, Queen, if he can do it then he can do it." Allecto just replied and continued, "If he can''t, he''s better of just being a property of ours." she repeated. Persephone felt like she was talking to a wall. She nced and saw that Tisiphone was strangely looking Allecto too. Both of them were stranged out by her behavior. Meanwhile¡­ "Are you two hiding something?" She asked both Allecto and Megaera. "Hiding something?" Megaera was the first to react since she was abruptly included. She acted dumb. Persephone''s suspicion rose and then she looked at Allecto again. "I don''t know where you''reing from, Queen." she replied. Persephone just sighed and gave up. If they didn''t want to talk about it then she''ll let them. It''s not like it will be anything big considering that might rte to this lesser undead who''s worth nothing in her eyes. At that moment, Hades returned with a height that was the same as Joren and a cloak covering his body. "Ready yourself, I will prepare the Chariot." Hades no longer had the stern face but instead, just a cold one when he asked Joren. Joren nodded and stood up to get his cloak but was then questioned. "What happened with your hand?" Hades asked. Earlier, he didn''t notice the clothing around Joren''s hand. But now, thinking about it, he didn''t have thatst night. What could''ve happened to have his hand mangled like that? ''Hm? I didn''t notice thatst night.'' Allecto squinted her eyes to inspect Joren''s hand. Her back was facing the entrance from which Joren entered just like Tisiphone and Megaera so none of them noticed it. After all, Joren acted as if everything was normal. Only Persephone noticed it, however, she didn''t know that Joren''s hand was finest night. Joren have expected them to ask that but before he answered- "I did that to him." Megaera abruptly said. "Is it because he called me the most beautiful?" Allecto then snapped upon hearing this. She was still doubting the reason Megaera said when she was spotted exiting Joren''s room and this was enough for her to think that Megaera must''ve done something to Joren, "I know that he''s just a lesser undead but what you''ve done is pretty irritating. I thought you''ve changed already." "It''s not like I killed him, it''s just a hand." Joren expressed his shock upon hearing Megaera''s reply. ''She''s really helping me here!'' He couldn''t help but feel lucky until- "Nebarius, lock Megaera in the dungeons for one year, prohibiting her from eating and sleeping." Hades immediately said to Nebarius who had been silent in the shadows like the other maids. "Yes, Lord." "Wait" Joren finally reacted as he was stunned. One year without eating and sleeping? Isn''t that basically killing her? He knows that he''s a Goddess but aren''t they supposed to favor her more than him? "The moment I let you eat here with us, you''re already a guest of mine, Hades." Hades replied to Joren''s reaction with an aloof tone, "For hurting a guest, she will be punished." While he exined, Nebarius have chained Megaera''s neck and pulled the chains out of the dining hall. But since Megaera didn''t resist, Nebarius didn''t have to hurt her. She just followed the three-headed humanoid crow. "..." Joren stared at her with widened eyes. "Don''t worry, one year is little to us. Treat it as if she''s just grounded." Hades continued to exin to which Joren nodded. "Sure" Chapter 62 - Immortality "You took that better than I expected you to." Hades asked Joren when thetter seemed to be unaffected. "I was surprised but if Goddess Megaera is older than time itself, then this should be a light punishment for her." "Indeed, if you were someone important then I would''ve given her more severe punishment." Hades left it as that as he moved along. "Shut it or you''ll follow Megaera." meanwhile, Persephone said to Allecto who was still mad about it, thinking that Megaera got it off easy. ''Shouldn''t it be shameful for a Goddess like her to be treated like a prisoner?'' Joren has thought that Gods prioritize their image more than anything but is he wrong? But there was nothing he could do about it for now. After some time, Hades sat on the couching seat in front of the chariot and behind the six ghouls attached to the carriage by a rope. They are supposed to be horses. Joren didn''t question it, thinking it was normal, making Hades feel a little awkward so he exined it on his own. "I''m going incognito. If I use my real horses, my identity will be revealed." Currently, he was wearing the cloak that covered his face and body. If Joren and Hades were to switch seats, others wouldn''t notice it. "Is this really fine?" Looking through a spyss, Persephone asked Allecto. The two were on the top of the pce, sneaking a peek. "Queen, why don''t we follow them? We wouldn''t be able to see the UnderWorldLand from here." Allecto asked to which Persephone hesitated before nodding. "Alright, get us some cloaks as well." The maids automatically gave them what they want and in a blink of an eye, they were ready to set out. "Hades seemed to favor that little creature too much." Persephone muttered, curious at what the Lord of the UnderWorld was thinking. "But that undead isn''t as simple as he seemed. Maybe Lord found something we cannot see?" Allecto suggested but for Persephone, that doesn''t seem to be enough. For a lesser undead to be granted the privilege of being Hades'' guest was unthinkable. If these were to be spread, they will be aughingstock as Hades represents the whole UnderWorld, it was even named after him. "The more this is dragged on, the more risk we''re having." Persephone continued to worry, "It''s better if he fail the results quickly." "You''re the only one who could entertain the Lord, Queen, there''s nothing to worry about." Allecto just waved her hand, not thinking of the situation much as she opened her phone, swiping left and right. "That''s true¡­" Allecto heard Persephone''s reply and noticed something. "Queen, you seemed to be excited." "Excited? You mean nervous, right?" "No, no, you seem to be having fun." But Persephone just scoffed at her, thinking that she was just teasing her. After a lot of time together, Persephone was not just their mother-figure, she''s also their queen and their friend. Not to mention their niece. They have that strong of a bond. Meanwhile, underneath the dungeon, Nebarius was smashing his three heads towards the floor. "Shut it, it''s the Lord''s orders." "I know, Lady but still¡­" the middle head looked at the other two heads and they nodded back. Megaera was lying down on a clean bed behind an iron door. There''s still the restricting chain around her neck as a sign of being grounded. "One decade is a blink of an eye for me if I want to sleep that long. Being locked and not being able to eat and drink is not really a punishment." "Yes, I know, Lady Megaera but I ask for the way I treated you." Nebarius, general of Hades'' militia. Since the UnderWorld is at peace, he was currently positioned as Hades'' right hand. He was notorious and an immortal warlord, having the power tomand all those who had died since the very beginning of time. Even if all ten billion humans on Earth right now were to be trained and ready for battle, they wouldn''t amount to the hundred billion people that have died since the start of time. That''s not mentioning the beasts and demons on another league under Nebarius''mand. Yet, here he is cowering in fear even though he had to do what he had to do. How is this fearsome Immortal Warlord at this state? It''s because he''s in front of Megaera, one of the three Enriyes. Although the Enriyes, or mostmonly called the Furies, were separate entities on their own, they are treated on the same level as the Gods and Goddesses in the world. A mere lower immortal like Nerbarius wouldn''t be able to survive if Megaera was truly angered. Back then, he was almost killed when Allecto went through the same punishment. Hades had to make a move, locking her up for several decades for the additional crimes shemitted. "I think the Lord is losing touch of his position, don''t you think?" Megaera then asked, letting Nebarius forget his worries. "Losing touch of his position, Lady?" he didn''t understand. "Back then, before the Peace Era began, times were chaotic when we''re still active on establishing vengeance and justice¡­ heh, good times." Megaera began to reminisce, "But after we learned of the existence of higher beings and other so-called Underworlds, a treaty was passed." Nebarius nodded. He was there when one of the higher beings, the one people call nowadays Cthulu, Great Old One, said to have existed even before chaos created the five primordial beings. Cthulu is a cosmic god and humans, with their strange innovations, have managed to call out to it. "Since then, everything has be so boring¡­" Megaera continued,ing back to her question, "The Lord must''ve been so bored sitting in his throne all the time." "Yes, Lady, as the Lord of the Underworld, Lord Hades oversees this world at all times." Nebarius spoke with the deepest respect. However, Megaera just sighed. "That''s the problem. Unlike us who can loiter around, he just sits on his throne." "B-but Lady, Lord Hades said he likes his job..." "That''s obviously a lie, crow." Megaera rolled her eyes, "Do you like your job?" "My job?" Nebarius didn''t know why Megaera redirected the question to him but he immediately responded, "Yes, there was not a day that I was joyfully serving the Lord, the Queen, and the Furies, Lady!" "That''s why you rarely get tired of it. But think of the Lord''s position." "...!" Nerbarius was about to make an argument but stop. Not only because Megaera is the one he will argue with but also because she makes a point. "Joren''s arrival must''ve gotten the Lord pretty excited." Megaera smirked, ''That guy will be usin Joren for his own entertainment. As for his words of marriage¡­ it''s not an oath.'' "I see, Lady, my shortsightedness failed me to see such circumstance, thank you for enlightening me." all three of Nebarius'' heads bowed down. Meanwhile, in the carriage which the ghouls was pulling, Joren have begun a conversation that neither Persephone and Allecto could hear. "Can I call you Lord Hades?" "Of course, that''s what everyone been calling me." Hades nodded. Joren came out of the carriage and climbed sideward and was able to sit beside Hades. Hades didn''t say anything so Joren made himselffortable. "Having to ride a carriage and not always running is so rxing." "..." Hades was still not silent. Joren was not a master of socializing but knew that starting a conversation is crucial. ''However, my attempt earlier didn''t even make him curious enough to ask back. Should I question him? I still don''t get his character.'' Joren was aware that one wrong move and he might die with a flick of Hades'' finger. Aftering out of the pce''s area, they were traveling on a paved road amidst the endless sand. "That''s the Field of Elysium, right, Lord Hades?" Joren asked even though he already knew. "Yes" Hades replied, making Joren sigh in relief. "I''ve seen the UnderWorldLand and I was shocked to find that it was fun, contrary to my believe when I was still in the living realm." "Who caused you to be an undead? Monsters shouldn''t be cursing humans any longer. It''s considered a crime." Hades asked, making Joren think if he should tell or not. He''s walking down on a thin thread of line. Yet, at the same time, Joren was getting use to lying and covering things up at this point that he naturally came up with an answer not to make Hades wait any longer. "Instead of dying, a vampire bit me to save my life, you see." "Then, why are you down here?" Hades raised an eyebrow towards Joren but thetter couldn''t see this change which is hidden behind the curtain of shadow underneath the hood. "We went here for a trip." "Who?" "... a friend of mine.." Joren continued to speak, answering Hades'' next question, "I intentionally got down from the ferry." Chapter 63 - Oath By The God Of The Dead "Hm? For Allecto?" Hades assumed and was not very shocked about it. From his age, he met more people that''s done a lot more for what their hearts tell them to. "Yes, I''ve seen her in posters one time and my heart just kept pumping." Joren made a story up, remembering that their figures were being merchandized back at the UnderWorldLand as if they''re D*sney characters. "I see¡­" for Hades, it was very uninteresting. Not that he was looking for a conflict but he had seen more interesting things like a musician taking back his wife''s soul or the God-hero that defeated captured the Cerberus as part of hisbor. However, ironically, because of the boredom thatsts for a long time, this was enough to keep himpany and entertain. "So, if I don''t do anything about it, what am I going to do in this world?" "You speak as if you''re forced to stay here." Hades perceptively replied, poking Joren''s small loopholes in his logic. "No, what I mean is, what am I going to do in my life in general if I''m not going to follow what I feel?" Joren smiled as he easily turned the fixed his own hole. He didn''t further exin what he meant. Hades thought that Joren just said a saying from Earth that he was used to. "You could''ve gotten back to your life on Earth. Allecto is not going anywhere in the next few decades that must''ve been enough for your lifespan." Hades was saying that Joren could''ve enjoyed his life more on the surface before trying to meet with Allecto. "No, what I feel is what I do." That wasn''t a lie. "How about you, Lord Hades?" Joren then turned the question towards Hades since thetter was no longer responding, "Why did you give me, a lesser undead, the privilege to be your guest? To punish Goddess Megaera for me, even though Ick the understanding around here, I think that''s too much, no?" "Yes, it is." Hades nodded rather calmly, "But it''s not about who she hurt, it''s because of why she would hurt another. Slowly, I''m trying to remove what I think has be some sort of mental illness among the Furies. For example, I, the God of the Dead, should I be dead?" "No," Joren simply replied. "I am the God of the Dead, I''m supposed to be the God and not be controlled by the dead. That should apply to them as well. They shouldn''t be controlled by Anger, Jealousy, or Revenge, they should be the ones who control them. However, they are not really Goddesses but the Furies and that''s the problem." Hades exined. "I see, then I''m going to have problems when I finally take Allecto''s hand." "Are you backing away after hearing their problems?" "Of course not. Although I''ve fallen in love with Allecto when I first saw her image, I can confidently say I''m willing to learn her ws." Since they were being pulled by ghouls who tirelessly run, it would take them some more time to reach there. "Do you want to know what my second Trial will be?" Hades then asked Joren and for some reason, thetter felt something wrong about how Hades questioned him. "Yes, Lord Hades, I would like to." Hades looked around first, thinking of an impossible task for a lesser undead. Of course, he had already thought of some things before. "Your second Trial will be to draw the whole map of Hades. Since there''s a lot of changes here, the map of Hades should be already updated. I need a detailed one." Hades said. That task is possible but there''s a criterion that Jore must fulfill. Even if Joren has immactely drawn the map after some years, Hades can just say that it was not detailed enough. It fits his image as a God to be a perfectionist, no one can say that he was intentionally making Joren fail as it would have a negative effect on the said image. "Oh¡­" Joren processed Hades'' words and nodded. The instructions are simple enough. The execution is where he will find it difficult, "Then, Lord Hades, can I have the relief knowing that after my trials, the Lord wouldn''t go against his words?" ''So, he''s notpletely naive?'' Hades thought and didn''t know how to feel about it. He didn''t want to talk to an idiot but he also want to y using Joren''s naivety. "That''s fine by me." he agreed, "However, I''m giving you a very rare opportunity so it should be fair to give you some risk as well." "Let me hear it, Lord Hades." Joren epted. "If you fail two of the five Trials, then you''ll have to agree with a term of mine." Hades thought that it would be good to make Joren his jester. This kid entertains him. However, Hades didn''t say that''s the term since it may give Joren the hint of what his intentions are in the first ce. "I agree to that." Joren easily agreed without thinking much about it, making Hades think that he was really stupid. However, the truth was, Joren was already prepared from the very beginning. The worst that could happen is him being thrown into Tartarus and he''s also prepared for that. "You may not know this but oaths are powerful. It will take the soul of the name that you''ve ced down. Of course, I will be putting my name on this oath. For you¡­ I wouldn''t be epting it if you''re going to put your half-soul. It should be someone important." "Then I will be putting my mother''s name Marlene Vierei into this." Meanwhile, on the surface world, Joren''s mother who was out grocery shopping sneezed out loud. "Someone must be talking about me." She had no idea that her son have already ced her soul as a bet. "But what if I ce someone else''s name on the line?" Joren curiously asked. "If it''s someone powerful, swearing by their name with deceptive intentions will make that someone punish you if you do fail. At the same time, whether you kept your promise or not, the oath will not take effect. Swearing must hold weight for it to be an oath." Hearing Hades'' exnation, Joren remembered that he once swore upon Gaia''s name. Isn''t this a form for disaster? ''Well, I haven''t failed my oath with Megaera, right? I didn''t harm anyone before I met her again. So, I should be out of it by now.'' "Then, I swear by my name, Hades, God of the Dead and Lord of the Underworld that once Joren Vierei seeded four of the five trials I will give to him, I shall give him my permission to take Allecto''s hand for marriage." Hades swore before Joren followed, thinking that this is a big thing even though nothing magical is happening. "As for me, I swear by my mother''s name, Marlene Vierei that if I failed two of the five trials Hades, God of the Dead and Lord of the Underworld, have given then I will ept one of his terms." "Good" Hades was getting excited and eventually, they''ve reached UnderWorldLand. Joren and Hades climbed down from the chariot before they enter the ce to be extra cautious. But even then, the two of them were wearing cloaks that are specially made to hide their identities. Looking around, Hades actively pointed out. "Let''s try everything." And so, they did. Joren found that Hades has be more proactive ever since they took oaths. The two endlessly talked about all random things in the UnderWorldLand while ying games and eating street foods. Joren thought that it would be funny for someone to bump into Hades and pick a fight. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how one looks at it, he found that the beings here are more polite than the humans on the surface and wouldn''t cause scenes. Maybe, it''s because thews are governed by literal Gods and Goddesses. If the Furies exists and upholds thews, Joren would doubt that there would be a lot of humans who find trouble with others. "I feel more like home here than when I was on the surface." Joren said, now that he feltfortable talking to Hades after ying some games. Although he has yet to hear the God of the Deadugh or any signs of excitement, the fact that Hades is active in participating means that there''s a chance. If Joren tries hard to please Hades, that would be going against the intention of the Trial of Blood, an eerie name for a lighthearted trial. "Why is that?" Hades asked as he swallowed the whole ice cream and its cone in one gulping before taking another one in the basket that Joren holds as they walk around to sightsee. "How do I exin this? I don''t fit in there. People are always scared of me just because of my face. At the same time, I don''t think that my face is that scarypared to some people, no offense to them." Hades slightly squinted his eyes as he have thought about this when he first met Joren. He hates to admit it but seeing Joren act, making him feel something irrational. However, it was suppressed as it cannot slightly affect a God like him. He may notice, yes, but affect, no.. But for others, that feeling might be prominent. Chapter 64 - Fooled "I don''t get the perspective of mortals as to why would they fear you just because of your facial features." Hades spoke as if he doesn''t notice the aura Joren unconsciously emits. With the way he moves and with the way he talks, it''s like he''s finding trouble while not at the same time. This intrigued the God of the Dead. As the moment passed together with Joren, Hades could feel his potential. However, in his eyes, this lesser undead have reached his limit the moment he had died. ''This man might be after his half-soul that Allecto holds. Is he trying to trick me?'' Hades smirked behind the shadow that his hood casts. He doesn''t know if he should be angered or be amused. What he does know is that Joren brought an eventful day. That, he''s willing to forgive. "That''s fine, I don''t understand them either. The only thing that''s different on me from the others is how I clench my eyebrows." Jorenmented before moving on to the next topic, "What do you usually do in here?" The question was a little abrupt but Hades responded. "I simply oversee the UnderWorld using the ghouls scattered around. They are a part of my will and senses." Hades said, omitting the part that he rarely does use his ghouls for the reason that it was a hassle. If something happens, then he would be notified so it would be stupid for him to always be on guard. By omitting this part, Joren ''realized'' that Hades must''ve already known his ns since some ghouls must''ve overheard him talk, or saw him being suspicious. ''Judging by what''s happening right now, it''s either this God is ying with me or he doesn''t have any idea what I''m up to.'' Joren was more inclined to think of the former option as the truth. After all, this is a God he''s talking about. The only upside is that the danger is still not in sight. Joren has no choice but to go with the glow. He didn''t trust the oath at all. He didn''t trust the oath for its efficacy but because it doesn''t guarantee his safety. Nothing is stopping Hades from disrupting Joren during the trial. If that even happens, there''s zero chance that Joren will seed. ''Sorry, mother.'' The only thing he could do now was to give his all while not going too far. For the rest of the day, Joren apanied Hades. How could he entertain a God? Should he treat them as another person? From the conversation they were having, Hades was covered with a thick mist of mysteriousness that a mortal like Joren couldn''t understand. This God doesn''t show any emotions at all. ''I''ve seen through Megaera, although a little bit, but still, I understood that Goddess. These beings shouldn''t be far from humans. What they have is immortal life and almost, unlimited power. If I have that kind of power, what will I be?'' Joren tried to put himself in their shoes but he just couldn''t imagine living for so long. Just like that, the day ended without Joren being able to do anything more than just go with the flow, apanying Hades. He couldn''t understand what this God was thinking at all so he wouldn''t be surprised if he failed this test. Meanwhile, Persephone and Allecto were still following the two. Blended into the crowd, even Hades didn''t notice them. His guard was down, knowing that even if everyone attacked him at the moment, they wouldn''t be able to do anything. After some time, Persephone went to the restroom, leaving Allecto standing outside. ''Now, where are they?'' She looked at where Hades and Joren were supposed to be but found nothing. ''Hm? We lost them.'' But Allecto didn''t worry that much and eventually, a cloaked figure approach her. "Lord, sorry for the waiting." However, it was not Persephone''s voice, instead, it was from the lesser undead who took some of her interest. Allecto thought and smirked while Joren kept speaking, ''Heh, look at him. He can''t even tell the Lord from everyone else. This is why he is called a lesser undead.'' Meanwhile, just outside the public restroom, two cloaked people saw each other. "Joren" "Al" They both called out at the same time, interrupting each other. ''Huh?'' ''Huh?'' they were both stupefied¡­ ¡­ "I didn''t know that Gods are even superior in pissing speed." ''Huh? What did he just say?'' Allecto failed to process what she just heard. "But anyway, we should get going and explore that area." Joren pointed out. ''Wait, don''t just change the topic!'' Allecto thought but wasn''t able to respond. "Is something wrong, Lord?" Joren asked since Allecto whom he thought was Hades was neither responding nor moving. Eventually, Allecto replied. "Ger¡­ I''m fine¡­" she spoke with a heavy and hoarse voice. "Is your throat fine¡­?" "I have a¡­ little sore throat." Allecto acted as Hades while resisting tough out loud. "Oh¡­" Joren never thought that a God like Hades would have a sore throat, "Do you want water or anything?" ''Does she think that she''s fooling me? Heh, so cute¡­'' Joren thought. "No, I''m fine. It''ll go away after some time." Allecto was getting excited thinking that she''s fooling Joren. ''This is so fucking funny! Kahahahaha! What should I say?'' Thinking of something mischievous but after some thought, Allecto remembered that she''s taking Hades'' image. She couldn''t carelessly say anything so she just yed it safe and asked a question. "I am curious about something. What do you like about Allecto?" Allecto wasughing in her mind while not knowing that Joren was always thinking that she''s cute. "Oh, I thought I''ve already answered that question, earlier, Lord? But¡­" Joren then retold what he told Hades back then. Allecto just asked for fun but didn''t think that Joren left his life for her. ''At least, I know he''s serious. But it''s stupid of him to think that he could take my hand, kahaha! Although, I wouldn''t hate a man serious about me.'' Allecto, who naively fell in love with con men due to their sweet words just to be angered and disappointed in the end, was affected by Joren''s serious words. With the hood covering Joren''s face, Allecto couldn''t help but think of Joren saying these words with his ''sleeping face'' Wanting to hear more, she asked. "Will you do anything for her?" "Of course, if not, I wouldn''t be here." "I see, so for you, Allecto is the perfect woman." Allecto then began praising even herself but was then stopped by Joren''s remark. "No, I don''t think Miss Allecto is perfect." "... huh? What do you mean?" Allecto stopped all her thoughts and looked at Joren. If no shadows are covering their faces, Joren would''ve seen her ring daggers at him. But even without seeing her face, he could tell that she''s getting angry by what he said. ''Her voice is getting closer to Hades'' voice'' he thought. "When I first encountered Miss Allecto, I''ve immediately found a w in her." "What is that w?" Allecto didn''t think that she''s actually perfect. That was just to tter herself. However, this amoeba was trying to point it out. It was gravely insulting! "As expected of the Goddess of Anger, she has some anger issues." The moment that left out of Joren''s mouth, a vein popped out of Allecto''s forehead as the surrounding people began to feel a suffocating pressure surround them. "What?" A literal fog fumed out of her mouth when she replied with a voice that is deeper than Hades''. "Miss Allecto is also naive and a bit selfish, I think." Sparks could be seen flying off from the shadow under the hood as Allecto grit her teeth. The only thing that''s stopping her from smashing Joren right there and then was because he was still Hades'' guest. Thinking that a lesser undead thinks of her that way, Allecto feels both shame and anger. "Grr!! How dare-!" "That''s when I fell deeper in love." "Eh?" Allecto''s voice suddenly squeaked when Joren interrupted her. "Sorry for the wording, Lord, but I think that wed side of her is cute. When I saw her like that, I can''t help but giggle. She''s just making me want her more." "R-really?" Not just her normal voice but Allecto muttered while subconsciously using her flirtatious voice. Again, Allecto is a woman who have fallen for countless con men on the inte. This time, it was personal as she imagined Joren with his ''sleeping face'' saying those words to her. ''D-did he just say that he loves that side of mine too!?'' Ba-dump!* ''That''s impossible!'' Allecto internally panicked as she make one step back. She held her chest as she feels suffocated for some reason. However, it doesn''t feel bad at all. It was even apanied by the feeling of butterflies in her stomach. ''N-no way¡­!'' Before Joren could say anything more, Allecto turned around ran away, leaving Joren behind. Chapter 65 - One Pass A moment ago, Hades and Persephone have misidentified each other only to find it out. "Wait, Persephone?" Usually, it was Persephone who''s strict towards Hades but that''s only when Hades was in the wrong or she just wants to tease him. But this time, she pulled Allecto into tailing them. There''s no excuse for what she had done. Persephone knows her husband well and is aware that he always has his guard down. What she didn''t expect is that she would be found out for such a stupid reason. "What are you doing here?" Hades especially hates if his people were to leave the pce with any say. Persephone knows that well either so she can''t tell any half-assed life. "Ah¡­ you found me out. Haha¡­" "Hrm?" Persephone began sweating under the cloak. She was so used to Hades being sweet to him that she forgot how it felt to feel the pressure of his anger. This is much worse than Allecto''s anger to which she just views as a tantrum. "I and Allecto are tailing you." Persephone didn''t even mention Joren since she didn''t think anything of him. Everything was about Hades and how he ns to use the lesser undead for his entertainment. "Sorry, please don''t be angry with me." Persephone said sweetly as she stepped closer to hug Hades but he took a step sideward, evading her, showing that he''s really mad. This made Persephone sadly frown. "Is there a valid reason for you to tail me?" Hades asked, "You know that I hate these kinds of actions. Persephone, are you trying to go against me?" he said with a heavy voice. Coincidentally, he and Allecto at that moment were both angry. "..." Persephone couldn''t say anything back and just lowered her head. "Go back, right now." Hades said to which Persephone nodded. "Alright, Lord." she then turned around and walked away. Meanwhile, Hades was left to sigh. ''Am I getting too soft on her? To think that she would get out of the pce without my permit and knowledge.'' It has been so long since anyone had made him so mad. Not only that but it was also his own loving wife, Persephone. Persephone was walking down the street with her head cast down, regretting that she thought she wouldn''t be found out. "I-is that you?" A cloaked person then blocked Persephone''s path and asked with a flustered voice. "Al?" she spoke Allecto''s alias and nickname since they couldn''t possibly call each other out loud in this crowdy streets of UnderWorldLand. "Queen¡­ thank goodness, it''s you." Allecto sighed. She may have called Persephone queen but that title is vague enough to be safe to use. "You sound flustered." "Flustered¡­?" Allecto didn''t want to believe what Persephone just said. Wanting to change the topic, she asked in reply. "How about you, Queen? You sound down all of a sudden." "We should go back first." Persephone didn''t say anything more and just walked away as Allecto follows her. Diverting her mind, Allecto pondered what could''ve happened to make the Queen of the Underworld that sad. Well, there''s only one answer that she could think of and it''s the worst possible scenario. ''Oh no¡­ did Hades see her?'' Allecto silently followed Persephone back to their carriage before their went back home. Meanwhile, Hades found Joren who was still standing in front of a stand. The restroom was a bit far from there so it''s difficult to find Joren if Hades was just a normal being but he was not and with a little focus, using some of his Godly powers that were left unused for so long, he can confirm that this cloaked person was none other than Joren. "Let''s go." he said. It may sound like that''s his usual grumpy voice but Joren had noticed something more so he asked. "Did something happen?" "Nothing, let''s go back for now." Hades didn''t say anything more and since his mood was ruined for the day, he just want to go home and see if Persephone has returned like he said she should. They have a lot to talk about. ''Something must''ve happened. I wonder what could that be¡­?'' Joren began thinking of what could''ve possibly made the God of the Dead upset? It''s not like Hades was already upset with him from the start. It even looks like he was enjoying himself. But Joren couldn''t be sure as Hades was not only cloaked by cloth but also an aura of mysteriousness. At the same time, Joren was notpletely clueless. He encountered Allecto in a cloak too. He may not know the whole situation but he could get a rough guess from what he had learned from the Hades'' Family so far. This could all be med on Megaera''s running mouth. ''Allecto shouldn''t be the only one here. She must be waiting for someone else too when I approached her. She should either be waiting for Tisiphone or Persephone and Hades encountered one of them on his way.'' He made a pretty urate rough guess. Eventually, they reached the border of the UnderWorldLand without any of the two uttering a single word except for when they were already near the chariot. "You passed." Hades said after seating down on the coach''s seat on the chariot. Joren sat beside him again with a lesser distance than earlier as if nothing happened before¡­ "What?" Joren couldn''t believe what he just heard. "Don''t be so surprised. I will give you a pass." Hades simply said. From the start, he had already nned to make Joren give a free pass from him. But that doesn''t mean that the Trial of Blood is already over. "You have now one pass from me. You only need four more." Hades surprised Joren with his words. From how Hades said it, Joren could guess what he was talking about, "I see¡­ since this Trial is about fitting into the family, I have to get other''s approval as well." "Correct." Hades nodded, expecting Joren toin since this was the first time that he said these words. And, he didn''t want to hear aint right now. ''Should I just kill this man?'' Hades thought, thinking that it might relieve some of his anger. Yet, against his expectations, Joren didn''t word out a singleint. ''Hm¡­ I guess he is interesting. I''m starting to think that he should marry Allecto.'' Hades internally kid himself, lifting some of his sourness, "The deadline is in next month. You will have to get all of the four women''s approval for you to pass this test. Oh, also from Thanatos and Cerberus. Cerberus is still a part of our family¡­ a family pet." For Hades, this is all entertainment for him. He had to let Joren pass this Trial or else, he will lose sooner than expected and that''s why he gave a pass while raising the difficulty. Furthermore, although the Lord of the UnderWorld wouldn''t admit it himself, he enjoyed this day. He had never had the chance to go out because he have no one to be with. The same way he was locking his people in his castle, he is locking himself in too. That''s why he found an unexpected relief and freedom, breathing in the fresh air outside like this. It''s like going on a long road trip and when the driver finally reached his destination, he stretches his legs. Not just that but Joren has shown his real self for Hades to evaluate even though this lesser undead is hiding his true intentions. Hades'' mark on Joren; ''He''s thick-skinned yet, aodating.'' That was unexpected. He didn''t think that he would give Joren a proper evaluation. After all, Joren was the kind of person who have trained himself to keep othersfortable around him. It does not always work as he scares them with his face. But looking at how he got so close with Scarlett, Ness, Virena, and even Hades, it seemed that all of his training back then wasn''tpletely useless at all. ''A month from now? I don''t have that much time¡­ I have to get inside Allecto''s room and get my soul. What if she''s already using it?'' Thinking about it, made Joren feel more pressure. ''No! Scarlett, I''m thinking about you, not the Goddesses who want to bed my half-soul!'' No matter how much he fools himself, his original goal was drifting from his intentions. Realizing this made Joren internally sigh. ''Scarlett¡­ I wonder where you are right now.'' Meanwhile, staring at the sunset from a mansion''s window, Scarlett was thinking about Joren. ''I wonder if Joren is looking for me? It''s been weeks already¡­'' "How are you feeling?" A man then came up to her and asked with a gentle smile. Seeing this man, Scarlett couldn''t but smile and reply. "I''m fine. Thank you." "Hahaha, don''t always thank me, I haven''t done anything." "No, I''m really grateful, that''s why.." Scarlett said, "If you didn''t hire me into this ce, I would''ve gotten higher positions and be in Zeus'' hands right now, Merlin." Chapter 66 - A Gods Problems Returning to the pce, Joren found a strange atmosphere. The maids and servants have their heads lower than usual while Nebarius was slightly panicking. "Greetings, Lord." the middle head said while the two others still have their heads cast down. Hades didn''t reply and just passed by the three-headed raven. Nebarius didn''t heed this any mind at all. The pce had weed Persephone in low spirits. As the servants who gave her the cloaks, they knew exactly what she was up to. It was a rare sight for them to see the Queen act this way. But this is due to the Lord acting weird in the first ce. How many years has it been since Hades was angered? Normally, it was Persephone who wouldin and shout at him. The servants would see this as her seeking her husband''s attention she would calm down the moment Hades gives her his time. Not once did Hades was offended by Persephone''s actions. But this time, it was different. Joren, who was new to the environment, only realized that something was wrongter so he called out. "Lord, is there something wrong?" Nebarius and all other servants immediately flinched while Hades stopped his steps. "You fool¡­!" "Don''t step into this, mortal¡­!" Nebarius'' heads began reprimanding Joren who scratched his head in response. "Everyone," Hades'' voice echoed in the throne room, "Leave us here and don''t let anyone in." he put pressure in the word ''anyone'' Hearing these orders, all servants moved in an orderly manner. They could do this even with their eyes closed. Nebarius was the only one who is out of ce as his three pairs of eyes red at Joren before walking out. ''I hope your death will calm the Lord down.'' he thought. Once they were out, Hades walked to his throne and sat. "Persephone sneaked out to tail us. Do you have any idea about this?" "No idea, Lord." Joren walked closer as he shrugged his shoulders. He has some idea since he met Allecto but he didn''t want to directly enter the situation. "I think, after a long time, that woman''s love for me is diminishing." Hades gravely sighed as his body morphed into his original form, fitting him into therge throne. In that form, he rests his elbows onto the throne and supported his forehead as if he''s depressed. "Why do you think so?" Joren found nowhere to sit so he just sat on the stairs. He ced his elbow on his raised knee, giving him afortable position. Seeing this, Hades feels like talking without knowing the reason why. Maybe, it''s because this lesser undead looks like he will really listen. "Lately, she''s always been angry and shouting at me. I try to keep herpany as much as possible but this time, she did what I hate the most." Hades squinted his eyes, letting out a terrifying surge of aura. ''Oh no, he''s talking about rtionships.'' Joren, who has no friends and loverscks the experience of being in a rtionship. When he got his first lover, Scarlett, she just suddenly disappeared. At that point, he felt like the world was just fucking with him. "I think I''ve been spoiling hertely. I shouldn''t be the only one who should be making the effort, right?" Joren just nodded since he didn''t know what to say exactly. "Should I just let her go? Although my love for her has yet to fade, if that''s not the same for her, I don''t think we can keep this rtionship any further." "Have you asked her how she feels?" Joren finally asked, grasping the situation. "Why would I?" Hades frowned. "Of course, why wouldn''t you?" "Why wouldn''t I¡­ hah¡­" Hades scoffed before answering, "By asking, I''m basically telling her that I''m not confident in myself." "And, that''s a problem¡­?" Joren genuinely can''t figure out what the problem was. "Of course, it''s a problem. As a man, you shouldn''t show your weak side." Hades strongly said, "Women like men who are prideful and full of confidence." "..." Joren failed to respond in Hades'' irony. "What''s with the silence? You don''t agree?" Hades raised an eyebrow. "You''re always showing your weak side to her, though?" "When!?" Hades almost stood up from his seat. "You said that you try to apany her as much as possible when she''s grumpy. Giving in to her demands, isn''t that already showing weakness?" Joren asked, shocking Hades. It''s like a new perspective has opened to him. ''But aren''t I just being sweet then?'' Hades didn''t say it out loud since it feels shameful to admit that he considers himself as trying to be sweet towards Persephone. Sometimes, unless pointed out, a person himself will never notice his own actions even if it''s ironic or hypocritic. Hades didn''t need to say it out loud since Joren could already tell from the Lord of the Underworld''s expression alone. Soon, he stood up. "I''m tired of talking to you. I''m going back." Hades then hurriedly went to his and Persephone''s room. ''He couldn''t even admit it.'' Joren thought that the God of the Dead is kind of funny. From this simple interaction, Joren realized something. ''So, Gods are emotional like humans too, huh.'' This is a critical realization. By knowing that, Joren could understand the gods more. The reason why Hades has a fog of mystery around him is due to him hiding his emotions from Joren. The smartest person bes dumb when he or she bes emotional. Introspection is a difficult thing to do, especially for gods who think too highly of themselves. Hades, who stands at the peak in the underworld, has never been criticized. He would think everything he does is correct, never having the chance to correct his actions. ''So, human psychology can be applied to these gods, huh¡­'' Joren smirked at this newfound knowledge. After processing what he just have learned, he stood up and stretched his body. "Alright, time to gain everyone''s approval!" He marched towards the door and was about to open it but after one push, he found- ''... either I''m weak or this door is as heavy as a mountain!'' Joren couldn''t even budge the door so he knocked on it. "Excuse me, is there anyone there who can help me open the door?" After his shout, the door opened and Nebarius looked at him with a surprised expression. "How are you still alive..?" The middle head muttered. "Sir Nebarius, Sir. Can I help in the kitchen?" Joren suddenly asked, dumbfounding the Supreme General of the Dead, "Is that possible?" Nebarius didn''t know if it''s possible since no guests have asked to help around in the pce. ''What is this man''s intentions? But, seriously, what happened inside? Why is he still alive and well?'' "Why?" Nebarius replied in a sophisticated manner. "I have nothing to do." Joren said. Nebarius looked at the other servants and found that none uttered aint. It was a request from the Lord''s guest. It was strange but not unreasonable. There''s no stopping him from saying no. "Do what you want." Nebarius said and walked away. But in reality, he just hid and stalked Joren. As the highest-ranking general, if he wants to, no one can spot him. ''What is that crow doing there?'' Joren asked himself but ignored it. Maybe stalking is a part of the people in this pce. The head maid then walked towards Joren and said. "Hello, I''m the head maid here and you can call me Kidrith. Please, follow me." Seeing this maid, Joren couldn''t help but think, ''Although they are nowhere near the three Furies and Persephone, these women could be considered to be models back on Earth.'' "Thank you" he replied after wanting to p and reprimand his junior. ''I really have to release this at some point.'' Joren felt in danger being surrounded by beautiful women. He even thought that it was strange that a servant there is either a prettydy or an old man. But soon, he figured that maybe because the one who rules the ce is a male. If it''s a female, the opposite would probably be true. Although he might not know a lot of mythologies, Joren have been a studious man when he was still a student, though, he should''ve been still one if he didn''t meet that fish. Midway to the kitchen, Joren was talkative, asking a lot of questions. Eventually, Kidrith, the head maid began speaking even though she was not asked. "He''s got social skills¡­ I''ll give him that." the left head of Nebarius spoke to which the other two nodded. Arriving at their destination, Joren looked around and found that this ce was basically outdatedpared to Earth''s technology. Remembering what Hades'' said, importations here are rather rare. Without the underworld''s own progress, they will be stuck in the middle ages in terms of technology. "I don''t know how any of these works." "Don''t worry, you can watch us work as dinner''s approaching." Joren''s n was not to help but get to know the ins and outs of the pce. During which, he might encounter any of the family members. Rather than knocking on their doors, asking for approval, a ''coincidence'' will be a more natural approach. He just doesn''t like forcing people unless necessary.. Working around the pce will not only get him to know the ''rumors'' around here but also, get more chance of encountering any of the family members. Chapter 67 - The Best Chef Dinner arrived and the Pce''s main members have gathered once again in the same hall. Sitting on their chair, the Furies noticed something strange. Allecto and Tisiphone looked at each other before seeing Megaera sitting along with them. Allecto wanted toin but since the atmosphere was strange today, she stayed silent and just red at Megaera. Meanwhile, thetter was shocked as well. Why was she brought out there? Earlier, she had finally slept when Nebarius have woken her up. He kept mming his heads onto the floor again but Megaera was actually grateful. ''I was having nightmares about Tartarus.'' Megaera suddenly wanted to pay a visit to one of their siblings, ''Epiales, if I was not woken up, I could''ve been in a nightmare for one year!'' Epiales is the personification of nightmares, a son of Nyx, mother of the Furies. She soon forgot about it when the meals have arrived. As Gods, they do not need any nutrition as they get their energy from the cosmos itself. It''s only their enjoyment. That''s why they were always looking forward to the food. The only thing that''s stopping them from eating every minute is theck of resources. They wouldn''t want to be seen as gluttonous by their subjects. "Here you go, Madam." A te was ced in front of Megaera. She didn''t react at first and took her a while before she learned who''s the voice came from you. "Here''s for you and for you." Joren, wearing a butler''s outfit, ced the tes and dining utensils in front of Tisiphone and Allecto. ''What is he trying to aplish?'' Tisiphone internally asked, not because she was suspicious of his actions but because he smiling with his ring look. ''No! His ''awake'' face is not my type at all!'' Allecto almost jumped out of her seat when Joren went close to her. Her heart was beating so fast that she wanted to stop it for a while or others may notice. Fortunately for her, Joren was having a great stage presence. "Joren, what are you doing serving the dishes?" Hades asked. "He must''ve known his ce by now." Persephoneughed. "Don''t be like that to our guest." Hades said but his words were a bit yful. "..." ''Weird¡­'' the Furies, Nebarius, and the servants all thought at the same time. "It seemed like you two have made up." Joren said, making the others panic. ''Why the hell is he bringing that up!?'' "Made up? No, it''s more than that." Persephone gleefully replied. ''Eh!? The Queen is not reprimanding him!?'' "Well, enough about that. Sit down." Hades followed. "No, I''ll eatter, Lord." Joren shook his head. After cing down the tes, he put the meals next. "Why are you helping out in the first ce?" "I just felt like it. Is that not fine?" ''Your response!!'' everyone except Persephone wants to run up to Joren and shut him up. "No, if you like it then I will not be stopping you." Gasp* Megaera gasped when she finally noticed what was weird in that room. ''The angle of Hades'' edge of lips is not 90 degrees but 95 degrees!'' Looking at where Megaera was looking at, Tisiphone has noticed this as well. ''So, it''s not just the Queen but even the Lord is in a good mood! What happened?!'' "However, can you even work with that hand of yours?" Hades nced at Joren''s injury. "It''s fine, Lord. I can even do it without any hands." Joren joked to which Hades responded, "Heh¡­" ''The Lordughed!???'' Even Persephone had her eyes wide open. "Hm, could you bring Megaera with youter? Now that I think about it, letting her out as early as this is unfair. Instead of one year, how about you can order her around in the pce for one week?" "!?" Megaera''s breathing almost stopped. It would''ve been fine if she slept for a whole year but letting a lesser undead order her around!? That''s much worse! ''I don''t think Joren is just a lesser undead, however, I''m the only one who sees it that way.'' Megaera lightly gritted her teeth, ''This will be so humiliating.'' "Then, I''ll make her work!" Joren joyfully replied, making Nebarius and the servants shake. ''He doesn''t know what he''s talking about!'' Kidrith, the head maid thought, ''I knew you for a short while but I will be missing you, Joren Vierei.'' The only fortunate thing was that it wasn''t Allecto, the Goddess of Anger, whom Hades ordered to be under Joren for a while. ''Not only did she hurt him, but she will also be with him!'' Allecto red at Megaera while thetter was oblivious to this. "Hm, what dishes are these?" Hades looked at the meals that Joren ced on the table. They were unfamiliar with it. ''It''s from my hometown. I know that it''s hard to import products from the living realm here so I thought they would like it.'' Joren was no chef at all. But, he wanted to try tweaking the dishes based on what he know. After all, he had been cooking for himself. As usual, Hades was the first to take a bite and the moment he gulped down, he felt a tingling sensation down his body. ''The angle of his lips¡­! It reached 100 degrees!'' Tisiphone internallymented. Megaera was still shocked by what she just heard while Allecto was busy ncing at Joren. Meanwhile, Persephone got curious and tried it out to be blown away! "Wow! This is good!" The servants looked at each other, thinking that the chefs must''ve outdone themselves this time. They might''ve cooked something special to alleviate the Lord''s anger and the Queen''s sadness. Only Kidrith, the head maid who governs all divisions of servants in the pce knew that it was Joren who decided to ''experiment'', applying his knowledge to the dishes. ''He might be the best chef in the universe!'' Kidrith no longer looked at Joren as a mere lesser undead or a guest of the Lord. She found a deep respect for him. If only they could satisfy their masters every day like this, they would be living their best lives. "True¡­ this is good." Tisiphone muttered before noticing that Allecto and Megaera were not moving. She then decided to feed them each. Allecto snapped out of her daze and asked, "What did I just eat? It''s tasty!" "Wow, delicious." Megaera muttered. Joren smiled as the family finished their meals still wanting more. "Who is the chef that designed this exquisite dinner?" Hades became more refined after that meal. Kidrith stepped forward and pointed her hand towards Joren. "It''s our guest, My Lord." she bowed. "What?" Everyone then looked at Joren, making him a little embarrassed. "I just helped with the recipe a bit. It''s nothing much." "You?" Megaera raised an eyebrow while Allecto fanned herself. They all thought the same thing- Joren must be the greatest chef of all time. But that was gravely wrong! ''It worked this well¡­'' Joren was even shocked at himself. When he first came there to eat, he found that the food was extraordinarily delicious. However, he noticed that everyone else wasn''t reacting much to it. At first, he thought that the Gods must''ve greater standards. That was wrong too. To exin, imagine a person eating their favorite food all the time. Tha same food throughout the years. Joren brought with him the ingenuity of household cuisine. It''s like how spiciness and bitterness can make a dish more tasteful. A new variant of the dish that they have been eating for how many years now must''ve been so delicious for them. ''It''s not that they don''t know how to experiment but they are afraid to tweak the dish, making their masters dissatisfied. Meanwhile, Hades and the rest don''t ask for something new since they don''t know much about cooking. They thought they were already eating the best dish out there.'' Joren guessed from what he observed. He was the first person to be a ''third party'' in Hades'' Pce. He has the view of an outsider and could see from a different viewpoint. This made him notice these things. The chefs there were still the one who made the dishes tastes good, not him. However, no one sees it that way. After the satisfying dinner, the pce seemed to be more lively. "Joren, I''m looking forward to breakfast now more than ever. Continue to help in the kitchen." Hades patted Joren''s shoulder. "Sure, Lord." Joren just nodded before looking at Megaera. "Let''s go, we''ll clean the dishes." Somehow, him ordering Megaera didn''t feel that unnatural. The Goddess nodded and followed him. ''I know that I''ve nned this all but¡­'' Joren felt a small bead of sweat drip from his forehead, ''aren''t I too lucky? Am I using all my life''s luck right now? Not only am I surviving, but I''m also gaining their favor.'' Joren wouldn''t be surprised if something bad happens to him at the next moment. "Wait¡­!" Out of nowhere, Allecto stepped into Joren and Megaera''s pathway. Chapter 68 - Stalking Spree "Stop right there." Allecto pointed at Megaera with an attitude. ''These two really have conflicting personalities¡­'' Joren thought. He will try to step in if necessary and if it involves him in the first ce. "Do you still have a problem with me being released so early?" Megaera didn''t back down and raised an eyebrow. "Yes, and also¡­" "Also?" "Also¡­ aren''t you too ashamed to follow a lesser undead''s orders?" Allecto said after some pauses. She got embarrassed by what she was going to say so she stopped at thest moment. As for what she will actually say, only she was aware of it. ''So, it had to do with me¡­ a little bit.'' Joren thought he should just listen for a while. "This is the Lord''s orders, you want me to disobey him?" Megaera replied. "No, but there''s no need to be that close to that lesser undead." Allecto squinted her eyes but Megaera took this the other way around. ''So, she''s worried about my image too¡­'' "You don''t have to worry about me, Allecto." Megaera smiled, happy for Allecto''s intentions for her. ''She''s¡­'' Allecto realized something, ''She''s mocking me! What''s with that smile!?'' An aura of anger surged from her body. ''She''s¡­'' Megaera realized something too, ''Allecto''s getting angry for me. What a sweet sister I have!'' ''I think there''s some misunderstanding that''s happening around here.'' Tisiphone, who was hiding in the far corner of the ceiling, watched in a casual manner. She was easily floating in the air with none noticing her. "Don''t make me any angrier¡­!" Allecto barely restraint herself. "Allecto, it''s just for one week." Megaera lightly giggled. ''She does not care at all!'' Allecto''s rage was reaching her limit faster than before for some reason. Tisiphone could feel it and knew danger was about toe. Danger towards Allecto since whenever she had her rampage, the pce will get damaged even with her and Megaera trying to stop her. Hades would always give her the worst punishments. ''Allecto has been banned from Macebook and Instagrim, this time, she will be banned from using Critter, I can''t lose one of my followers!'' Tisiphone was ready to act when Joren stepped into Megaera''s front. "I think there''s a misunderstanding here." "¡­" Allecto just stood and menacingly red. ''Oh no, he''s talking to me! I can''t face him like this!'' She faced the other way and said. "Megaera,e here¡­!" ''Ugh, I''m not even worth talking to¡­ huh¡­'' Joren didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry. On the other hand, Megaera found something amiss. "No, I said already, it''s fine." "Tsk!" Allecto stomped towards Joren and took Megaera''s hands. "Let''s talk somewhere else!" Allecto said as she continue to face the other direction. At the same time, she felt a hand grabbing her wrist. "Megaera, don''t resis-" But it wasn''t Megaera who held her wrist. ''Oh no, the undead''s going to fully die!'' Tisiphone knew that the situation have reached a critical point so she appeared in the scene in the next instant. "Allecto¡­!" Tisiphone was about to do someting when she saw Allecto''s face. Usually, whenever Allecto''s furious, her beautiful face would contort to that of a demon queen. But this time, she looked like a little child. "Uwa-! Why are you touching me!?" Allecto panicked. Before, she could easily wrap herself around Joren''s body. But now, the littlest touch makes her weak. "Stop that!" "What''s wrong, Allecto?" Tisiphone asked. "Eh, where did youe from?" Joren only noticed the winged Tisiphone at that moment. Taking this chance, Allecto removed her wrists from Joren''s grasp and pinched Tisiphone''s wings. "Hey!" This made Allecto able to fly and immediately escape the scene. "You''ll pay for that!" Tisiphone, the Goddess of Revenge, went after Allecto. "... well, that was odd." Joren muttered after they left with a terrifying speed that strongly blew the wind. "It''s odd, indeed." Megaera pondered with a nod. Meanwhile, Allecto flew into a room and locked herself in it. "Don''te in here! I locked it!" "Idiot, that''s our room, I have the key for it as well!" Tisiphone kicked down the door and pinched Allecto''s cheeks. Seeing Allecto face to face, Tisiphone stopped. "Why are your cheeks burning?" Smoke was literally puffing out of her cheeks and forehead. "I''ve heard about this¡­ but only mortals have fevers." Tisiphone said with a low voice. "Stop! I don''t have a fever!" Allecto pped Tisiphone''s hands away. After a pause, Tisiphone then took Allecto''s hand and pped it with the same power. "What the¡­? This is why I don''t like messing with you!" "Fortunately" Tisiphone then sat down beside Allecto, "Is something wrong?" "Nothing¡­ also, help me with something." Allecto stood up. "Is this about the undead then? If you don''t really like him here, you could give him his soul back and he''ll be out." Tisiphone pointed at the half-soul that was sittingfortably in a bird''s cage attached to the ceiling. "Look, it''s rising up again." she then noticed the thing between its thighs and lightlyughed while putting her phone up, "I''m going to post this again. People kept telling me I''m a poser." "..." Allecto frowned at this sight which Tisiphone noticed. "What''s the matter?" "If this is really the half-soul of¡­ that undead. Then, doesn''t this mean, he''s aroused right now?" "Oh my¡­ what a lustful beast. Now that I think about it, they should still be connected." Hearing this, Allecto then pulled Tisiphone by her hand, "Let''s go!" Meanwhile¡­ ''Peace¡­ peace¡­'' Joren was surrounded by the maids in the kitchen. Right now, Megaera just changed into a maid''s outfit since she had been wanting to try one and this was a rare chance. He had to stop the rise of his enemy he needs to beat! ''Later, once this is all done, I''m going to defeat you!'' Joren was on fire in more ways than one except for the phrase''s literal meaning. Megaera felt awkward with everyone''s stares. It was the first time in a long long while that one of their masters have stepped down into the kitchen department of the pce. Not only that but Megaera is here to work! It was just baffling! ''I''m melting! Goddess Megaera is so gorgeous! Her long legs made the outfit perfectly fits her!'' Kidrith was shivering from excitement. She wanted to kneel in front of Joren at that moment to express her gratitude. "Actually, I think I''m going to change back." Not knowing they were stares of praise, Megaera''s mood got a little sour. ''What!? No!'' Kidrith and the other servants all internally shouted but none of them were able to tell it to their master out loud. "No, it''s fine. Why would you change back? It suits you." Joren stopped her after concentrating on ''removing'' his enemy. "Damn it¡­!" Allecto clenched her fists while Tisiphone understood where she wasing from. "Is he saying that Lady Megaera should be a servant¡­!?" Tisiphone was not the one who said that. The sisters then looked onto their side and saw that three beads were peeking out of the vent on the wall. They were actually peeking from inside the ceiling. "What is Nebarius doing there?" "Looks like he''s stalking Joren too." Allecto replied with a whisper. Meanwhile, Nebarius have no idea that he has been spotted. "Hm, this is humiliating but¡­ if that''s what you want." Megaera sighed, she don''t want to go against Hades'' orders. Furthermore, she knew Joren''s true nature. In her eyes, he''s no ordinary undead after that incident within Tartarus. He''s either insane, stupid, or he has something that no others have. "Okay, then what should we do, Kidrith?" Joren suddenly looked at her to which Kidrith suddenly felt a mountain''s weight on her shoulders. "Me?" "Yeah, I''ve only been here for a day. What should we do now that dinner is finished?" Kidrith began to sweat. ''I couldn''t possibly order Lady Megaera around!'' she nced and saw that Megaera was looking at her with lowered eyelids as if saying that she have limited patience. "Umm¡­ you''re the guest helping out, Sir Joren¡­ what do you want to do?" she tried her hardest not to stutter or sound weak, but at the same time, she didn''t want to use her usual authoritative tone. ''I want some private space with her but¡­ with those three stalking us, we wouldn''t be able to.'' Joren already knew about Allecto, Tisiphone, and Nebarius. Unlike the others, he wasn''t used to that ce, thus, he was able to spot them. Others wouldn''t look at the ceiling they''ve already seen a million times. Meanwhile, Joren would subconsciously look around the moment he entered there. Furthermore, after being followed by Allecto and Persephone at the UnderWorldLand, he began to put his guard up to those who might be secretly watching him. ''Could they hear us from that far away?'' Joren figured not because if they can, Megaera should be able to too. If that''s the case, Joren wanted to talk with Megaera in privacy. "Then, are there some ces we can clean then? We might get in the way here." Joren said even though he had already worked with them once to make the dinner. For the servants, it was both good and bad. Good that there will be no pressure by having a master of them there and bad that they will not see their Lady Megaera in a maid outfit more. But Kidrith had no say so she pointed a room for them to clean.. She really tried her hardest. Chapter 69 - [Bonus ] Private Talk Towards the rooms that Kidrith pointed to them, Megaera led the way since she''s the only one who knows where the storage room is. "Why do we need to clean a room separately? Who evens cleans before going to bed?" Megaera sounded as if she wasining but she was just making small talk. "Before that, don''t look at them," Joren warned before continuing, "but some people are following us from the ceiling." Megaera turned her head nheless even with Joren''s warning. It was subconscious but midway through, Joren stopped her by cing his hands on both her cheeks. "Didn''t I just say don''t look at them?" "Ah¡­ yeah, sorry about that." Megaera frowned in embarrassment as she was about to make a stupid mistake. People naturally do what they are told not to do, "But remove your hands from me." "Yeah, they might misunderstand something." Meanwhile, Allecto was biting her finger in rage. "He''s flirting with Lady Megaera, how dare he touch his face¡­!?" But it''s neither Allecto nor Tisiphone who spoke but Nebarius again. "That lesser undead should be plunged into Tartarus¡­!" "I agree with some of his words but I''m getting annoyed at Nebarius." Allectomented to which Tisiphone muttered back. "You get annoyed at everything." Back to Joren and Megaera, the former asked with a low voice. "I assume they can''t hear us, right?" "Right¡­ if they do, they would''ve gone out of hiding already when you said it to me." Megaera replied, "But who are they anyway? Are you sure that''s just not your imagination?" "You really don''t notice them?" "..." Megaera felt like she was getting looked down so she crossed her arms in sulking. "From the start, Nebarius have been following me. Then, I think Allecto and Tisiphone soon were added." Joren guessed but it was pretty spot on. "How could you notice while I don''t?" "That''s what I''m confused about. Shouldn''t you gods have mighty senses or something?" "We have greater senses than mortal but it''s nothing that great." Megaera exined, "We do have naturally enhanced physical bodies but physiologically, we''re almost the same." "Even though you''re immortals? Don''t you have golden blood or something?" "Golden blood? Why would we?" "I guess not¡­" "Furthermore, we have our power restrained within the pce. If released some of it, the Lord will be notified." "Then why can Tisiphone fly?" "We still have our minimum power limit and Tisiphone naturally has her wings, geez, why are you asking all these things, don''t you have something more important to talk about?" Megaera slightly raised her voice. Joren was undisturbed and even raised an eyebrow, "But before, you''re so talkative." "... that''s because you tricked me. You want to go back there?" Megaera threateningly red at him but Joren didn''t even flinch. Why? ''She''s so cute when she''s angry¡­ I want to hug her.'' "Am I a joke to you?" Megaera continued to pressure but it had no effect on Joren''s smile so she just sighed and gave up on her futile attempt, ''Intimidation doesn''t work on idiots, huh¡­'' underneath that thought though, she actually mes it on the fact that if Tartarus couldn''t intimidate Joren, she wouldn''t be able to. Entering the storage room, Joren was surprised that this room seemed to be well-kept. Normal storage rooms are messy, dusty, and full of spider webs. But what did he expect, anyway? There''s a battalion of servants in this pce. He shouldn''t be surprised that even trash cans are clean here. At the next moment, he was fascinated by the antiques along with some furniture and decorations there. "Do you think they''ve followed us here?" Megaera asked after closing the door, "Where are they hiding anyways?" "Nebarius hides in the vents while your sisters in the ceiling." "Do you actually have stronger senses than us?" Megaera muttered but wasn''t actually interested in the answer so she continued, "They will be able to follow us here then. The ceiling and vents are connected to this." "Right and since they still couldn''t hear us¡­" Joren began wiping some dusty objects here and there as he speaks, "... why did you do that?" "What?" Meanwhile, Megaera just looked around. Laziness began approaching her as soon as she saw the job she had to do. "Don''t just stand there." but Joren saw this and reprimanded her. Megaera frowned at his tone, "Don''t you order me around, I''m a Fury, an entity equal to Gods!" "..." Joren didn''t reply and just stared at her. "... I," Megaera''s eyes then wandered away from meeting Joren''s, "I wouldn''t do this if the Lord didn''t give you the authority to do so." Joren chuckled at this before going near her. "We still need to talk with a low volume so don''t get too far from." "Sure, whatever you want¡­" Megaera grumpily wiped a vase. "So, back to my question. Why did you do thatst night?" "Last night¡­ you mean when I covered you up?" Megaera then smuggled smirked towards him, "I still haven''t had my thanks back then." "Well, I didn''t have the chance to. Never do that again." "Huh? What kind of thanks is that?" Megaera then ced down the towel she was holding to clean the vase. "Don''t take that as an excuse to stop cleaning." Joren pointed out. "Argh¡­" Megaera groaned when she was found out so she picked out the duster from her outfit this time since she got tired of the towel. "Allecto, isn''t this enough?" Tisiphone asked while they were looking through the hatch from the ceiling. Like any other room, the storage''s ceiling was more than just two-three meters above the floor, "It''s not like we can hear them. They''re just cleaning and I assume that Megaera is justining about it." "No, no, what if they do something alone in this room¡­!?" Just thinking about it makes Allecto''s blood boil. Tisiphone could only sigh. Meanwhile, Nebarius continued toin in the vent, further ticking Allecto off. "I will make sure that lesser undead will have a roughplete death¡­!" "If you know you''re going to be punished for it, then don''t do it. It''s not worth it, you should''ve just left it to me." Joren then said. "I was just trying to help since I promised I would." Megaera then began sulking again when she heard- "But still, thanks. If not for what you did, I would''ve done a mistake and got caught lying or something." Megaera then nced at Joren and then smiled. "You''re lucky this time. You got out and only got one week of work instead of being locked for a year." "Honestly, that''s better than being ordered around by a lesser undead." Megaera sighed. "Megaera" "What?" "Go move that chair, it''s blocking my way." Joren pointed. "You''re mocking me¡­! A Fury!" Megaera then moved the chair while Jorenughed. "Also, I was thinking of sneaking out of the cell to get your soul, actually." "Wouldn''t put you into a bigger trouble?" "Yeah, Allecto will be the most angered about it. The worst thing that can happen is me being locked for an additional decade. That span is frightening. I can only sleep for two-three years straight. After that, I have to wait before I get sleepy again which will not be after some time. At that point, I will be bored to death." Megaera shuddered at that thought. "You''re more worried about boredom instead of hunger and thirst, huh¡­" Jorenmented, "Fortunately, you got out and I''m able to stop you." He didn''t speak about his thoughts of letting her out. After all, it was just passing thoughts and Megaera wasn''t bothered by being locked for a year. However, if it was a decade just as she feared, Joren wouldn''t just stand still and do nothing. "This isn''t about me helping you, this is about me fulfilling my oath. The incidentst night is not enough to ''help'' you. So, even if you tell me, I will still steal your soulter this night." "That''s an ominous way to say it. But still, you don''t need to do that." Megaera then scoffed, "Then what? You think you can actually seed in Hades'' Trials? Even though the first Trial is much easier than we expected, how can you gain Hades'' approval?" "Oh, I already have his." "See? There''s no way you-... wait, did you just say you have his approval already?" Megaera dropped the duster this time. She reacted that way out of genuine shock. "Ah, yeah, I guess none of you have been updated yet. The Lord changed his terms and I need everyone''s approval for the first Trial." Joren stopped what he was doing and stood in front of her with a smile, "So, will you give me yours?" "I guess I was right, the Lord is just ying with you. But, of course, I''ll give you my approval." Megaera pondered before seeing Joren''s strange smile, "What?" "You do know that the point of this Trials is for me to have the right to take you three sisters to be my wives, right? I don''t know how much of that is true but by agreeing, you''re basically supporting me." "..." Megaera was stunned by what Joren said. He should just be joking since he should be aware she was only driven by the oath to help. Even so, she couldn''t help by frown and blush. "Y-you¡­" "I-I am what?" Joren teased as heughed. "... I am only giving my approval because of the oath." "Really?" Joren yed dumb. "Don''t y with me!" "Shut your mouth!" A voice then raged out which didn''te from either Joren or Megaera. Apanied by that sound was an explosion of the ceiling''s corner. Allecto came out and without any concerns for obstructions, grabbed Nebarius'' middle neck. "Ldy Allecto¡­!?" Nebarius froze, not knowing why Allecto was there or why is her anger directed at him. "Allecto!?" Both Megaera and Tisiphone shouted at her but as if she didn''t hear them, Allecto pushed Nebarius back, crushing the wall behind him and it continued that way until they were out of the pce. Hades, Persephone, and the others were immediately notified by this. Chapter 70 - Suicide And Reminder "Hey, what was that!?" Joren was startled when there was suddenly an explosion. ''Damn it, I was trying to flirt here!'' he thought. "I guess, you''re right. They''re here the whole time." Megaera said before going out with at the same time as Tisiphone. "You didn''t fully believe me." Joren scratched his head as he jumped and hooked his hands over the broken wall. Bringing himself up, he saw that Allecto have dragged the three-headed humanoid crow out through the giant wall too. Seeing this made him realize the gap between him and these otherwordly beings. "Megaera left me here. Seemed that I have to go there myself." Joren looked down and saw that they were somewhere around twenty stories high. The ghouls lingering around, acting as guards, were like ants from his view. Joren looked up and realized that room was not even a tenth of the whole pce. "The sky is always dark so I didn''t get to see the peak. Just how tall does this pce extend?" He asked himself but it''s not the time for those questions. The top floor is not his destination but the ground floor. Hurriedly, climbed down the stairs¡­ Meanwhile, gaining enough distance, Allecto threw Nebarius into the sea of dark sands. This area is just vast emptiness, nothing but sands and wind. An unnamednd that is in the borders of Isle of the Blessed, Tartarus, Hades'' Pce, and the Judgment Pavillion. "L-Lady Allecto, please tell me what I did to be the target of your anger?!" "I''m willing to change and apologize!" "I will never do it again!" Nebarius'' three heads bang themselves into the sand, asking for forgiveness. His legs were shaking at the thought of what would happen next if this continues. Instead of replying to his pleading, Allecto just stood there and released some of her power, pressuring the surrounding area, caving thend itself. "Allecto," a rough voice came revealed itself, unaffected by the pressure that Allecto was releasing. Without turning her head around, she knew that voice came from Hades. "If this is just one of your outbursts, I''ll have to stop you." This gave Nebarius a light of hope upon hearing the question. He had done nothing wrong. If he was deemed innocent, Hades would''ve to stop Allecto. However, if Allecto states a valid reason, his privilege stops there. In the first ce, their lives are in the hands of these Gods. Nebarius was already lucky that he serves a just family. Others who don''t have restraints would kill a loyal servant just because they felt like doing so. "Nebarius have been disrespecting the Lord''s guest and I have to fix that mouth of his." Allecto didn''t hide anything. If she does, then she will be falsely using Nebarius and that will be her loss. This made Persephone gasp. "When did Allecto care about your guest?" she asked. Even though Allecto and Nebarius heard Hades'' voice, the man himself was kilometers away as they watched the scene. "I''ve never had any guests in the first ce, dear." Hades'' frown lessened, "Maybe, Allecto do care for us." After being touched, he transmitted his voice again and asked. "Nebarius, is that true?" Nebarius froze. It is true! And just like Allecto, he couldn''t lie. If he does, he will never be trusted again. His punishment will be much worse. Again, he didn''t have the same privilege as Allecto, a Fury. "Y-yes¡­ My Lord, I did¡­ secretly spout some insults and threats towards your guest out of spite." Nebarius hit his foreheads onto the ground again, "I have learned my mistake! From now on, I will never speak a word against My Lord''s guest, please, forgive me!" "I forgive you." Allecto said. However, with the pressure she was still releasing, Nebarius knew that it''s time for his punishment. The number one reason why he didn''t want to offend his masters was respect. The second? He didn''t want to be their enemy and be subjected to their ''punishment'' If any of the masters of the pce have been sinned against, they will have to show the perpetrator their ce again. Thus, a battle willmence. But none in the pce calls it a battle because for them, going against the Gods will never be a battle. For the servants, it''s called suicide. Hades allows this to remind the servants or any of the underworld dwellers of their ce. With the freedom Hades was giving them, they would eventually take it for granted and act rudely towards their masters. That''s where the line is drawn. Meanwhile, for the masters, this is called a reminder. Showing no mercy is a must. This made Hades sigh since he had nted deep trust in Nebarius. Although it''s better if Allecto doesn''t kill Nebarius, it''s her choice, not anyone else. Unfortunately for Nebarius, Allecto is the worst master to be angered, worse than Hades, for she is the Fury of Anger. "If you survive for ten whole minutes, that is." Allecto continued her words, making Nebarius feel cold feet. Obviously, she will show no mercy. "What happened?" Megaera and Allecto have arrived much earlier but wasn''t able to hear the whole story¡­ Meanwhile, Joren got lost inside the pce. "Ahh! How can I remember which way is which with this giant pce!?" His attendance was unneeded but he really want to see what''s going on. "Wait¡­" Joren then arrived at a familiar hallway and turned around. Back to the scene, Hades has said the rules for fairness. "From here on out, Nebarius can use the full extent of his power even if he has the intention to harm Allecto and he will be pardoned." If Allecto is actually harmed in this battle then it would be her fault. Not only that but she will stain the Hades Family''s image. After those words left Hades, Allecto have begun to release the power of a Fury. "It''s been so long¡­ since I''ve actually released this anger¡­" Steam came out of Allecto''s mouth as a war hammer manifested itself into her hands. This war hammer was anything short but terrifying. The bluish-glowing weapon intimidates Nebarius upon revtion. Nebarius have no choice but to go all-out and hope to survive the ten minutes out of Allecto''s mercy. From a humanoid to a beast-like creature, Nebarius has shown his truest form. Sharp teeth along with its long beaks. Imprable ws grow out of his feet. Three pairs of wings pped as their size increased. The monster that is the general of the ghouls took form. Like the sky itself, Nebarius stretched by a length of more than just a kilometer. His three pairs of wings span wider than his tail. The wind from each of his wings'' movements causes tornadoes and sandstorms as its shockwave, traveling to reach other nes within the UnderWorld. Meanwhile, Allecto stood still with the war hammer in her hand. She didn''t think much of the transformation. If Nebarius didn''t transform, he will die while shaming the Fury. Going all-out at the beginning shows how much he respects Allecto''s power. However, that was not enough to quench Allecto''s rage. At first, she was just standing still and in the blink of an eye, she was gone, leaving behind a crater and an explosion. Nebarius'' caws sounded like roaring thunders with his size. He had noticed that Allecto have jumped to meet him in the sky. He knew ahead of time that this would be Allecto''s first move. But what could he have done at that moment? Nothing but to prepare himself. Swoosh* With therge difference in size, Allecto''s war hammer didn''t strike the beast but instead, pierced through him like he was tofu. He had already put up his defense but it ended futile. It was as if Nebarius was shot through his stomach. Only that the bullet is Allecto with her war hammer. Reaching the endpoint of her jump, Allecto raised her weapon and brings it down at the same time as her fall. This time, it did not pierce Nebarius, instead, the impact was spread out as if he was taken a beating. Caw¡ª!* Nebarius could only regret his actions. He should''ve been more careful. He was already weakened enough that he had to make an effort just to fly and not a minute have even passed! This was already his death sentence when he angered the Fury of Anger, Allecto. Fearing that the Fury was standing on his back, looking down on him like he''s a sitting, Nebarius morphed into a much smaller version of his original form. He could only hope to lessen the impact of each Allecto''s strike. The bird that covered the sky has disappeared and Nebarius fully utilizes his advantage of flight. That was the only fortunate thing here. If Tisiphone had been his opponent, this would be a mockery for the Fury of Revenge. Allecto havended onto the ground, unharmed while her opponent was already desperate on guarding. Watching this, Hades feel like Nebarius was a waste. Chapter 71 - [Bonus ] Stupidest The ''fight'' went on. Sometimes, Allecto would slow down on her attacks, seeing that Nebarius have no way of fighting back and was only taking a beating which was natural. It pacified her anger a bit. But, who said she''s a good person? In so many years that she had been angered, this was the only time she can truly let it out. Since this is an official punishment for Nebarius, she would release some contempt that wasn''t against the general. This was unfair for the Nebarius but it was already mercy. To anger a God, there was only eternal suffering. Tartarus is the first example. For Nebarius, the worst thing that could happen was only death and that was already enough. Soon, Allecto beganughing as Nebarius'' blood spilled on the darkened sands. Explosions upon explosions could be heard like a gigantic firecracker was set off. "Her blows are getting weaker¡­" Megaera said but all of them knew that this was intentional. At this point, it all depends on Nebarius whether he can handle the beating before the ten-minute mark had passed. As of now, he wasn''t even halfway through. As immortals, a year was short for them. However, each minute was like a century for the underworld general. He could only raise his hands to defend. But he never made a gesture of counterattacking even once. This shows both his loyalty and knowledge. In the very end, he doesn''t want to go against his master at the same time, he''s aware that it will only be a futile attempt to fight back. The best-case scenario would be for Nebarius to survive and be recognized for his loyalty. But, it doesn''t seem like it will turn out that way. Allecto has even dropped her weapon and just barehandedly beat him down, punches by punches. Even then, his consciousness was barely holding on. Only the pain and his strength will enable him to stay on his feet and reduce the impact as much as possible. He didn''t even turn his back as it would be the most stupid thing he can do. Nebarius could only swallow his pain. The spectators were not Hades and his family alone. There are other ghouls, monsters, beasts, and demons who were witnessing the once-in-a-century incident. More and more of these beings began to gather. But they are still far from the nearest neighborhood or popted area. The scene was just too big that it caught some attention. "Keep it together¡­!" The left head said to the other two, letting them stay awake. Yet, that doesn''t mean that can hold on for a little longer. Meanwhile Joren finally arrived to where Hades and the others were standing,. "W-what''s happening!?" he huffed to which Kidrith asked- "Why are you tired, I''m the one who carried you?" Earlier, instead of getting out of the pce himself, Joren went to where the servants are to ask for directions before he coincidentally encounter Kidrith. Kidrith was about to go there herself so she let Joren follow her. However, she found out that he was slower than sher thought so she carried him. Megaera remembered how she carried Joren back then too. This time, Kidrith properly carried him on her back. "You didn''t properly hold me¡­ I have to hold onto you with all my strength, of course, I would be tired." "So pathetic¡­" Megaera whispered to Joren with a teasing smile. He ignored this and asked what happened. "Nebarius is given ten minutes to survive Allecto''s beating as a form of punishment." That was the shortest summary Megaera can give. "Wait¡­ are you saying that crow will die if he did not survive?" "..." The answer was so obvious that none replied to him. Realizing this, Joren stood up and went to Tisiphone. ¡­ three minutes have passed and Nebarius could feel his life drifting away from him. Only by sheer willpower could he stand up! By then, he even forgot why this was even happening. At the same time, he could feel that this is some sort of fate, something inevitable. Another minute had passed¡­ Nebarius had finally fallen onto his knees. Three more minutes remain before this would all be finished. However, it seemed that Nebarius is on hisst line of life. Allecto walked towards Nebarius to end this when suddenly, something fell from the sky! When that something, no, someonended, he couldn''t take the impact so he was brought down onto his knees. "Argh¡­" he groaned. Allecto knew who this person was. Of course, it was Joren! "I didn''t know he had that kind of character¡­" Hades muttered, "I know he''s stupid but not to this extent." "Maybe, he and Allecto do fit each other with their naivety. Only if he''s not a lesser undead." Persephone replied. Back to the scene, Allecto lifted an eyebrow, "Joren? What¡­ what are you doing here?" The spectators talked to each other. They were too far away to see who dropped from the air. They only knew it was Allecto due to her war hammer and power and the other Nebarius because of his transformation earlier. However, for the other person, they could only think ''her'' as Tisiphone ''she'' flew, right? "Honestly¡­ I have no idea." Joren lightlyughed as he stood up, "Maybe, to see you?" "H-huh!?" Allecto got flustered as the mood changed. Joren was suddenly flirting! ''She''s reacting differently than I thought?'' he didn''t think that first greeting would have any affect. ''Wait, he did say he find this side of mine cute¡­ is he here for that? He''s so strange!'' she thought and became bashful at the next second as if she wasn''t in the middle of trying to kill the Underworld General, Nebarius. "Sorry for that, I don''t know what I was thinking." Joren scratched his head in innocence. "No¡­ it''s fine." There was a brief silence as they both look the other way around with eyes ncing at each other from time to time in embarrassment. "... what''s happening?" Tisiphone asked and looked at the others to see that they didn''t know the answer as well. "This is so different from what I expected to see." Persephone replied. "Does Allecto actually¡­ like Joren?" Megaera asked with a frown. "I don''t know if this is bravery or stupidity. But, I know one thing for sure, Joren just sacrificed something very valuable just to enter that scene." Hades couldn''t wrap his head to what Joren''s motive was. He shouldn''t go that far for Nebarius who doesn''t even like him, right? "I didn''t expect you to suddenly show up." Allecto said in a coquettish manner. "Yeah, I just had the urge." Joren wasn''t lying, "I don''t even know if what I''m doing right now is right. I know it sounds stupid but I thought I should just do it. If I didn''t, I would regret this. I didn''t want to go back there." His intention was not to flirt in the first ce so he just said some things that was in his mind for a while now, hoping that this would distract Allecto. "That''s confidence for me. I will never know the results of my actions if I just stood there and did nothing." ''So, he''s just following his heart, huh¡­'' Allecto viewed it on another perspective as Joren went on. "Being able to do what I want¡­" [Chainless] At this moment, Joren was talking to himself. "... had always been my dream." he strongly said with a great smile. Allecto was a bit stunned by his words even though she couldn''t understand where he wasing from. "However, that''s just a dream. To make it real, I need power. Right now, I''m already risking everything just to act on my decision, on what I want. If only I have the power, I wouldn''t go through all this, I could just will it and it will happen." At that point, Allecto realized that Joren was saying something else she couldn''t understand. One and a half minutes have already passed since Joren arrived. If Allecto was still unable to understand what Joren was trying to do, then she would be dumber than a human. After some time, Allecto felt so stupid. "You¡­ are you stalling time for Nebarius?" the bashfulness she had earlier was gone and Joren was only met with the icy cold stare. Joren wasn''t surprised that the convenient setting earlier was dropped. It was only a matter of time before Allecto''s mind went back to reality. His words were able to distract her a bit but that''s the extent of what he could aplish with his power right now. "Are you trying to fool me?" Allecto pointed at Joren to which he replied. "I''ve never said a single lie since the beginning." Joren continued with his smile, "But yes, I am stalling time." "So¡­ you didn''t see me here because you think I''m cute?" Allecto''s face turned red once again, but this time, from rage. "No-" Joren moved his arms up when he saw Allecto stepped forward. He had only followed his instincts. If not, he could''ve directly received Allecto''s punch. A crisp sound echoed from the impact. Joren could even hear his bones crack. It was not Allecto''s full strength but it already took most of his vitality.. However, he remained to where he stood. Chapter 72 - [Bonus ] Too Fast "Argh¡­ no, I''m not here for that but I still think you''re cute though when you''re angry." Joren lightlyughed as his chest was slightly caved in him while his two forearms have been thoroughly crushed. Allecto was speechless due to both the reasons that Joren could still talk in his situation and also, to still call her cute after all that. "Don''t¡­ don''t think I''m that naive!" She shouted before flusteredly rolling her eyes away. It took a moment before she raised her fist and threatened. "Don''t make me any angrier, you''re not my target." "But how is Nebarius your target then?" Joren asked which makes sense in the big picture, "Is there a need to kill him?" ''Is he seriously trying to protect Nebarius?'' Not just Allecto but others as well were confused by this. They couldn''t understand Joren at all. Not only did he interact with Nebarius far shorter than anyone else in the pce, but Nebarius himself also looks at Joren with contempt. Even if Joren doesn''t see this, there''s no reason to put his life on the line for someone he barely knew. "Or, do you think that you wouldn''t die just becuase you''re an undead?" "...?" Joren hasn''t thought of that and his expression has already answered Allecto''s question. What creature is this!? They all thought before the ten-minute mark was finally reached. Realizing this, Hades announced after some slight dy due to him trying to understand Joren. However, even after some thinking, he could not. It reminds him of ''foolish'' beings that risk their lives for the sake of others. But at the very least, that ''others'' are important to them. They felt alienated from Joren. "Why?" Allecto was left with one question, not frustrated by the fact that she failed to finish Nebarius off. That was not the original point anyway. Her anger had ceased and a question began to gue her mind. Are humans always like this? Or, is Joren unique even to his own kind? "Haven''t I exin already¡­?" Joren''s energy was fading away as he tried to fight off losing consciousness. What he received is fatal, after all. "No, I remember what you said, but why, why would you feel the need to risk your life over someone you barely even know?" Allecto stated what the Hades family have been thinking about. "Do you do that to everyone you know?" "Do you think you''re a hero?" "How did you manage to live that long if that''s who you are?" All these questions came out of Allecto since Joren have be the most mysterious being that she had known. It just sounds so stupid and naive. Completely unnecessary. Joren put up his hand to stop Allecto''s questioning. But it fell off as blood spurted out. "Ah¡­" He hunched to pick it up but his other arm also fell off. "I''ll¡­ go back to thatter." Joren gave up before he looked at Allecto and asked, "To answer all your questions, all I can say is, I don''t know. Stop asking and shut up." "Shut¡­ up?" All those who heard it muttered. "I''m selfish for not thinking about others who might get sad since I''d rather die doing what I want and that''s why I''m not a hero." Joren began wobbling as he barely stand up, "Also, I''m losing a lot of¡­ blood, I think I''m getting anemic¡­ but anyway¡­" "But anyway¡­!?" "I''m just doing my best¡­" Joren''s eyes then rolled up as he fell onto the ground. Allecto looked down on him and squinted her eyes before she kicked his unconscious body. "Do you think you''re a saint?" "Argh¡­! Have some conscience, I''ve retired already!" Joren barked back but couldn''t do anything about it as hended after being sent flying away by Allecto''s kick. "I don''t care, how dare you tell me to shut up, lesser undead!?" Allecto went near him and continued to kick him, "So, do you still think I''m cute!? Huh!?" "Sure¡­ you''re still¡­ pretty cute¡­" Joren''s volume of voice is fading away. After a while, Allecto stopped her attacks and stood there before picking Joren up, putting him over her shoulder. "Where¡­ are you bringing him?" Megaera asked Allecto as she walk away. "And, why are you here? Are you worried about him?" "Time was up yet you still attacked him, the Lord''s guest." Megaera replied with squinted eyes. Allecto''s face paled upon realization but looking at Hades, it seemed that she was pardoned. ''He did tell me to shut up, that''s disrespect no matter how you look at it¡­'' she thought before disappearing from Megaera''s sight. "Ah, that¡­!" Noticing that Allecto left her behind without any word, Megaera''s face twitched in annoyance. A little whileter, Allecto appeared in Joren''s room. She looked around before closing the door. Putting Joren on the bed, she slit her fingertip and ced it into Joren''s mouth. Her face expressed anxiety as beads of sweat formed on her forehead. After some time, Allecto removed her finger and it instantly healed the next moment. At the same time, Joren wildly coughed. An overwhelming sensation entered his body as if he was going to burst at any moment. He looked at his hands and saw that they were back better than before. This was the first time Joren have experienced this feeling. Pop* His arm suddenly exploded before a brand new one came out to rece it. Joren''s whole body convulsed in pain but noticing that Allecto was looking at him with a nervous expression, he didn''t utter a groan. Not long after, the bedsheets and near flooring have been covered in Joren''s blood. Huff* Joren lied down to rest before his eyes darted towards Allecto. "My blood is too much, huh. Such a waste." "You saved me after all that beating you made?" "..." Allecto frowned before she muttered, "You told me to shut up. If I let you scoff free, others will think that anyone can tell me to shut up." "... ah, I see¡­ I''ve been thinking a lottely. Since you are all immortals, Gods have priorities entirely different from us, mortals¡­" "Hm, now that you put it in that way, yes. Unlike you mortals who have a second life, we are forever known. Pride and image are two of the most important things for us." Allecto felt relieved that Joren understands her, "You''re so forgiving." "Hmm¡­" Joren hasn''t heard that in his entire life, ''Am I?'' "... and understanding¡­" Allecto continued to mutter. ''Something is strange¡­ why is she looking at me like that?'' Joren frown since he have only seen this expression when he was making out with Scarlett. "Joren, umm, as long as you don''t go against me in public, I will¡­ never harm you again¡­" Allecto didn''t say this in her coquettish tone. It''s obvious that she released her thoughts with difficulty. After what she said, she couldn''t take it any longer and stood up to leave but her hand was held down, stopping her. "I understand¡­ but, what''s the limit when it''s private?" Joren asked after gulping. "H-huh?" Allecto was stunned for a while before her face flushed in red, "You''re so thick-skinned, figure that out yourself!" she stated in anger as she removed Joren''s hand. Allecto realized that Joren is not an all-good kind of guy. He make the most use of an advantage when he was given, shamelessly! ''Can''t he see that this is already hard for me to be honest!?'' Allecto didn''t realize that she was having some feminine thoughts. After Joren acted the same way after experiencing her worst, she suddenly found afortable ce beside him that nobody, not even her sisters, has. "Are you not afraid that I will take what I said back if you push my limits?" "For someone who prioritizes image so much, I don''t think you would take your words back though. So, answer my question, what''s the limit?" Joren asked with a solemn expression. Allecto gulped. Joren was right. "Can''t you just¡­ figure it out yourself?" "Then, I''ll do an experiment." Joren stood up. This was the liveliest state he had ever been in his entire life. Compared to when Virena gave him a drop of blood, Allecto''s blood is a whole world above. Joren then took her hand and finger-locked them. "You¡­!" "You''re not angry?" "..." Allecto was about to frown but she found, "No¡­?" "Then, how about¡­" Joren then ced his other hand on her waist, "... now?" Allecto was surprised but she was surprised to find that she was not diforted by it. ''W-what is he trying to do? Is it because my blood is too much for him?'' "Now that I''m standing so close, it looks like I''m a bit taller than you. You were so intimidating that I thought the opposite." Joren''s mouth runoff as his hand went to her cheek from holding her waist. "Wait¡­ stop right there." Allecto said, fearing what wille next, "You''re going a little too fast. Don''t forget, you''re still a lesser undead. Although I''m giving you some privileges, that doesn''t mean-" But she was shut off when Joren came forward. Allecto froze when their lips touched while her eyes were wide opened. After some time, Joren removed his lips and smiled. "I''ve always wanted to do that from the start," before asking, "So, are you angry?" Allecto gritted her teeth and flicked her hand, forcibly removing Joren''s hand. She pointed at him with a frown. "Do that in public and I will kill you¡­! I''m not joking!" "Alright, alright, I''ll do it again next time when we''re in private." Joren unapologetically waved his hands. Afterwhich, Allecto turned around and before opening the door, she stopped, "Make yourself worthy of me first. Someone might spot us even if we think in we have privacy." Allecto then opened the door and walked out. The moment the door closed, Joren could fast footsteps outside. Arriving at her room after running, Allecto dived into her bed as she held her chest, feeling her heart pound against it. She felt a little dizzy and her cheeks getting abnormally warm. ''Too fast! Too fast! Too fast!...'' Chapter 73 - [Bonus ] The Insane Man "Huh¡­?" "We''re¡­ alive?" The heads of Nebarius looked at each other with great difficulty. Living in the underworld for some time has made them aware that ''dying'' in that realm would make them disappear from the face of reality. Being conscious, obviously, he''s not ''dead'' yet. Once this realization sunk in, he looked around to find himself in a ce he''s seen before but had never been into. It''s the pce''s Recovery Room. Medications are unnecessary in the world of the dead. As long as they are dead, they are part of the realm. Only if the realm itself copses do they ''die'' entirely. And this realm is Hades himself. If he wills it, all will die. He and the other masters have the capability to ''kill'' in the realm of the dead. No matter how strong one is, they cannot kill what is already dead. Even if the dead are shredded to their very cells, they would only need more time to recover. That''s why Hades and his family hold the utmost authority in the UnderWorld. Nebarius, who is quite aware of this, found Joren to be ignorant and may anger any of their masters. "Nebarius, you''re strong. To wake up a few hours after being beaten by Lady Allecto, that''s something to be proud of." "Osmin¡­?" Nebarius recalls this old woman who has been the ''doctor'' of the underworld for the longest time. A certified witch, Osmin, the Cruel Caretaker. "So¡­ I''m alive?" proud smiles could be seen appear on his three beaks, "I knew time was about up when I lost consciousness¡­!" he momentarily forgot the pain he was enduring as a rush of adrenaline shot within his body, letting him clench his fist. "You survived not because of your own strength," Osmin replied as she sat on top of the cab. This made Nebariusugh. But thisugh was not out of joy. "I know, Lady Allecto has only been ying with me¡­ if not for that, she could''ve killed me the first strike." "You underestimate yourself too much. At least, you could handle a strike from Lady Allecto." Osmin said as she had personally seen Nebarius'' strength when the war between humans and monsters urred long ago. "No, no¡­ it is you who underestimate the Furies. They stand on the same ne as the Gods." "Don''t lecture me. I know all of it. However, I''ll take your word. I''m cocooned here so I haven''t experienced any of their powers. A shame I can no longer go outside and see my disciples¡­" Osmin sighed before going back to the topic, "I''m getting derailed but it''s not just because of Lady Allecto''s whims that you''re alive right now." "O-oh¡­?" "It''s because of the strange and¡­ quite ominous undead, Joren Vierei." "What!? How did that guy''s namee here?" Nebarius frowned before Osmin told him what happened, making his eyes wide and jaw drop¡­ "He¡­ he really did that? That''s in insanity..!" "Insanity, indeed. He left the realm of stupidity. However, that''s not the extent of his power." Osmin took her staff that has a small skull attached to the end of it and caressed the skull. This skull was terrifying as it has many teeth. Nebarius saw the skull and remembered something bitter so he kept his mind out of it and asked, "What do you mean by that''s not the extent of his power?" "Oh, it''s not now for sure, though, it''s not far in the future as well. Let''s just say he is Fated." "Fated!? Like before Hercules became God?!" Nebarius almost stood from the bedding. "Indeed" Osmin nodded. "Does the Lord knows of this!?" "Yes, it''s already been more than a century since I''ve told him that he will be visited by another extraordinary being." "Is¡­ that why the Lord has been epting of that lesser undead!?" "Not really" Osmin shook her head. "So, what is it, damn hag!?" Bonk* "I''m still young!" the staff stretched out to hit Nebarius on each of his heads, "Although not on the level of Cerberus, the Lord can be forgetful sometimes. Days ago, he came back here and remembered I have prophesized a century ago." "... does that mean the Lord is in favor of that undead?" "No, of course not. The Lord is just interested in what I said." Osmin weirdly smiled. "What did you say?" "I said that Joren Vierei will run amok once he enters the UnderWorld." Nebarius was greatly confused as to how that weak lesser undead cause the littlest ruckus in the underworld, "But what about the thing about him getting married to the Furies?" To this, Osminughed. "That was just a farce! Are you blind, why would the Lord let the Furies be married to a lesser undead when he himself can''t touch them!?" "Hey, Osmin!" Nebarius red at the witch, "Watch how you word out your thoughts. You''re making it seem like the Lord has some thoughts towards the Furies! He''s like a father to them!" "Oh, you are so blind, Nebarius! How do you use those three pairs of eyes of yours!?" Osmin continuously hit the underworldmander, making him pop a lot of nerves in irritation, "Just like his little brother, the God of Gods, the Lord is a lustful being. All men are! They want to be the best, eat the most delicious food, and own the most beautiful women! As long as one has power, they would want the most for themselves!" "Are you not afraid that the Lord will hear this!? We haven''t seen in a long time, now that you''ve turned into a hag, your mind has turned senile as well!" "If that''s your attitude, I feel like not talking now! This is the only time that I could share this with someone and now this someone is being such an ass!" "Language!" After some arguing, the two settled down and went back to the topic. "If what you say is true, then the Lord should''ve already taken the Furies into his wives a long time ago." Nebarius is the underworld general. After some little time had passed, he had gradually regained his strength. "It''s because he can''t, my dear Nebarius. Can''t you remember who are the Furies mother?" "... the Primordial Goddess of Night, Nyx?" "Zeus is scared of Nyx and even Poseidon and Hades as well. Nyx hates men after meeting up with toxic men such as Tartarus, Eros, and even Uranus." ''They''re all siblings¡­'' Nebarius thought but didn''t say it out loud, ''Also, isn''t Uranus wedded to Gaia?'' "No matter what world, it''s ruled by men. That''s why Nyx have no choice but to choose the ''lesser'' evil, Hades and entrusted him with her daughters." Osmin''s voice got rougher them more they talk, "... to summarize it, Nyx does not want any of her daughters to be touched by any men, even Hades does not dare." Nebarius gulped. "So then, what happens if a man touched any of the Furies?" "Nyx will sense their purity disappearing and wille to persecute both man and woman for going against her words." Nebarius went pale from listening to Osmin''s exnation. These are the primordial beings they are talking about, they are in the realm of legends. "So¡­ then, the Lord is just ying with the lesser undead. But what is the Lord''s n with that man?" "So ungrateful, Nebarius, how can you call your savior, lesser undead and that man?" Osmin sighed. "What do you mean?" "Are your ears also deaf? Didn''t I tell you earlier about the reasons you''re alive right now? One is due to Lady Allecto''s whims and the second is Joren Vierei." Nebarius got a little distracted earlier so he forgot about it. "The actions Joren did which I told you earlier was to stall time and save you. Do you get it now? Did you hit you''re head? I thought you already understood this from the beginning already!" "No, no!" Nebarius shook his heads, "What? Why would he do that!? Does he not sense that I hate his guts!? How could he go that far for me!?" "I thought we were on the same page¡­" Osmin slowly shook her head, "That''s why I told you that he left the realm of stupidity. Only an insane man would go that far for someone he''s not even acquainted with!" "Ah¡­ him talking to Lady Allecto like that sound pretty insane to me already¡­" Nebarius'' felt his world go upside down. He felt tremendous guilt that heaves his chest. "That''s all I want to say¡­ Nebarius. You can go now." Osmin, still sitting atop the cab, used the skull of her stick to open the door of the Recovery Room. "What¡­ what am I going to do with this knowledge?" "I don''t know. I just wanted to chat." Osmin raised the edge of her lips, "It''s been so long since we''vest met." "Tsk! You could''ve started by asking how I am." Nebarius shivered, "I feel like I shouldn''t have learned any of this." "Krahahaha! Partly, I don''t want to be the only one to bear this weight. You could either thank me or me me." Osmin picked her nose before shouting, "Now get out of here before I tell you about the UnderWorld''s destruction and who''s responsible for it!" "Don''t tell me! What if the Lord begin suspecting me!?" Nebarius then ran out in panic before the Recovery Room''s door shut closed for it to open again in the future again. Chapter 74 - [Bonus ] An Accident Joren was still wide awake with his nose wide open. He got to kiss a Goddess! ''Can I finally rest in peace?'' He dropped onto his bed, still full of energy. "..." Joren looked at the ceiling before his surroundings. His blood was sttered everywhere. It was a disgusting scene. But¡­ "Should I jack off now?" A very important question came out of his mouth. Joren was always in constant danger. Being surrounded by beauties that are out of his previous world, any normal man wouldn''t be able to take it. No¡­ actually, Joren is just a pervert. None of the girls have openly shown their skin but he''s always ridden with weird thoughts. Although he''s confident that he will not resort to sexual harassment, ''idents'' might happen. "My guy, our addiction came biting back." Joren looked down and said. After what he did to Allecto earlier, his lust is surging and might be uncontroble if left ignored. The scene in front of him is disturbing but remembering what happened earlier is heating him up. ''Damn it, I''m like a dog!'' However, the truth is actually different. Allecto''s blood gave him too much energy. Some of it went to heal his injuries, others went to rece his lost vitality, and the rest were distributed throughout his body as pure energy. And adding the spice earlier, something rose up and it''s not the Shield Hero. All that energy has been ced into his dick like Goku''s energy ball, but in this case, it''s not for Freeza¡­ that would be too weird if it is. "I should just¡­ just exercise it out¡­" Joren huffed with his face turning red. But before he stepped out of the room, he stopped and remembered Allecto''s words; not in public. Joren wouldn''t be so stupid to think that''s only applied for his privileges which he will use to flirt with her, no! Allecto doesn''t want others to learn about her giving him special privileges. If Joren were to go out and show that he''s healthy with a lot of energy to spare, what''s the only scenario thates into the mind of those who see him and know the story? ''Should I just jack it off? No! Surely, the maids wille here to clean this mess here.'' Joren was starting to get dizzy. He would be eternally scarred if others were to catch him minding his business. He couldn''t trust the privacy in his room¡­ Yet, he entered the bathroom nheless. Joren finally gave in. The moment he closed the door of the bathroom, the door to his room opened. Kidrith entered and saw the room. "There''s a lot to clean here¡­ just what did Lady Allecto do to Joren?" As an inferior Fury, Kidrith is no simple underworld being. The Furies were not actually direct daughters of Nyx. When Uranus'' blood dropped onto Gaia and formed the Furies. They were closer to the Titans than to the Gods in terms of being. Nyx took care of them, feeling some affinity as they wore all cks to represent their mother, the Goddess of the Night. However, the three furies were not the only ones who sprang out of Uranos'' blood but the remnants also created the inferior furies which became servants of Gods. Kidrith is the head of Hades'' Pce. She was familiar with blood and ughter. Seeing blood doesn''t make her feel anything. Strangely though, seeing the blood scattered across the room makes her stomach swirl. It was unfortunate that when her respect towards Joren grew, he died, possibly tortured to death by Allecto as suggested by the scattered blood. "Good thing I was here by chance." Kidrith said before entering the room and slipping onto the carpet soaked with recent blood. "Kyahh¡ª!" She dropped onto her back. Kidrith''s face immediately turned red as she looked around to see that no one was there to watch her clumsiness. "Good thing the walls are soundproof in the guest room by chance." Kidrith sighed out of relief, only to get bummed out by how dirty she got. "Ugh¡­ I guess I have to change in my room¡­ Oh, wait! This is the guest room, it has an extra uniform by chance!" Kidrith then went to the wardrobe with a smile since she wouldn''t have to go out and show to others how dirty she is. When Kidrith was appointed as the head maid years ago due to her stronger bloodline, she had to put up the act of a serious head maid for years. But whenever there''s privacy, she would go back to her old self. Going to the bathroom, she noticed something on the door. [upied] "Who in the world¡­ Joren is already, ugh¡­" remembering her new friend met his demise in this room, made Kidrith bitter for suddenly being joyful just because she found herself a new pair of uniform, "Did someone leave this locked from the inside¡­?" she sadly asked herself before remembering- "Wait! Yeah, the lock on the bathroom door of the guest room is broken by chance. How could I forget that?" Kidrith lightly hit herself before opening the door and saw something shot towards her face. Still a Fury, her reflexes were good. She immediately evaded the iing white projectile and along with it a weird sound. It sounds like a person''s groan. However, to her surprise, there was a second iing projectile. Kidrith frowned and dodged it again by a few millimeters before looking where it came from. The scene that she saw was burnt into her mind. Kidrith froze in pure shock with her jaw dropped. But that was a mistake as there was still a third projectile that shot into her mouth. "Gah-!" Kidrith sounded as if she received a gunshot as she held her throat. Unfortunately, she reacted toote as she gulped it down. Joren almost jumped out from the toilet seat when he heard someone choking. Realizing Kidrith was there, Joren''s face went pale as beads of sweat covered his face. "Kidrith¡­" "Joren¡­?" Joren deeply breathed before stating, "I once read online on what to do when somebody is caught masturbating." his face was like that of a philosopher, delving into profound topics like the existence of human life. "..." Kidrith fell onto her knees after realising what she had just gulped down. Her eyes unblinkingly stared at Joren''s unceasing movement. "If I stop, that''s it. I was caught masturbating. But if I continue, the one who caught me is just a peeper." Joren put his index finger up as he looked down on Kidrith. "W-what kind of logic is that¡­!?" "I shall continue." "No¨C!" ¡­ Momentster, Joren was helping Kidrith clean up the blood scattered in his room. "So, that''s what happened¡­ After you plead for your life from Lady Allecto, she gave you another chance and helped you recover with her mysterious power before leaving you here. However, the power of the pure-blooded Fury is too much for a lesser undead so you have to find a way to release all that energy." Kidrith said. "... y-yeah. That''s urate." Joren nodded, ''How did shee up with the whole story, I just said that I plead for my life.'' To hide the truth, Joren has to sacrifice his dignity as a man. "I see. I''ve never seen you as a pervert in the first ce." Kidrith was speaking from inside the bathroom as she took a bath. The door was slightly open. ''I''m sorry, you''re trusting me this much but I''m having the urge to peep.'' Joren distracted himself by furiously cleaning the whole ce. After she dressed up, Kidrith came out of the bathroom and stared at Joren in the eyes. "This is an ident so I won''t me you for it. However, I will shut my mouth and will not tell anyone that I drank your semen-" "... straightforwardly saying it like that¡­" "-so, I will have to ask you to zip your lips as well and not tell anyone that I drank your cum." "... changing the word doesn''t make it less¡­-" Joren just nodded, "Yes, I will not tell anyone about it." "Not tell anyone about what? You have to be specific here or you may go against your word saying that ''it'' refers to something else." Kidrith sternly said, "Although we''re not putting any name on the line, this is still considered an oath!" ''Is she actually having fun with this?'' Joren has no choice but to do what she demands. Like a soldier, he straightened up and said, "I will not tell anyone else that you just drank my cum." "Good!" "... what?" Both Kidrith and Joren turned their heads at the same time as if they were mechanical robots. They then saw Megaera in the middle of opening the door with a shocked expression. "..." "..." "..." Bam* The door closed and the two of them could hear fast footsteps. For them to hear it, it should be pretty loud and fast. Joren and Kidrith looked at each other before realizing. "Wait, Megaera is the most talkative of them all!" Joren said before trying to catch up with Megaera, however, he couldn''t even spot a shadow of her. "We¡­ we''re doomed¡­" Kidrith dropped on her knees again. "It looks like we can''t do anything about it? It''s embarrassing but what''s the worst thing that could happen?" Joren asked. "The Lord may kill us both." Kidrith said with a pale expression. "Let''s¡­ just tell the truth." "Okay¡­" Chapter 75 - [Bonus ] Bad Feeling In the throne room, Hades and his family have gathered. Hades naturally sat on the main throne while Persephone sat on the smaller one beside him. They were both confused rather than angry. They were ncing at Allecto from time to time. Meanwhile, Joren and Kidrith were in front of them. Thetter was prostrating while the former looked at Allecto. ''She has the face of someone whose boyfriend just cheated on¡­'' But Joren wasn''t too worried since it''s aplete misunderstanding. "He''s still alive? I was so sure that Allecto killed him off." Persephone whispered to Hades. "Yes, that''s what I thought too. Now, it seemed that Joren is in full health. What exactly did Allecto do to him?" "Lord, can I speak?" Joren raised his hand. "... go ahead." Joren didn''t know what they were whispering about. All he knows is that the more time passes, the bigger the misunderstanding develops. "It was all just a misunderstanding and what happened in just an ident." "Hm?" However, Hades didn''t know what Joren was talking about. He was there sitting on his throne from the start while Persephone apanied him, having a conversation regarding what just happened. Then, suddenly, Kidrith came and prostrated herself, followed by Joren. At the next moment, the Furies came there and that led them to the current situation. Seeing the confusion on Hades'' face, Megaera came forward while ring at Joren, making him gulp in return. After a moment of whispering, Hades almost had his hearte out of his mouth. He looked around in a panic, making others raise an eyebrow, concerned as to what Megaera told him. Meanwhile, Tisiphone and Allecto have heard it from Megaera already but none of them expected Hades to panic in return Hades then had a face of concentration and worry which was very umon. Only he knew what he was doing. Unbeknownst to others, his sense reaches far beyond the realm of the dead far into the multiple realities. After some moment, Hades opened his eyes and relief could be seen on his face. He sighed before pondering. Everyone watched astounded, not knowing what got to the Lord of the Underworld. ''Is this really a big thing?'' Megaera began to worry, ''Maybe I shouldn''t have kept my mouth running¡­ but¡­!'' When she overheard Joren, she figured that she didn''t like what she heard. Megaera didn''t know what to do but to run off and tell others about it. "Megaera, have you told this to anyone?" "To Allecto and Tisiphone, Lord." Megaera replied with another whisper. Persephone''s curiosity was increasing but she was not worried about it being hidden from her. "This is an order, don''t tell anything about this to Persephone." Unbeknownst to her, Hades has ordered Megaera to keep it a secret. Megaera didn''t question the order and nodded. "Pass this to Tisiphone and Allecto, I hope none of you share this with others. After this, go and talk to the parties involved to not utter a single word about this, do you understand?" Megaera nodded again, "This information will only be between the six of us." "Right, now go." Hades waved his hand as his frown lessened. When Joren saw Hades'' stare, he was ready to exin when- "They have decided. Joren, you pass the first Trial. Meanwhile, Kidrith, you can go now." When she heard her name called, all Kidrith''s body hair stood up. But at the next moment, she couldn''t understand why would Hades let her off like that. This made her more anxious than she thought. But before she could further ponder, she felt the pressure from Hades so she had no choice but to stand up and leave. "What was that about?" Persephone asked Hades but he acted as if she didn''t hear her and continued speaking towards the puzzled Joren. "The second Trial, as I''ve said before, the Trial of Lands, you have to draw the map of my whole underworld. There is no deadline but of course, if you ''die'' before you bring me the map, you automatically fail. That''s all, dismiss." Hearing this, the Furies bowed and left. Joren imitated them and went back to his dorm. But, in reality, he wants to talk to Megaera and Allecto to clear up the misunderstanding. Though it''s weird how Hades reacted, it''s none of his concerns for now. ''But¡­ why do I feel like something''s going to happen?'' Joren shivered in anxiousness. He med it for Hades'' weird reaction so he thought he should be ready for anything. After some time walking down the hall, he realized, "Wait, I forgot where the Furies'' room is. Actually, I haven''t been there even though my soul is locked in there." So, after walking for a while, he went to the person he could ask and know where to find. While walking to his destination, he felt his stomach grumbling. ''Maybe, I can ask Kidrith for snacks. I don''t know how to feel about being ignored just because they thought I was dead. Well, for them, I''m just a lesser undead so my ''death'' wouldn''t be much of a concern at all. I would be surprised if it is¡­'' Jorenforted himself. ''But still¡­ that Hades has weird reaction earlier as if he''s hiding something. You''re not very good at hiding your emotions, Lord of the Underworld.'' Once he reached Kidrith''s room, he knocked and a voice replied from the inside. "Who''s there?" "It''s me, Joren." "Right¡­e in. It''s not locked." Joren opened the door and entered the head maid''s quarters. In this giant pce, each servant has their exclusive rooms and as for the head maid, Kidrith has a grander room. Walking in, Joren looked around and muttered. "Neat, as expected of the head maid." "Come and sit." Kidrith then offered a seat on a table as she poured a cup of tea on the table for the both of them. She acts fast. "I just want to ask something quick though¡­ but thanks." Joren then sat on the tea table, not letting himself stare at Kidrith''s nightdress. "I was hesitating earlier if I should talk to you or not. And, in the end, I failed to knock on your doors." Kidrith said with a sad expression. "Then, I guess I can stay for a while and chat. So, what''s on your mind?" "Wow¡­ how can you act like that after what just happened?" Kidrith massaged her head. Joren then ced the cup down after taking a sip and replied. "It''s an eventful day but there''s no point in worrying about it." "No, there''s something we need to worry about!" Kidrith almost burst out but restrained herself, "Sorry for raising my voice." Joren justughed. "Why¡­ why are youughing?" "No, nothing, it''s just weird that you''re so polite to me." Kidrith raised an eyebrow, "I don''t know. Do you want me to be impolite?" "Well, if you''re going to ask me. You can be casual." "Alright, but not now. I''m too tense to not act formal." Kidrith frowned and continued, "Sorry for saying this but it seems that Sir Joren doesn''t see the reality of the situation." Joren didn''t take any offense since it''s true. "I didn''t have any time to exin earlier but basically, everything in this pce and beyond is the Lord''s possession. Topare, it''s like the kings in your ce. Servants like us are the Lord''s possession too. So, if we didn''t clear up the misunderstanding, it''s the same as the guest taking the Lord''s possession without permission." Kidrith stopped since that''s enough to exin the severity of the situation. "Possession¡­?" Joren was no hero and he''s far from a virtuous man as far as he knows. But personally hearing someone else call themselves a possession unironically doesn''t sit well with him. ''So Hades owns them?'' There''s something about it that pisses him off but Joren couldn''t exin it himself. "So, are you saying that you''re ves to him?" "That''s¡­ not far off." Joren clenched his fists, "So, everything he says, you will do?" Kidrith unhesitantly nodded, "Of course, Lord Hades is our God after all." "Do you want that?" Kidrith didn''t know why Joren was asking these questions but still, she answered. "It''s not about whether I like it or not. I have to follow his order. He''s God, after all." It''s not that Joren doesn''t understand it. He knew what power is. If anyone has great power, who can act against their words? After a while, Joren calmed himself and asked. "Then, personally, do you want this?" "..." Kidrith frowned, "Do you want me to get into trouble?" "Just answer the question." Kidrith was about to refute since Joren was pushing the question but seeing his serious eyes, she relented and answered. "Don''t tell this to anyone but no. I respect the Lord but love is another thing. Fortunately, the Lord is not the God who ''uses'' his servants. I see that the Lord dearly loves the Queen and that''s why I''m happy to serve under him." She confessed when suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. "Who''s there?" Kidrith asked before walking to the door when she suddenly heard. "It''s Hades, I have something to talk about." Chapter 76 - [Bonus ] Sorry Excuse Kidrith immediately froze up but she realized she have no time to be shocked. She spun around and desperately warned Joren by waving her hands in a panic. Thetter nodded and rushed to the closet and closed it. ''Isn''t it better if I don''t hide and just tell the truth?'' Joren thought but he was brought along by Kidrith''s panic that he ended up there. When he was going to suggest what he thought they should better do, Kidrith have already rushed to the door and weed Hades. Joren felt lucky for being so slow to react. Through the gaps, he then watched and controlled his breathing so that no soundes out. "Good evening, My Lord, what brought you here?" Kidrith acted as the head maid and the only difference is that she''s in her nightdress. On that note, she felt a stare from her head to toes. ''Something''s different today with the Lord¡­'' her heart began beating from anxiety. She was thinking about the worst things that can happen. Closing the door, Hades sat on the chair that Kidrith pulled while she kneel on the floor. A servant like her couldn''t possibly sit on the same level as their Lord. "You''ve prepared these cups of tea ahead of time?" Hades asked in amazement before his eyes became that of suspicions, "Hm? But why did you prepare two cups if you''re going to sit on the floor?" Kidrith then replied with missing a beat. "I have to show respect to the Lord and the tea. I couldn''t possibly put the cup of tea on the floor as it would be a disgrace as the head of the servants in My Lord''s Pce. Therefore, I''d rather not drink the tea for the sake of respecting both it and My Lord." Hades nodded in satisfaction before he realized. ''Wait, shouldn''t it be disrespectful for the tea not to be consumed as well?'' but he just shrugged his shoulders, thinking it''s a maid-thing he wouldn''t be able to understand, thus, he took a sip on the tea. Thud* "Huh?" A sound came from the closet and Hades was about to turn his head around when Kidrith mmed her head on the floor. Thud* "Hm?" Hades was surprised by her actions before thinking, ''Oh, I thought the sound came from the back so Kidrith was just mming her head on the floor. It seemed like both my hearing and vision is getting rusty. But¡­'' "Why are you mming your head on the floor?" "It''s showing respect, My Lord." "I¡­ I see." Kidrith mmed her head onto the floor a few times before stopping with a graceful expression. But, inwardly, she was growling. ''Joren, what are you doing there!? Stay quiet!'' Meanwhile, Joren almost foamed out of his mouth when Hades took a sip on his cup. ''My first indirect kiss!!!'' he acts like a maiden. "Hm, this tea is especially delightful. I wonder what ingredient you added?" Thudthudthudthud* Hades''s mouth slightly opened in confusion. "What¡­ are you doing?" "Giving respect to My Lord''s praise." Kidrith spoke with her gentle voice while her upper half seemed likely to be possessed by a demon as she rapidly go up and down, mming her head on the floor. Thudthudthud* "Well, you can stop now¡­" "As your wishes, My Lord." Kidrith stopped while a slight bump on her forehead formed, ''Joren!!!'' Meanwhile, inside the closet, white foams were oozing out of Joren''s mouth. ''That Hades¡­ called my saliva¡­ delicious¡­'' "Kidrith, do you know about the restriction that your almighty mother ced on the pce when she brought the Furies and the inferiors here?" Hades then spoke his agenda. To this, Kidrith''s eyes turned serious. "No, I haven''t, My Lord." "Well, let me tell you. Different from humans that constantlye here in the underworld, the Gods and the Primordial Beings are not restrained by their blood. Let''s just say, family matters created the world as we know it today. However, that results in unfaithfulness and heartbreak. When the father of my father died, you, the Furies were born." Both Kidrith and Joren listened closely as they don''t know what Hades was pointing out, especially Kidrith as this was the first time in centuries her Lord had visited her room, andte at night on top of that. "Nyx, the Goddess of the Night, took you all in but you were just a little sprite, a drop of blood forming into who you are as a child, so you probably don''t remember her. You opened your eyes here before you know it. Nyx has given you all to me, in exchange, I have to take care of the three sisters." Joren''s face twitched. ''He''s saying that in front of the person herself¡­'' "As for the restriction that Nyx has ced; no men are to touch any of the Furies. That''s an iron rule even I cannot break. However, I have long asked myself; are the inferiors part of that restriction?" Both Kidrith and Joren''s hearts dropped as they realized why Hades is here. This also exins his weird reaction earlier. ''Wait, but it''s just an ident, I didn''t actually touch Kidrith¡­!'' Joren frowned, ''Which is unfortunate.'' "But now, I know the answer." Hades nodded, making Kidrith''s face go pale, "Coincidentally, I have to punish the maid who gave herself to my guest without my permission." "My Lord, it was-" "Did I tell you to speak?!" Hades raised his voice. Before he continued, "Surrounded by so many women but couldn''t do anything about them. I don''t go outside as my absence may causews to be broken in the Pce. So for millennia after millennia, I could only stay here with one woman while my brother has already spread his seed all over the world?" he sighed. Joren clenched his fist, ''I''m jealous!'' "Therefore, Kidrith, to redeem yourself, you will not tell anything to anyone what will happen in this room from now on. Do you understand?" Hades then crouched down in front of Kidrith. Her eyes stayed on the ground as she nodded. He then wrapped his hand on her neck before Kidrith could feel pressure from his grip. "Argh¡­" "For you to offer yourself to my guest before your own Lord, you deserve to die." a murderous glint appeared in Hades'' eyes. Meanwhile, Megaera knocked on Joren''s room. She couldn''t sleep, thinking about what Joren just did so she wants to make things clear. "What are you doing here, again?" She then heard someone ask her from behind. Back to Kidrith''s room, Hades raised his other hand and pped Kidrith''s face as she expressed difficulties in breathing. Pak* After releasing some of his anger, the murderous glint turned into a lustful one. "I didn''t know what''s the extent of ''touch'' and ''Furies'' when your mother ced the restriction. So, how far did you go with that lesser undead? Should I call him here to let him see how to do it better?" His hand then traveled to Kidrith''s nightdress as Hades'' usual frown have turned to a slight smile. "Another woman''s skin¡­ I still love Persephone but¡­ is it my fault I''ve long got tired of her body?" While Hades was taking it slow as this was a very special moment for him, he heard Kidrith mutter. "No¡­" Hades stopped and his smile turned back to a frown. "Are you telling me no?" anger was forming within him again, "So, I really have been toox-" "What? Don''t, please¡­" Kidrith said again which made Hades snap. He raised his other hand and was about to p Kidrith harder this time when Hades felt a hand held his wrist. "I''m the one whom she''s looking" Hades turned his head around as he hear a familiar man''s voice, "and telling not tond this fist on your deaf-ass face!" "Joren!? Why are you here and why are your pants-!?" BAM* Kidrith''s eyes almost rolled out of their sockets when Hades'' roar was interrupted when Joren mmed his fist into the Lord of the Underworld''s face, making him kiss the floor! "Get out of my way!" Joren then kicked Hades'' body out of the way as he put his pants up, letting the Lord stumble and hit the table. ''That''s it, I finally get this strange feeling.'' Joren thought to himself. The reason why he didn''t like to hear that Kidrith and the others are Hades'' possession was¡­ he wants them for himself! ''I was really not a good guy from the start, huh?'' Joren scoffed at himself before calling out to Kidrith. "If I''m your owner, I wouldn''t be as shitty as this sorry excuse of a Lord!" Joren pointed at Hades who was staring at the empty space. Hearing his words, Hades finally snapped out of his daze. "Haha¡­ a mortal actuallynded a hit and an insult on me¡­ my guard couldn''t be any lower than that." Hades stood up as he looked at Joren as if he''s dead meat already. "What? Want me tond another hit?" Joren raised his fist. Nerves popped out of Hades'' face as his blood boiled. The room then sunk into unfathomable ghoulish energy. "Try it, mortal!" Chapter 77 - [Bonus ] Place Of The Dead Hades has never been so humiliated before. He kissed the floor because a lesser undead havended a hit on his cheek. If this was known to the world, everyone would think that Hades is just a fool and not a God. Gods should be almighty! But even though he had never been so angry all his life since the Yumantra War, Hades restrained himself from going all out. ''If I release too much of my power as it will create a great disturbance. Even if I hid the fact that I let a lesser undead hit me, others will still know that I used substantial power for a lesser undead. They will think that I''m weak!'' thus, Hades controlled himself, ''and I don''t want to kill him yet. I want to make him suffer and even throw him into Tartarus myself!'' His frown then lessened, "Did you fall in love with Kidrith too? She''s a beautiful woman too, after all. Although I can''t touch Allecto yet, I''m going to ravage this unfaithful servant until she takes herst breath while you can''t do anything about it!" he provoked Joren. Joren slowly walked up to the Lord with his fist tightly clenched. Both pairs of eyes looked at each other. One with mockery while one with solemnity. "You think too much of yourself. Taste this, a millionth of a God''s power." Hades pointed his finger towards Joren. Meanwhile, Kidrith was ced in a tough position. ''Joren, what are you doing? Stop this!'' she wanted to say but it wouldn''te out of her mouth. A piece of the underworld''s energy all went towards Hades'' finger in concentration. With a thought, the point of dead energy shot towards Joren''s heart. "Argh..!" Joren groaned, making Hadesugh, "Even though you''re an ''immortal'', you willpletely die with that much energy." Just like what Hades said, Joren could feel his energy being absorbed. "What is death?" Hades asked while Joren stopped on his tracks, "It''s theck of life. I''m not Thanatos, the God of Death. No, I''m worse than that. I''m the ruler of the whole underworld realm!" "All souls, ghouls, demons, monsters, and the undead take their energy from this realm and that''s why they are unable to go to the living realm. They are supposed to be dead yet they are able to talk, walk, and live as if they are actually living in this realm for all eternity!" "Just how much energy does this entire realm have? Even I don''t know but what I do know is that I''m in control of it." "A millionth of my power, I''ll tell you what it means. With more than a hundred billion people have died already since the start of time, a millionth means the energy of one hundred thousand dead souls!" "Even if you, Joren, are a one-man army, you would at least die a hundred times with a millionth of my power. That''s the difference between a God and a mortal!" Hades lifted his head while Kidrith have lost all hope. And that''s when Joren stretched his neck and continued walking towards Hades. "You''re exaggerating." He said before continuing to walk as the dead energy is eating the little life he had. However, Joren didn''t think about it that much. He only has one thing in his head. ''I''ve never wanted to punch someone''s face this much before.'' Joren only wants to hit someone when he''s annoyed. The only people like that were Virena and Minos. Virena annoyed him the first time he met her and knowing that he can''t harm her that much, he should fight back, he thought. Butpare that to now, it''s not just the feeling of necessity, Joren wants to smack this smug-looking Lord. ''This God is supposed to be the most sensible out there from what I''ve heard. But even then, he ticks me off!'' "Wait¡­ how are you able to¡­" Hades frowned and pointed his finger again, "Then here, a thousandth of my power. With this much, your very body would turn into nothing with your weak existence." The concentration of energy this time was much faster and like a bullet, it shot towards Joren. Death enveloped his whole entirety, showing nothing but a ck fog. Kidright almost let out a shriek. ''His very existence will be erased with this. I wanted him to suffer more but I have enou-'' BAM* Hades'' vision suddenly shifted as his body lost its bnce. ''What?'' Thud* he fell onto the ground. Hades paused due to disbelief. He held his nose and looked at his fingers. ''Blood¡­?'' His whole body shook, realizing that a mere lesser undead was able to make her drop a drop of blood. It was inconceivable. Hades may slip and fall but no matter how much his guard is down, he shouldn''t be able to bleed. ''Wait wait wait wait wait!!'' Hades panicked. It''s either Joren is not what Hades thinks he is or that Hades himself has lost his power after a lot of time had passed without him using it. "If your guard is down again, then that''s your fault." Joren''s eyes looking down on him were burned onto Hades'' mind. His face turned red from anger and shame. Uneptable!! 1 percent¡­ Hades stood up like a puppet that''s been pulled up by a puppet master. Enormous energy has enveloped the whole pce. At that moment, Joren has snapped out of it. He had already done what he wants to do. "Kidrith¡­ what do you think?" Joren asked her. Kidrith was stunned as to why Joren was talking to her while ignoring the furious Lord of the Underworld. A deadly storm swirled above the great Hades Pce. But even so, Kidrith understand what Joren was trying to say. She stepped forward but then stopped. "¡­ I respect you but I''m serving the God of the Underworld and I don''t know much about you. Sorry, Joren, but I''ve been here my whole life, and as of now¡­ you''re just a lesser undead." Kidrith bit her lips right after. "For no regrets, I''ll ask once again. I''ll leave this ce. Do you want toe or not?" Joren said with the back of his head turned towards Hades. "What are you doing, Joren¡­ your existence is going to be erased just to stop this one night¡­" This night is just going to repeat itself, that''s what Kidrith is saying. "Huh? I just felt like punching this fucker''s face. I didn''t do it for you or anything." Joren said while Hades twitched in anger, "And, I just felt like wanting to take his so-called possessions." Kidrith was stunned by Joren''s honesty. ''He''s just doing what he wants¡­ what freedom!'' Freedom, something that none in the pce have felt before. Kidrith has a strong desire to be like him. ''If a lesser undead has the guts to risk everything for the sake of doing what he wants, how can''t I!?" "It''s sickening to stay in one ce, doing the same thing over and over again for the rest of eternity. The Lord doesn''t like change within the pce. He doesn''t let anyone out. The status quo is maddening." Kidrith then looked at Joren with determination. Although she''s just moving her tongue, she''s in the midst of risking everything her whole life has built. "Although the Lord of the Underworld is not an unreasonable God, he''s too strict. And I think...!" Kidrith then raised her voice, determined to die at any moment, "With riskes reward, and that in itself is exciting, giving meaning to life! This ce is as dead as the whole realm-!" "ENOUGH!" Hades has finally spoken. "I ced my trust in you, Kidrith but you failed me!" He was hoping for Kidrith to straightforwardly decline so that Joren''s death afterward will be a little more satisfactory. "So, do you want toe with me!?" Joren asked. "I either do or I die!" Kidrith shouted in an answer and reached out her hand but Joren didn''t take it. "I said, do you want toe with me!?" Joren shouted back, making Kidrith realize that she had answered wrong. "I¡­ I do! I want to get out of this ce!" "Good!" Joren was about to take Kidrith''s hand when Hades have appeared beside them. A deadly fog covered his whole entirety only leaving the furious frown on his face. His hand has struck down before anyone can react. Kidrith''s withered at the next moment, seeing this, a nerve popped out of Joren''s forehead. "You''re making me angry again!!" He punched out his left arm, going through the deadly fog and hitting Hades'' face the third time. "Gah!" Hades stumbled back a bit before he shook in anger, "HOW! HOW! HOW!!!" he roared. But after his rage release, Hades looked and saw that Joren have already escaped with Kidrith. "JORENN!!!" Along with Hades'' aura, his shout has taken everyone''s attention. "So, it has begun.." Osmin locked in the recovery room have muttered, "Overconfidence even make a God have mistakes. Use this chance, Joren, survive ande back in the future to defeat the eternal boredom we call Hades!" Chapter 78 - [Bonus ] Sneaking Into Rooms "We''re done for! I''m ready to die!" Kidrith cried aloud while Joren carried her since Hades'' slightest touch damaged her arm. "No, we''re not!" Joren ran as fast as he could down the hallways, "Tell me which way to go!" "What''s the point!? Saying what I want to say is already too much freedom for me! I can now rest in peace!" Kidrith replied while pointing the which corner to choose from. "Well, if you want to die, try to get down from my back; I wouldn''t resist!" "... no!" "Then stop shouting. We''re going to escape!" Joren said as Hades began chasing after them. Darkness appeared before them, and Hades came out with his horns throbbing in front of them. "Both of you are going to die here and then!" "AHHH!!" Kidrith shrieked as Joren jumped and took all Hades'' energy attack before giving him a dropkick. "Argh!" Hades dropped onto the floor again. The very air began to pulsate along with the swirling emotions that Hades felt within him. No matter how many times it happens, he would freeze in shock. How can that lesser undead hit him!? At that moment, Hades remembered what Osmin had said to him before. It''s about Joren being Fated¡­ Fated beings are prophesized to reach greatness and stand above others in the future, a God! ''But it still doesn''t make any sense! In the future, he may stand on the same ne as me, but for now, he''s nothing but a lesser undead!'' ¡­ "The Lord- I mean, Hades can instantaneously appear everywhere in this realm. That God is the realm itself, he is practically everywhere if he wishes to!" Kidrith exined. "Then why doesn''t he show up again so I can kick his ass this time?" "Please don''t joke around! Say cool things; we''re about to die! Uwaa!!" Kidrith no longer restrained herself and just cried like a baby. "Then don''t act like a child then!" Joren ran down the cylindrical stairs after Kidrith quickly led him through the shortest route towards it. Once at the cylindrical stairs, Joren can directly go to the ground floor no matter what floor he came from. "And also, Hades might not have it right now, but he owns the helmet of invisibility!" Kidrith said after remembering. "Helmet of invisibility!? That''s cheating!" "I know, right!?" "Also, I want to ask, where is the room of the Furies!?" Joren suddenly asked. "Eh?! What for!?" "I have to get my soul first!" "Ugh!" Kidrith expressed hopelessness, "Fine, since we''re going to die anyway, it''s good to die after you regain your soul! It''s actually above the floor where we came from." Joren tried to stop, and it already took him some effort to slow down from his fall first. "This is going to be hard. Good thing that I''m still full of energy!" He has to thank Allecto''s the drop of blood for it. "And, aren''t you supposed to be a Fury too?! Can''t you carry me?!" "How can I carry you? Hades took my strength the moment he touched my arm!" Kidrith paused for a while before asking, "Also, how are you able to touch Hades? You shouldn''t be able to touch him since he''s the realm itself." "I don''t know it myself too!" Joren answered, but the only reason he could think of was, once again, Allecto''s blood. Meanwhile, Hades entered the room and saw Persephone was still asleep. He especially didn''t want to wake Persephone up so, with his control, no aura of his could enter their room. Quietly, he tiptoed towards his helm of invisibility. ''Once they are outside, I can''t let anyone see that some lesser undead can hit me. I wouldn''t be able to catch them.'' Hades is not physically strong because his physical body is just an entity manifestation of the realm itself. Therefore, he shouldn''t get hurt by physical attacks, making him a tricky opponent even among the Gods. "Hmm~" Hades froze when he heard a sound from Persephone. He nced and saw that she wasn''t awake. ''This is scaring me¡­ I still don''t know how she''ll react if she learns that I made a move on Kidrith. But isn''t it unfair for me to only have one woman!? At least, make it three, so I would alternately make love to them every night and not get bored with it!'' Reaching his vault, Hades stood in front of it for facial recognition. [Error: Face not recognized.] "...!!!" Hades ced his hand on the vault as if the object had a mouth that he could cover. [Error: Face not recognized.] "Shh¡­.!" His face was cringing, not knowing how to stop this automated voice. ''The future on the surface sucks!'' [Do you want to switch to another entry method? If yes, shout YES; if no, whisper no~.] "... y-yes¡­!" [That''s not a shout. What are you taking me for? I''m an AI.] "Well, you''re not very intelligent then¡­! While I''m here, wasting my time, that abominable undead is making his escape¡­!" [Why?] "!?" Hades trembled in anger. Meanwhile, within the cylindrical stairs, Joren finally reached the floor to where the room of the Furies is. "I wonder where Hades is!?" Joren asked. Kidrith then replied, "I don''t know! But just follow this hallway, and you''ll eventually reach their room!" "Okay!" On the other hand, Megaera and Allecto just reached Kidrith''s room. "They''re gone already. But what happened, that''s definitely the Lord''s power¡­." Megaera muttered and looked down the hallway with traces of ghoulish energy. "Don''t change the topic. You still haven''t told me why you''re visiting Jorente at night." Allecto intercepted, which Megaera found unreasonable. Before she could answer, someone arrived there right after them. "Iek¡­!" Nebarius lightly shrieked when he saw that the two people were Megaera and Allecto! The three-headed crownded on his knees as they slid on the floor. Once he stopped, he prostrated in front of Megaera and Allecto. p p p* Megaera and Allecto gave him a round of apuse before the former replied to thetter. "I was just there to give him a chance to exin himself. Why are you so persistent!?" "Stop lying, you went to his room before that too, and that''s why you caught them, right!? The timeline of your logic doesn''t match!" Allecto argued while catching up to Megaera, who was following the traces of the shadow on the floor. ''They¡­ painfully ignored me¡­.'' Nebarius didn''t know if he was lucky or unlucky, but before long, he flew up and caught up to them, "Wait up,dies!" he still wanted to ask what was happening with their Lord as he was trying to search for him too¡­ [Error: Face looks stupid.] "Grr¡­!!" nerves were popping out of Hades'' face. He even forgot about Joren for a moment there. His frown became worse and worse until¡­ Ding* [Face recognized.] "...?" The vault then opened, to which Hades then took the helmet of invisibility and immediately wore it. "Hades?" Persephone then sat up with a tired face but saw no one, "Hm? I thought he was there for a moment¡­ guess he''s still sitting on his throne¡­ yawn~... overseeing¡­ thend¡­" ''So precious!'' Hades'' stress lessened before he makes his mistake when- "Wait, why is the vault open!?" Persephone sat up and was fully awake. ''I forgot!'' [Hadeslessthan3lessthan3 have opened the vault. Due to inactivity, the vault is now closing.] "Oh, it''s just Hades. I thought someone else opened it." Persephone sighed in relief before she went back to sleep. ''AI! I''m sorry for getting angry at you. You''re a good bot!'' Hades then safely exited the room before he extended his senses to find Joren and Kidrith. ''Why are they there!?'' he found a problem... Joren and Kidrith entered the Furies'' room and saw Tisiphone busy on her phone. Hades assumed that all the Furies were in their room, so he excluded that ce as well, just like what he did for his and Persephone''s room. "... will she not notice us?" Joren whispered as he crawled on the ground in the dark. Tisiphone was in a strange position with her legs up leaning on the wall, making an ''L'' position as she faced the wall if not the phone between them. "Lady Tisiphone has the sharpest senses among the Furies so we better be careful." Kidrith replied. "That''s my soul¡­" Joren looked up at the birdcage hanging from the ceiling. He felt like crying as this was a very sentimental reunion. "But why is it naked??" Kidrith frowned as her face flustered. "Hm?" Tisiphone tilted her ''up'' and span her eyes around the room. ''We will be seen! We will be seen!'' Kidrith''s heartbeat increased and Joren have to hold her mouth for her to muffle her quick breathing. "Weird, I''m sure I heard a sound¡­" Tisiphone then went back to her phone, making both Kidrith and Joren relieved. Bam* "Tisiphone, let me touch your wing-!" Megaera suddenly entered the room, letting the light from the hallway illuminate the room. "Ah¡­" Joren and Kidrith then made eye contact with the sisters. Chapter 79 - 79 A Simple Question Tisiphone''s jaw dropped at this revtion while her eyes sparkled. ''Interesting¡­'' she thought. "Joren¡­" Megaera muttered while Allecto only red daggers at him. "Hahaha¡­ Allecto, Megaera, fancy meeting you here." Joren stood up with Kidrith, whose face went paler, still on his back. Megaera pointed down, and with an authoritative voice, she said, "Put Kidrith down." "No, she can''t stand up on her ow-" "She can." Megaera strongly intercepted Joren''s sentence. "Yes, I can," Kidrith replied and went down from Joren''s back before wobbling around. "See, she can''t." "No, she can." "Yes, I can." Kidrith nodded with a gloomy expression. She already spent the courage she had going against Hades. She felt like her soul would leave her body if she chose to go against the Furies as well. After that farce, Allecto asked with a cold gaze, "What are you two doing he-hey! What are you doing¡­?" "Hold these." Megaera let Joren hold her thighs after jumping onto his behind. After ignoring Allecto, she replied, "What were you asking?" "Gah! Get off him! Why are you riding his back? Shouldn''t I be the one there!?" "You? Who''s the Goddess of Jealousy again?" "As if that''s a valid exnation¡­!" "Tsk!" Megaera climbed down and then stopped Allecto from doing what she did earlier. "You''re so unfair. You know that, right!?" "If I can''t, you can''t. How is that fair?" Megaera didn''t relent. ''What are they doing?'' not just Tisiphone, but also Joren and Kidrith internally asked. "So, again, what are you two doing here?" Allecto repeated. "...?" Joren was about to answer when he felt something cover his mouth. ''Huh? I can''t open my mouth¡­ and I feel my energy decreasing¡­.'' "Why aren''t you answering? Are you two hiding something?" Allecto frowned even more, "I still haven''t forgotten what you two did, Joren." ''I don''t know why I can''t open my mouth, but Kidrith should be able to exin!'' Joren looked at Kidrith, and his eyes widened when he saw her eyes losing their life. Others may not notice since Kidrith is usually cold and formal, but Joren knows that Kidrith has be more honest now. ''Fucking Hades!!'' Joren gritted his teeth in anger as he raised his right leg back before swinging it forward. Thud* "Kii~!" "Haa¨C!" Kidrith gasped as soon as she was released. She no longer had the strength to stand up properly and fell onto Joren''s arm. "???" Megaera and Allecto looked at each other. They haven''t seen Joren act this way. How should they react to this kind of behavior? "Did you hear something like a squeal?" Tisiphone was the one who asked, which Allecto added. "Yeah, that too. A very painful squeal." Joren stopped his foot, not knowing where it wouldnd. But by doing so, Hades wouldn''t show up. Joren knows how important pride is for Gods and Goddesses, and that''s why he''s sure that as long as his foot is ced onto Hades, this Lord of the Underworld wouldn''t move. He then looked at Megaera at Allecto, and with a sincere expression, he asked; "Can I get my soul back?" It was straightforward but an effective method to get something back that''s once yours. Everyone then looked at Allecto since the soul was considered hers. But for Allecto, is there a need to ask? ''I was nning to give it to him tomorrow as an apology¡­'' although it''s a little irritating that reality wouldn''t go as what she ns but¡­ "Exin everything first." Tisiphone then sighed, ''I thought she''s considering giving the soul back. There''s no way Allecto would do that.'' "I''ll exin itter once Ie back." ''Come back?'' Megaera knew what Joren meant by this while Allecto was not. "Okay, I don''t know why you''re in such a hurry, but you better exin itter." Allecto then unwrapped the chain that holds the birdcage, lowering it down onto the floor. "Woah, wait. What are you doing?" Tisiphone asked in surprise as she stood up from the giant bed. "I''m giving it to him." Allecto raised an eyebrow. "Don''t look at me as if I''m the weird one. This isn''t like you. Why are you giving it to him?" While Tisiphone protests, Allecto has already handed the soul to Joren after giving Kidrith a ring nce. Even Megaera does not understand Allecto''s actions. ''Unless she¡­'' "We should tell them." Joren then whispered to Allecto. "Tell what?" Joren didn''t answer at first and just leaned forward and kissed Allecto in front of everyone. "Thanks for giving me my precious soul back." "Ah..,?" Not just Allecto, everyone was stunned. Even the weakened Zidrith had her eyes wide open. Taking the chance of their stunned state, Joren ran away and stepped onto Hades as much as possible. "I''ll make you my official girlfriend once Ie back!" Joren used all his strength to carry Kidrith and his soul¡­ although his soul is as light as a feather, it has a material form that he can hold. However¡­! ''This position is bad!'' p* p* p* He hugged his ''thigh'' with his ''crotch'' facing him. Joren didn''t think much about it at first since he got too flustered by kissing Allecto again. His dick would il and sometimes p his cheek with every step he made. "..." Kidrith stared at him with a frozen face as if she was watching her nightmare. "I can''t change its position while running this fast, okay!?" "I understand. Now, let me die." "No, you don''t understand!" "But, I feel like I''ve seen everything." A bead of tear came from Kidrith''s eyes. p* p* p* "Damnit!! I was so cool earlier!" ... Back to the Furies'' room, Allecto was left dazing at the empty air. ''Oh no, her anger is going to explode any moment¡­!'' Tisiphone was about to panic when Allecto finally snapped out of her daze. "Allecto, take it easy, okay? Calm dow-" "He said g-girlfriend~." "That''s not the reaction I''m expecting at all!" Tisiphone suddenly got stressed and looked at Megaera for help, "Sister, Allecto is-" "Hm? What happened?" Megaera smiled at them. "E-eh? Didn''t you see what happened? Allecto was k-" "Hm? What happened?" "Let me finish¡­! Allecto was k-" Megaera then walked to Tisiphone and held her shoulder. "Nothing happened." "Joren said I''ll be his girlfriend." Allecto said to Megaera. "He said no such thing." "You''re so bitter." Allecto mischievously smirked and poked at Megaera''s cheeks, who seemed pissed off. Tisiphone backed away with trembling legs. ''N-no way¡­ these two?'' Meanwhile, the pain had finally lessened, so Hades slowly stood up and looked at the Furies. ''What are they talking about? I don''t know what happened after that sharp pain, but I do know one thing¡­ that Joren stepped on me!!'' Hades gritted his teeth and sensed where Joren currently was right now. With a thought, he appeared in front of Joren, who was running down the cylindrical stairs. "I shouldn''t have taken my time to get this helmet!" Hades then threw the helmet away, showing himself, which shocked Joren and Kidrith. "I''ll just stomp onto your stupid face then!" Joren jumped and ced Kidrith atop him with all his strength. But before Joren could reach Hades'' face, thetter stopped his attack. Hades only raised his hand and used it to block Joren''s feet. 2 percent. "Oh no-!" Joren muttered as Hades grabbed his feet and mmed him down the stairs. His back solidly hit the stairs while Kidrith was atop him, increasing the weight. Bam!* "Argh-!" Joren spat some blood. The underworld''s ''moonlight'' shone upon them through the giant window beside them. "Kahahaha! Stupid! Stupid! You went to this ce which is one of the farthest ces from our rooms!" Hadesughed while furious, "You think I''m physically weak!? I don''t know how my energy does not affect you, but I can also strengthen my physical body like how I built it! It''s not muchpared to other Gods, but for an undead like you, it''s already overwhelming!" Joren tried to move but couldn''t as he had his spine broken with that m. "Your body is weak! I don''t know how strong you were when you were still alive, but your strength is limited once you turn into an undead! You have your soul so close to you, but as long as you''re in my realm, it will note back to you!" Hades used this chance to mock Joren. It would be greatly dissatisfactory if he were just to kill this undead here and then. "After all that you had done to me, I will not kill you! I don''t know why you remain unaffected by my realm energy, but that''s a good thing since in that way, you can eternally suffer in Tartarus!" Hades then looked at the weakened Kidrith and licked his lips. "But before that, I''ll have to let you experience what''s the worst thing that could happen to a man." His hand went to hold Kidrith when Joren kicked it up, making Hades raise an eyebrow. "What a useless struggle." seeing Joren helplessly struggle ced a smile on Hades'' face, "Don''t worry, you''ll witness everything." "My Lord!" At that moment, someone took Hades'' attention briefly. "Nebarius?" Then, a shadow appeared upon them. Both Hades and Nebarius looked and saw Joren standing on the giant windowsill, covering some of the ''moonlight'' He then looked down on Hades before jumping down from that floor that has at least a mountain''s height. Chapter 80 - 80 "He jumped!?" Nebarius just arrived, not knowing he had given Joren a chance to do something unthinkable. He then leaped and was about to catch up to him but was stopped by Hades. "Stop, there''s no need to follow him. Even if he''s a strong lesser undead, he''s still a lesser undead. He will survive but barely." Hades chuckled in amusement, "Go and fetch him on the ground." Hearing this instruction, Nebarius could just silently nod. ''That was close!'' When he saw Joren foolishly jump, Nebarius suddenly had this urge to jump and save the guy. ''He''s my saviour so my body reacted like that. If I were to save him, the Lord will mark me as an aplice and what Joren''s punishment will be is also mine.'' There was a bitter taste that formed inside his three mouths. "Ar, is this the right thing?" the right head asked the middle head. But Ar, the middle head, just red at the right head. "This is not about what is right or wrong. If we follow our impulse, we are damned." the left head said to the right head with a grim tone. "Let''s not ponder much about this. Once Joren is gone, we will forget about him after some time. In the end, he''s just a mortal." Nebarius then thought back about what Osmin said and just shrugged it off as random babbling to get a reaction out of him. ''But is Osmin the type of woman to joke around something so serious?'' After a while of pondering, Nebarius just sighed. He then looked out the window. From there, he couldn''t see the ground, just the white mist. "He should''ve hit the ground now." said the left head. "Wait, let me take a rest here first. It''s not like he''s going anywhere. All of his bones must be broken, hell, he might not even be conscious. He will not die because he''s technically not alive in the first ce." the middle head, Ar, said. Neither of the heads on either side replied. Although they have slight differences in how they think, they are all aware of what''s on each other''s minds at that moment. They couldn''t bear to see Joren''s state after that fall. ''Why did you step in? Why did you save me? I should''ve died. I can''t even return the favor¡­'' While in the middle of his regretful thoughts, an echoing explosion reached Nebarius''s three pairs of ears. "What''s that!?" Thinking that there''s a third ruckus that night, Nebarius leaped down and flew to where the source of the sound was. With his speed, he was able to arrive there in a blink of an eye. There, he found that there was a huge hole on the wall that surrounds the pce. For a general like him, punching a hole through the wall is an easy feat. However, to do so with the thought of offending the Lord of the Underworld would be another case. "Ghouls, who''s the idiot that caused this mess!?" Nebarius asked and two ''zombies'' came up from the grounds before standing up straight and saluting like soldiers. "We didn''t see, Sir!" "We were sleeping, Sir!" "Useless fools!" Nebarius'' left and right heads palmed their faces while Ar red at the ghouls. "But sir, we have surveince here, Sir!" one of the ghouls then pointed at the eyeball that was sticking onto the wall. "Then, whose eye is this to tell me what happened!?" "We don''t know, Sir!" the pair of ghouls said at the same time, making Nebarius want to p them to death. Oh, wait. "So unorderly! I was serving the Lord personally this whole time that I failed to notice howx the ghouls have be!" Nebarius said as he poked the eyeball. "... oo-!.." A muffled shout came from under the ground. Nebarius walked to it and easily pierced the ground with his hand and took out the ghoul that screamed in pain as if he just scooped fish from a pond. "Tell me what you saw!" "S-sir, someone punched the wall, Sir!" the ghoul that''s missing an eye said. "Who!?" "I don''t know who he is, Sir, but he came from over there!" the ghoul pointed at the sky. Nebarius raised an eyebrow and was about to use the ghoul of lying when he realised something. He stood up with puzzled eyes and walked to the ground beside the wall. That area was empty except for the two deep footprints that''s apanied by cracks. Before he even saw the two deep footprints, Nebarius was already stunned by the fact that nothing was there. A few moments earlier, Joren jumped from the window with zero hesitation. The feeling of falling has woken Kidrith up who just lost her consciousness a while ago. "We''re¡­ falling¡­!!?" Kidrith''s drowsiness instantly disappeared. With her strength diminished, she has no energy to put up a defence. For a half-fury such as herself, it would be a great shame to die due to falling from a height. Mortals only do that! "Yes!" Joren immediately answered with a focused expression on his face. "We might survive but this will be thest of us! Joren, thank you for tryin-" "Shut up!" Joren replied with deep crevices between his brows. This made Kidrith sadly frown, "You jerk! I want to say my final words and you won''t let me, we''re near the grou-" "I said shut up and hold on tight!" Joren shouted before using both arms to carry Kidrith. "You''re a rea-" Boom!* Kidrith was interrupted the third time as they made impact on the ground. Clouds of dust covered the entire area and when Kidrith came back to her senses, she realised¡­ she still has her senses¡­!? At thest moment, she felt Joren''s arms acting like cushion to lessen the fall but how could he aplish that with his feeble strength!? After some time, the dust slightly cleared up and Kidrith finally saw Joren''s face. He wore a strange yet great smile. "Heh¡­" She only heard an arrogant sound from Joren before he ran off. "We¡­ we survived?" "Of course, we will." Joren said before stopping before the tall wall of the pce. "... a dead end. There''s normally no guards here since no one dares to invade the pce." Kidrith had yet to process what happened, "If only I had a little bit of my strength, I could jump from here." "There''s no need to jump." Kidrith heard before she was ced down. "What¡­ are you going to do?" she asked as Joren stretched his right arm before another unthinkable happened. BANG!* The shockwave from the explosion made Kidrith''s long ck hair undone and flutter. Before she knew it, there''s a hole in the wall apanied by Joren''sughter. "Not bad, not bad." Kidrith looked one more time and now with her jaw dropped. "H-how¡­ how can a lesser undead have that much power!?" Joren offered his hand to her again. With a joyous smile, he asked, "Who are you calling a lesser undead? I''m a human." Kidrith took his hand again before she was pulled and was carried away again. Meanwhile, Virena sensed something strange. [What''s the situation there, Virena!?] Ness'' voice sounded from her earphones. "Not good, Principal, the monster is on the loose!" [Okay, restrain him and I''ll respond as soon as I finish building Joren''s altar!] "Okay, Principal," Virena nodded in understanding before did not, "but why!?" Back to the UnderWorld, Nebarius realised that Joren was able to escape. As if a mountain of burden was lifted from his chest, Nebarius'' heads looked at each other with a smile before they went to report to Hades. ''Did that Joren hide his strength all this time!? If he doese back as Fated just as Osmin said, I will return the favour even if it costs me my life!'' He went to Hades to report. If he did not then before Joren evenes back, Nebarius will not be there. "My Lord, Joren have escaped." "What!?" Hades, who was waiting for Joren''s body, stood up with doubtful eyes. "He ran off before I could catch him, My Lord!" "Nebarius¡­!!" Hades was about to explode and take it on Nebarius before remembering, "No, you mustn''t be able to catch him because you''re still recovering¡­ but still, just how could that lesser undead still have the ability to run in that state!?" after some thoughts, Hades knew he could no longer chase after Joren himself. ''Although I have the helm of invisibility, it would be too suspicious for him to just ''fly'' back to the pce'' Hades didn''t want to risk being caught since there surely are monsters and demons out there that would notice that Joren was dragged off by an invisible man. There are few individuals out there that can turn invisible. "Contact Ceberus and let him handle that problematic lesser human. I want him alive but since he have been so luckytely, I don''t care anymore. Just kill him!" He ordered and Nebarius followed. "Either you stay here and let me find you or you will try to foolishly escape and meet Cerberus. There''s nowhere to run now, Joren!" Chapter 81 - [Bonus ] Jorens Status Board Again "A human¡­?" Kidrith was full of doubt. Even if Joren is a human, in her knowledge, humans don''t have the capabilities to st through walls! Furthermore, Joren''s soul was even detached from him, so how could he say¡­ "Wait, where''s your soul?" Kidrith looked around Joren''s body and didn''t see him carrying it. "Can''t you figure it out?" Jorenughed, "The logic is pretty simple. My soul is gone because it returned to me, so now, I''m a human." "..." Kidrith went silent as she stared at Joren, waiting for him to say he was just joking. She was still in his arms as Joren ran through the emptynds of ck sand. It hadn''t been an hour since they first left the pce, but the giant pce was already out of sight. Joren was a lot faster than before. "WHAT!??" "Ah¡­" Joren''s ears rang after Kidrith''s dyed reaction. "That''s impossible!" Kidrith firmly said but began to doubt her knowledge, "What? But from what I know, once a living being dies, their souls can''t enter back to their body again unless they go back to the surface world." But Hades didn''t like souls leaving his world. In other words, resurrection is practically impossible unless another method is used. "No, I''m not wrong. I haven''t forgotten it! If that''s true, then there are not half-deads right in the underworld since they should''ve fused with their original soul already, so what did you do!?" Kidrith interrogatively looked at Joren. "Umm¡­ willpower?" "Are you stupid!?" "Then don''t ask if you''re not going to believe the answer." Joren refuted, but he was still smiling wide. The reason for this expression was his status board. He forgot that he even had this ability. He could make this translucent board that only he can see appear with just a thought. When he and Kidrith were about to hit the ground, he fused with his soul and turned human again. Immediately, he saw his status board as it got updated. Everything returned to normal again! Not just that, Joren epted the reward forpleting his side missions beforending on the ground. [Name: Joren Vierei] [Race: Human] [Title: Thug Underling] [Level: 3] [Experience: 00/40] [Health: 100/100 Toughness: 10,582 Strength: 2,920 Agility: 71 Stamina: 86 Talent: 117 Thugness: 675 1 Free Stat Point] Joren hasn''t opened the system even once since he knew nothing would change as long as he''s a lesser undead. And, about his stats, he wasn''t surprised, just overjoyed. The stupid training where he kicked down doors and repled a greeting with a ''Huh!?'' paid off. Joren did this stupid training for a whole week with a few little breaks in between. He didn''t sleep a wink. But still, his stats on Toughness and Strength are crazy, even for him! Joren needs to kick down 100 doors upon entrance to gain one point on Toughness and shout 20 ''Huh!?'' for one Strength point. However, he ''cheated'' it with his stupid training and did both simultaneously for every two to three seconds. Continuing for a whole week, it''s no surprise that his stats got to that point. ''I bet the fish didn''t expect me to do it that way.'' Joren was no longer a strong human. He''s much more than that. As for his speed, it can be attributed to his strength. After all, speed is not just agility. Each step he makes brings him forward. That''s why he''s so confident that as long as he can turn human again, he''ll have a greater chance of survival. But what Joren did not expect was his Thugness level. From what he knows, Thugness is the hardest to increase. ''I still haven''t aplished escaping the UnderWorld, but why did I reach a giant milestone?'' Joren didn''t look at his stats board for a while, so he didn''t know that when he overcame his fear and entered Tartarus, his Thugness increased, and it reached that point when he acquired a Fury''s heart and punched the Lord of the UnderWorld on the face. Those are pretty significant aplishments, but Joren didn''t think of them that way. Joren then thought that after sessfully escaping, he should grind the side missions again ande here to the underground to p Hades'' face without him being able to do anything about it and p the Furies'' asses; because¡­ it''s poetic. He then looked at his Mission Tab and saw no more side missions. ''Ah¡­ I guess I abused the loophole when I was still a lesser undead, and now it''s gone.'' Not letting himself get dispirited, he noticed that he still hadn''t epted one mission reward. [Mission Complete: Survive Virena, the Vampire ept Reward?] ''Yes!'' Joren forgot since he''s human again, he technically survived Virena! [Reward: Straight to Level 5, earn the title; Street Thug] ''...'' He forgot that even the titles are stupid, but he could let it pass by since he went straight to Level 5. ''So, I have three Free Stat Points.'' Joren then added them to agility for extra speed. Although it wasn''t much, it''s still an increase in strength. Afterward, he noticed that he had three main missions. [Mission: Take Virena''s virginity. Time: Five years Reward: +50 Stamina, +50 Strength, 10 instant level up] Seeing this mission again, Joren realized that the fish was right. ''The fish once said that after some time with the Gangsta System, I''ll just do what I desire¡­.'' Back then, he hated this idea. Joren lived in conformity, doing what others wanted and being kind. ''Am I returning to my old self?'' Joren hated the fact that he no longer hated this idea. However, as for the next mission¡­ [Mission: Take Ness''s virginity. Time: Fifteen years Reward: +1000 Stamina, +1000 Strength, 100 instant level up] ''Ness is too cute to be lewd!'' he couldn''t imagine Ness with his lover, but then, it struck him. ''How about the mature Ness!?'' Joren''s face turned solemn. After some serious pondering, he then looked at his third and newest mission he didn''t know he received... Sometimeter, the two arrived at the UnderWorldLand. Kidrith, who got knocked out after overthinking what Joren did, woke up. "The UnderWorldLand¡­ wow¡­." Even though she was weakened, Kidrith couldn''t help but be fascinated by what she saw. All her life, she lived inside the pce. Although grand and giant, the pce was too small to be anyone''s whole world, yet this was true for the pce servants. "Joren¡­ thank you." Tears dropped from her eyes without her being able to stop them. Joren just grinned. "Let''s returnter for your friends and family at the pce." "Y-you still want to return there¡­?" Kidrith sniffed and wiped her face. "Of course, I still haven''t failed Hades'' trials. I have three brides to return for. Good thing, time for them is quick. I''ll be back before they know it." It sounded like a joke, but Kidrith felt like Joren was there. "Yeah¡­" Kidrith nodded and no longer thought that Joren was just spouting empty words since this man just punched Hades, the Lord of the Underworld, three times on the face! "A decade for them is short!" she then went along with Joren''s determination, but thetter frowned at her. "A decade?" Kidrith realized that a decade must be too short for Joren since he would be going against a God. "Then, several decades!" "Eh?" "Huh?" "I''m thinking of more like before summer ends, so maybe, two-three months?" Joren said as he entered the outskirts of the city. "Hahahaha¡­" "It''s not a joke, so you don''t have to force yourughter." "..." Kidright blinked a few times before profusely shaking her head, "No no no, even if you''re a one-in-millennia prodigy, you''re against Gods here. Please say you''re joking." When Joren was about to reply, Kidrith asked as her attention was taken by the festive atmosphere. "But why are we here? I still don''t know how you''re nning to escape." "I''m going to escape through the River Styx." "I know for sure Charon wouldn''t let you into his ferry since you''re considered an Underworld dweller." Kidrith was getting interested in what miraculous n does Joren have to escape. "I''ll¡­ swim?" "!?" "Joren, you''re not going anywhere." Kidrith could not rebuke Joren when an old man''s voice called thetter out. The two of them looked at the source and saw a three-headed man with hoods over each other his heads. "C-cerberus¡­" Kidrith gulped. Since they barely escaped Hades'' grasp already, she wasn''t that scared. However, Cerberus is still the Cerberus, no matter what she feels. "As expected, you''re here to create trouble. I don''t know how you escaped the pce, but your cunning ns won''t get to me." three of Cerberus'' heads all spoke at the same time, making his voice eerie and otherwordly. "Umm¡­ excuse me?" a ghoul confusedly pointed at himself, "Sorry, but I think you got the wrong person." "Hahaha! What a cheap lie! Although I forgot how you look, how could I forget your foul smell, lesser undead? I sniffed that familiar smell, and are there any lesser undead here beside you!? Your little tricks won''t get me!" Cerberusughed in confidence while Joren walked around them before running away. "Cerberus is getting senile¡­!" Kidrith almost shouted in joy but then noticed Joren''s dark expression, "W-what''s wrong?" "I didn''t know¡­ I stink that much¡­." "E-eh?" Chapter 82 - Joren Vs The Hells Dog "I think that''s just an expression, don''t worry about it," Kidrith said while sniffing Joren to prove her point. "I see¡­" Joren immediately forgot the insult when Kidrith sniffed him. It was a strange feeling. After the two ''escaped'' Cerberus'' grasp, thetter have cornered the lesser undead he thought was Joren. "There''s no escape for you now. Either you follow me into the pce, or I''ll bring you there by my fangs!" "Seriously, man, I''m not the one who you''re looking for." the lesser undead pleaded, but Cerberus didn''t believe the guy and turned into his original form, making the lesser undead''s jaw and heart drop. The intimidating three-headed dog looms over three meters high than the lesser undead. Saliva dripped from its three jaws, and intense growling could be heard. The giant dog was about to pounce forward when- Sniff sniff* "..." The heads looked at each other as their paw scratched the left''s head. The three heads then apologetically nodded at the lesser undead before leaving and following the trace left by Joren. Turning into its original form further heightened the senses of Cerberus, and thus, it determined that it made a grave mistake. The lesser undead dropped onto the ground unconscious, with his mouth foaming out of fear. "T-the Cerberus!" "Make way! Make way!" Establishments immediately closed one after the other as people left the spot as soon as possible. Meanwhile, imps with caps and cameras appeared on the scene. They control the only media circting in the UnderWorld, the Hades'' Intelligence Team or HIT for short. With squeaky voices, theymunicated. "This is another scoop~! Another scoop~!" "So many scoops in one day~! So many~!" "Take all the pictures, hurry~! All the pictures~!" "Sure, alright." Four imps followed the Cerberus with their cameras popped up. There was the punishment of Nebarius and Hades showing his power. Both rarely ur, but unfortunately, the HIT isposed of fragile beings that would just be blown away at Allecto''s power and be killed by going near Hades'' power. Their only ability is traveling through the shadows, enabling them to be the first on the news. Back to Cerberus, the smell was getting stronger again, and the dog began to run, faster and faster, making the citizens of the UnderWorldLand panic more. "Growr-!" The Cerberus let out a terrifying roar as it found the source of the smell. Joren, who was walking through the crowds, could hear chaos behind him. Looking back, he saw the giant three-headed dog running through the escaping crowds. "The Cerberus is here-!" Kidrith''s anxiety came back as Joren replied to her. "Alright, hold tight!" He jumped forward and sprinted. Thankfully, the people in front of him are already making way since they''ve heard the Cerberus. The Cerberus heavily and relentlessly barked at Joren. The gap between them was getting shorter and shorter as their speed increased over time. Once the path was fully clear for the first time, Joren didn''t hesitate to give the ground a powerful stomp,unching him forward. "Kyah¨C!" The hotel''s manager Joren and Ness once stayed at shrieked in surprise. The distance between him and the dog widened once again. ''Isn''t he too fast for a lesser undead!?'' Bark bark!* Joren didn''t try to turn corners. He ran through the main street straight forward. "Y-you''re outrunning the Cerberus¡­!?" Kidrith forgot how many times she had been surprised by Joren this day already. "But I have low stamina!" Joren huffed. His Toughness and Strength have reached five and four digits, respectively. However, as for his other stats, he was only better than athletes and nothing more. With his Strength, he''s using more energy than usual. "You can do it!" Kidrith cheered. At the same time, Joren slowed down and stopped. "Right after I cheered you!?" "No, I didn''t stop because I''m tired," Joren said as he put down Kidrith and huffed. "Don''t act tough. You''re catching your breath." Kidrith hastily said because the moment they stopped, the Cerberus had already caught up to them in a matter of seconds. She was pretty disappointed since they''ve stopped after they reached that far. She looked up and saw the big three-headed dog had already jumped and was about to pounce on them, who were like sitting ducks. ''I guess I shouldn''t have expected that much.'' Kidrith sighed and just closed her eyes. Bam!* "Kii-!" Kidrith frowned after hearing these series of sounds. ''Did Joren die already? Why does his death sound like a dog who got hit?'' she thought while wondering what''s taking the Cerberus so long to kill her. "All right, let''s do this, guard dog." But when Kidrith heard Joren''s voice, all dots connected in a single moment. She opened her eyes and saw that the Cerberus had just stood up from the ground while Joren stretched his shoulders. "You¡­ didn''t die?" "... why would I die?" Joren strangely looked at Kidrith and refuted, "You''re so pessimistic!" heughed. "S-sorry¡­" Kidrith lowered her head in shame. She regretted doubting in Joren and seeing the Cerberus stare at Joren with warry, she was once again amazed. ''D-did that lesser undead just counterattack!?'' The Cerberus stood in puzzlement. Thinking otherwise, it pounced again, to which Joren repeated his actions in response. The middle head has its jaw opened in an attempt to bite a big piece out of Joren. However, just like what happened the first time, Joren simply raised his fist, forcing the Cerberus'' jaw to close before giving more force into it and sending the dog flying away once more. Kidrith was not the only one watching the scene. They have reached the gates of Erebus, and the poption there was fewer than within the main streets. However, people gathered to see what kind of a being threw the legendary underworld dog, Cerberus. Seeing it the second time, there was no more doubt. Shock erupted from the crowd. "Who''s that man!?" "He sent the Cerberus away!" "I-is he a God!?" "Don''t exaggerate! If he''s a God, even the Cerberus would''ve died already!" "Hey, I remember that guy. Isn''t he the one who fell from the tall stairs?" "Seriously!? The idiot who shouted he will return after leaving Charon''s cruise ship!?" "Y-you''re quite famous¡­." Kidrith muttered upon hearing the crowd. "Don''t mention it." Joren depressingly replied. Meanwhile, the Cerberus stood up again, and its puzzlement has now increased. The lesser undead did send it flying away! ''Wait, no! Something is wrong with him! He doesn''t smell like a lesser undead now!'' Cerberus has a strong sense of smell. His sense of smell is not limited to physical properties but also spiritual. ''Is this really the guy the Lord wants me to catch?'' The Cerberus looked around as if nothing had happened. Sniff sniff* It smelled the familiar smell of his target. After a moment of sniffing, he found all traces leading up to this one man it once interrogated. ''I''m so forgetful sometimes! Maybe he''s human from the start! If the target is this strong, I have to take this seriously. After all, he''s the same man who escaped the pce.'' While everyone watched the dog''s strange behavior, they instantly feel cold to their very bones. Is everyone just hallucinating, or the big dog''s size is still increasing? No, the Cerberus is taking this seriously. "R-run!" A demon shouted, and along with four imps of HIT, they stepped back and took more distance. However, no matter how much they run from the dog, it doesn''t seem like they''re gaining distance since its size is still the same from their view. "Umm¡­ Joren, I think we should run too." Kidrith''s eyes turned hazy and wet as her head slowly oscited up while a shadow continued to cover her. "No, I have to knock this dog down here, or else it might catch up to us while we swim away." Joren said as he walked forward to the transforming Cerberus. Like a hill, it stood over Joren, who''s like an insect inparison. "W-what are you doing?" "If you can move, get away from here." Joren looked up and saw that the Cerberus'' fur had turned into something fiery like embers. Its three pairs of eyes shone brightly in red. Kidrith listened and tried to trust Joren on this one as she slowly walked away. Once the Cerberus had reached its peak, it stood like a mountain. Joren, on the other hand, could be found near one of its paws. He raised one of his legs back and heavily swung it forward. Joren kicked the Cerberus'' unsuspecting w, lifting it as blood spurt. "Arf¨C!!" The Cerberus'' who looked down on Joren, didn''t expect for its ws to be targeted as it beastly shrieked, shaking the grounds. Joren didn''t stop and attempted to do the same with the other nails, but Cerberus reacted swiftly, raising its gigantic paw in fear. In anger, it stomped towards him. BOOM!* An earthquake urred, and a shockwave uplifted the nearby stands from the ground. Clouds upon clouds of dust spread out like a smokescreen. Although no one could see what happened, the Cerberus raised its paw again and cried in pain. "Arf¡ª!" A second w was removed from his paw. ''Can you not fight dirty!?'' Chapter 83 - Joren Vs The Hells Dog Part 2 Joren jumped backward and saw that his palm was scratched when he thrusts Cerberus'' nails. He has no idea how strong this dog is, so this was him testing the water. Looking at how the big dog shrieked in pain, it was effective. "So size is the only thing terrifying about you?" Joren mocked. Even though his voice was not loud, Cerberus could hear it. ''Arrogant!'' Cerberus bent his forelegs and chomped down in an attempt to bite off Joren. Unfortunately, Joren''s Agility is still low. The Cerberus might seem slow because of its size, but in actuality, it''s faster than before. ''How to dodge this one¡­?'' Joren thought of a way. "Joren, move-!" Kidrith worriedly shouted, but Cerberus didn''t give them time. Swoosh* Another explosion of wind from Cerberus'' movement traveled outward. Kidrith was weakened enough to find not being blown away difficult. After that blow of solid wind, Kidrith opened her eyes and gasped at the scene. The ground on his feet was cracking and giving in to the pressure. Joren held two fangs of Cerberus, trying to push the dog away. "Grr¡­!!" Joren no longer thought of dodging. Agility is not his best stat as of now. If he turns to his side or back, he might take the full brunt of this dog''s attack. A nerve popped out of his forehead while holding off the Cerberus. As expected, even with his new enormous strength, this mountain-like dog is stronger. Just its weight alone is enough to make Joren bend his knees! Joren found it scary to think what would happen if he didn''t turn into a human and fight off Cerberus. About Hades, he didn''t even know how he escaped. Some strong plot armor must''ve blessed him. Joren will be crushed at this rate, or Cerberus will swallow him whole. "Tsk!" Joren has no choice but to tighten his grip. From what he found earlier, Cerberus''s tolerance for pain is not high. Crack* The Cerberus'' red-glowing eyes widened as it felt its tooth ache. Joren further crushed its fangs with his bare hands, and the web of cracks spread, reaching its gums. Cerberus immediately backed away as it would lose on that trade if he lost his fangs. ''What kind of being would have this strength¡­!? This is not human at all!'' It thought and looked at Joren warily again. However, the Cerberus becamecent when it noticed Joren catching his breath. ''Oh, he''s already tired from that one exchange?'' Although the Cerberus was the only one that took damage between them, it still had a lot of strength to spare while Joren was already at his edge. His Stamina is too low to use all his Strength! "Haha¡­ I guess it''s too good to be true, huh¡­." Joren muttered when the Cerberus chomped down again. Without hesitation, Joren stomped onto the ground and used his enormous strength to evade the Cerberus. It was not enough as expected. With just a slight tilt of its heads, it reached Joren again. ''I have no blindspot, boy!'' Joren kept sprinting towards one of the Cerberus forelegs again, but its head caught up to him. "Hmph!" Joren jumped again, and instead ofnding on the ground, he stomped onto the chin of the Cerberus'' middle head, pushing it back and him forward. That was enough for him to attempt and give one of its forelegs a dropkick, hoping to crack its bone. But before he could reach his target, the Cerberus swiftly raised its legs and snickered towards Joren. Jorennded beneath the Cerberus. Its belly was like the sky itself for a tiny human like Joren. "This¡­ is hard¡­." At that moment, a voice entered Joren''s head. He knew where it came from. He looked around but saw no fish. Instead, he felt a wiggle on his crotch. "I have no time for this, fish!" "Just say what you want to say! Ah, shit-" Joren then saw the Cerberus looking at him and tried to lie down in an attempt to crush Joren with its own weight. Jorendidn''tt had time to think and just did what the fish told him. He ran towards the Cerberus hindlegs, but its sky-like belly was already above Joren. BOOM!* Kidrith protected herself from the wind again."D-did he" In this entire time, it was like a rollercoaster for Kidrith. After all the doubts she gave Joren, this time, she gave not just trust but faith. "He can do this!" She told herself. Nevertheless, there''s still the tinge of anxiety formting at the back of her mind. Kidrith hopes that while Joren is fighting off the Cerberus, none of the Gods will show up. Even Nebarius joining in would be dire. Fortunately, the crow is still resting after all the beating he took from Allecto. ''And, from what I saw earlier, Lady Allecto and Lady Megaera are on Joren''s sides¡­ maybe.'' " Urk-!" While Kidrith was worrying about another matter, Cerberus stood up with a cry. Meanwhile, Joren caught his breath after using himself as a needle to pierce the Cerberus'''' belly. Like most animals, the dog''s belly skin is not that tough, and Joren concentrated his punch up to pierce a hole for him to go through. This results in him being covered in Cerberus'' blood. "Che! If only I retained my undead skills, I could''ve licked this blood off of me" Joren sprinted again. "Said by the fucking fish who thinks hiding in someone''s crotch is a good idea!" Joren jumped and was about to grab the Cerberus'' fur on its hindleg but swiftly, the leg raised. When Jorennded, the leg then stomped down towards him. He jumped forward to dodge the stomp. It''s easier to avoid than the Cerberus'' chomping down. Joren looked back and saw that Cerberus'''' left head was watching him. "This dog really has no blindspot, huh!" Jorenughed since he got a hold onto the Cerberus'' tail. After all, he had been attacking since the start. The Cerberus didn''t dodge its tail, thinking it was too soft to take impact. However, following what the fish said, Joren''s intention was not to attack but climbed up. Seeing him do this, the Cerberus growled and wagged its tail. However, Joren has a firm grip on it as he slowly ascends. ''Does he think that my back is vulnerable? Does he not know dogs can roll!? Hahaha,'' Cerberusughed, nothing noticing that there was a problem with how it thought of itself as. So, it wagged its tail while letting Joren climb its back. The Cerberus is confident that Joren wouldn''t be able to pierce its back like what he did to its belly. Joren gritted his teeth as he climbed the kilometer-long tail one step at a time. While he was pushing himself to the limits with his limited stamina, from other''s viewpoints, there''s this big dog who''s just wagging its tail. It''s quite¡­ cute. "Why is he trying to climb" Kidrith looked up to him when she felt someone walk up behind her. "Just believe in him." Kidrith turned her head around and saw the God of Death, Thanatos. "G-g-g" she froze up, thinking there''s no escape. "Ah? No, I''m not your enemy." Thanatosughed at her reaction whilementing, "But I didn''t think that the austere and meticulous head maid has this side of her" "W-well..." While Kidrith replies to Thanatos, keeping her distance as much as possible from the God of Death, Joren is halfway through Cerberus'' height. "Can you¡­ tell me now why you want me to go up there!"" he groaned, and the fish answered. "Are you making me do this just to make fun of me!" Joren wanted to hit the fish, but how could he? The fish is hiding on his crotch, and his two hands are upied in climbing the Cerberus'' tail. To hit the fish, he could only move his hips and crush the fish between the tail and his crotch. But, of course, he didn''t consider doing it. He was already pped by his own dick countless times in front of Kidrith already. He didn''t want to dry hump the Cerberus'' tail for petty intentions. He no longer wants his dignity to be further damaged. "..." Joren didn''t know how to feel about being the future Gangsta God. It just sounds some. "Huh? But wouldn''t the Cerberus still see us and just tell me what you''re going to do" Chapter 84 - [Bonus ] Gangsta Way Type I "We''ll kill the Cerberus?" Joren didn''t like that idea. The fish noticed this and was baffled. "It''s just doing its job as a guard," Joren exined as he continued to climb the Cerberus'' tail. Joren nodded, "I understand." "No, we will not," Joren replied and focused his all on climbing the tail, startling the fish. "I think you''re misunderstanding something." Joren then looked at the fish with a stubborn expression. "Why would I listen to you? I do what I want." he then continued to climb up as if the talk ended there. <...> Hearing no word from the fish, Joren continued. "It''s true power to give mercy. So what if the Cerberus has be my enemy? Can it kill me?" Joren smiled, "Furthermore, it has yet to make an enemy out of me, unlike Hades. If I had the strength, I would''ve killed Hades and taken all his ''possessions''." The fish then realized that Joren was not naive. He''s just confident. Only the powerful can give mercy. Who can oppose them? What can trouble them? They''re too arrogant to think that anyone would find trouble with them. They are never careful. They will kill everyone if they feel like it just like the fish said. At the same time, if they feel like it, they will give everyone mercy. It''s not about who can kill who. It''s about being unstoppable and being free to do what they want. Joren has the mentality of not just a monarch but a higher being. How? Even the fish couldn''t answer this. It knows Joren''s background and found him to be amazing. He was also the first human in the whole world to have reached his physical limits, stopping his seemingly unstoppable progress. Even he cannot defy the universalws¡­. but with the Gangsta System, it''s different. It''s not his face that''s scary, it''s what he can do, and all living beings have the basic instincts to sense it from him. However, this was only the fish''s theory. Joren has finally reached its peak. He wiped his bloody palms on his pants before forcibly taking the fish out of his pants. He ced his hand in front and said, "My weapon." For him to be domineering even though it''s only through the system''s power that he gained such strength, it''s baffling. However, the fish felt that Joren fits his attitude. Meanwhile, two of the Cerberus'' heads saw Joren atop its back. The fish then shone brightly. Joren raised his arms while the Cerberus has tilted to the side, ready to roll. When the ''ground'' Joren was standing on shifted, he no longer waited and just took the shining object. The underworld citizens saw this and panicked. "The Cerberus is going to fall!!" "Kya¨C!!" "Run!!" "Did that guy defeat the Cerberus!?" "Impossible! The Cerberus was just wagging its tail earlier!" No one can see the insect-like figure of Joren atop the Cerberus. Soon, there was a stampede since Cerberus'' roll would be akin to a mountain falling from the sky. Joren ran towards the highers'' grounds'' as it tilted. In his hand, he could feel the fish transforming. Excitement brewed within him. "You''re right, with my strength, I don''t have the power to choose but will that stop me?" he stubbornlyughed and jumped up. From there, he could see the Cerberus bend towards him as it would not want to let its right head hit the ground. "The problem is how deadly the weapon is. If it''s a sword, I can just let this dog bleed. If it''s a hammer, I''ll beat it until it cannot move!" But contrary to his expectations, the object he held seemed smaller andpact as he expected. And the moment he felt a trigger fit into his finger, he immediately realized what it was. "A gun¡­" His weapon is still shining brightly, so he cannot see. However, from how he held it, he felt familiarity. "This brings me back when I was still in the military." Joren didn''t know how to feel about it. For him, a sword or other closebat weapons are cooler than a gun that''s deadly by itself already. It''s awkward when a strong man holds a gun. Why did that man work out in the first ce if he''s going to be using a firearm? He should''ve just used all this time to practice shooting and all. However, it''s the modern world. Physical strength is no longer the primary source of power. Being influential, rich, and charismatic is much better than just being strong. Most people only do it for good health. At the same time, how could Joren use a gun to defeat this big dog? "It just doesn''t feel right¡­." He thought. Eventually, while he pondered it, the light disappeared, and the fish talked to him again. < It''s ready.> "Great, but how am I supposed to-..." Joren stopped running, not caring for the tilting tform. He looked at the gun that had dead-pan fish eyes and fish scales. It even has curvature like a fish. No, it''s a fish that''s shaped like a fucking gun. Joren only has one choice¡­ ¡­ but to throw it away and continue running up. the gun that Joren threw floated up. It seemed that it was still the fish itself, so Joren didn''t question how it could fly up. "On second thought, my fists are my best weapons!" "Don''t care, it''s fucking ugly!" "Also, its mechanism doesn''t make any sense at-..." Joren looked at the talking and floating fish. That''s when he realized it was toote questioning if any of this makes sense at all. The fish challenged Joren. "Challenge epted! "Have you seen a normal gun?" "There, you have envisioned a better design!" Joren didn''t expect anything much. After the initial disappointment, he felt a little numb. Meanwhile, the Cerberus has rolled and learned that its fall is slower than Joren to hit him. ''Curses!'' it thought, ''Looks like my hybrid form is better against a human!'' The Cerberus then began to morph. Its size decreases at an rming rate. Joren jumped off it andnded on the ground. Landing from that height and feeling no damage feels a little surreal. He looked at his stats and saw his Heath; 83/100. Correspondingly, his Stamina decreased to 71 (-15). But Joren didn''t panic. These two seemed to be connected, which makes sense even if it''s not the nonsensical Gangsta System. < It''splete! I feel awesome!> Joren then looked at the flying gun. It looks like a Glock 19, which he would''ve preferred. However, it still bears the dead-pan fish eyes, but he tolerated it. The things that the fish added were¡­ a mini-size fedora hat and a cigarette sticking out of the barrel''s mouth, pointed sideward. Joren was surprised. ''It''s not cool-looking at all¡­ but it''s cute.'' He epted it, and it perfectly fits into his hands. "Alright, but never choose the design yourself next time," Joren said before a status screen showed up. [Congrattions! You''ve acquired the Gangsta Way Type I! Model: Glock 19, without a safety lock. Firepower: 50% Strength Fire Rate: 75% Agility (Rounds) per Minute, or, 1.075 Bullets per Second. Recoil: 1,460 (Firepower)/ 10,582 (Toughness) = 14% Reload Speed: 75% Stamina (Bullets) per minute Clip Capacity: 75% Stamina] Joren just skipped the stats when he saw the ''Gangsta'' in its name again. Also, he has no time to read the stats as the Cerberus have turned into its hybrid form.. Those who read it all are unfortunate. Chapter 85 - [Bonus ] After Victory The giant dog disappeared, relieving the residents of the UnderWorldLand. However, the fight is far from over. On the area that Cerberus has rolled on, buildings were crunched and the stench of blood filled the area. Joren looked around and a sea of bodies presented itself. "... ghouls¡­" he muttered. When he first arrived here, the ce was filled with happiness and energy. Little did he know that the city was built upon the dead. He doesn''t know why this would be a thing. However, it makes sense. Shouldn''t there be a lot of dead people? He has seen more demons and monsters around than ghouls, one of the few transformations a human would turn into after death. There are ghosts, and then there are skeletons. They find it hard to move, so most of them are buried along with the rest of the ghouls. While making sense of what happened, a three-headed humanoid dog walked out of the mist made out of dust. "Disappointed to see the UnderWorldLand''s true state? Or horrified?" the left head asked as his beard shivered. The Cerberus looks like a three-headed werewolf with burning red fur with a hunched back. "No, not really¡­." Joren shook his head. "No need to act tough. This ce is sickening. The UnderWorldLand takes its power from corpses, disabling them from moving. You thought this city is run with electricity, right!?" "Yeah, but I don''t really car-" "This is the UnderWorldLand! Only the potent; creators, artists, entertainers, engineers, and professionals who can make great contributions are the ones taken out of the ground. This is better than the Isle of the Bless-!" BANG!* Like the boom of a cannon, an explosive sound interrupted Cerberus'' speech. The Cerberus didn''t process what happened first as it was too fast. "I said I don''t care¡­!" Joren said after noticing that instead of a nk bullet being extracted from the gun, it''s the small cigarette before it refills itself back to the mouth of the barrel. ''C-cool¡­'' he inspected it. Even though the shot he fired sounds more robust than a cannon''s, it practically has no recoil! "No¡­ just a little bit." Joren felt like he would lose if he agreed. "That''s pretty damn scary¡­ I''m lucky again." Joren yfully passed the handgun between his hands, feeling his affinity to it. It would''ve been the perfect gun if it doesn''t talk or has the dead-pan eyes, but that''s tolerablepared to the first design. "Also, this is just Type I, right? What are the other Types?" "Why do you put Gangsta before every word¡­." "What power is that!?" Cerberus finally snapped out of his senses as his three pairs of eyes stared at the weapon that Joren holds. BANG!* "Gah-!" the Cerberus was knockback. Unlike the punch, the objects that hit him were small, and thus, its force is concentrated in one spot, earning it a destructive pration force! The werewolf red at Joren before he disappeared from the spot due to sheer speed. Meanwhile, Joren just stood there. His eyes were following something before his whole right arm flicked- BANG!* "Gurgh!!" The Cerberus spun as it tried to dodge the bullet and barely did so. "Curses!" BANG!* The Cerberus'' blood spilled onto the ground as he didn''t have time to react this time. "I know when to stop. I''m just disabling its movement." Joren replied when Cerberus disappeared from his previous spot again. After a second of thought, Joren swiftly turned around while passing the handgun to his left hand. BANG* Above, Cerberus spun mid-air, dodging the bullet, but after he stabilized, ready to pounce towards Joren, a fist was waiting for his left head instead. BAM!* Joren prepared his punch after ensuring where the Cerberus wouldnd. However, the Cerberus didn''t fly away. Instead, he was able to grab onto Joren swiftly. "You may be able to predict my movements, but my strength and speed still-...!" the Cerberus'' smile disappeared when Joren unhesitatingly pointed the handgun to the dog''s left shoulder. "Are you sure you can talk? Because I think I can, not you." The Cerberus gulped before a series of gunshots sounded. After a while, Joren walked out of the Erebus'' gates with the gun and a cigarette in both hands. "That''s easier than expected¡­ I hate to say it, but this Gangsta System has been helpful." each word releases smoke. <... Joren, next time buy a cigar. That small stick looks awkward.> "Can''t you give me a cool moment after victory?" Joren snapped out of his satisfied look before frantically looking around, "Also, where''s Kidrith!?" he gleefully looked around while in a hurry. After some time, he finally found Kidrith and another person besides her. He could immediately recognize this person. "Kidrith!" he called to which Kidrith looked back with a surprise. "Y-you''re bac, where''s Cerberu-!" she stopped, prioritizing to warn Joren about Thanatos instead, "Also, Joren, God Thanatos isn''t our ene-" "Oh, hey, Thanatos, why are you here?" Joren waved his hand as a greeting, "And what were you saying?" "Ah¡­ n-nothing." Kidrith thought that Joren would take a defensive measure and offend Thanatos, making an enemy out of the God of Death. She didn''t think Joren would make a friendly approach instead. "Joren," Thanatos smiled and replied, "I heard that you sessfully escaped the pce and that¡­ you''re full of life, again¡­ what a surprise!" he genuinely reacted with widened eyes. "Hahaha, it''s nothing. That douche almost killed me back there, though." "Douche¡­" Thanatos knew who Joren was talking about but didn''t know how to react to Hades being called that way, "Well, anyway, we don''t have that much time to talk. Sooner orter, Cerberus will report your escape, and Hades might send the Furies themselves to hunt you down." "Oh, the walls must''ve blocked your sight, but the Cerberus is now unconscious." "Ahh, alright, the Cerberus was beaten, hahaha¡­." Thanatosughed, "You can fool that senile dog but not me, Joren." "..." Joren just shut his mouth. Even Kidrith was puzzled as to why he would say that. They should see it for themselves. "Again, we don''t have much time so, follow me." Thanatos led them to the riverside and pointed at a small boat, "You can use Charon''s old ferry if you want. I just hope you don''t tell anyone it''s me who pointed it out, and better, you bring it back." Being presented by this, both Joren and Kidrith were speechless. "I heard from Kidrith that you n to swim, and it''s the funniest thing I''ve heard. Styx is also a living Goddess, the daughter of Oceanus. She''ll detect you. Using this old ferry, though, she will not take it as trespassing." "Thanatos!" Joren almost cried out of gratefulness and hugged Thanatos, making the God of Death and Kidrith shriek in terror. "Hahaha, sorry, sorry. You''re one of the few who did something this great for me. I can''t hug them since they would brand me as a pervert." "And, you can''t hug me because I''m the God of Death!" Thanatos replied while flustered, feeling strange for someone to cross his personal space, "But how the hell is you fine!?" "I don''t know. Maybe, I''m immune to death since I''ve escaped it once?" Jorenughed. "Immune to death¡­ HAHAHA!" Thanatosughed out loud before patting Joren''s shoulder after some hesitation. Hisugh became louder when Joren didn''t have any reaction to his touch, like, for example, dying. "Then, Thanatos, let''s do it!" Joren then offered his hand for a handshake. Thanatos didn''t ept his handshake when they first met, but now the God of Death took it. "We''re officially friends, I hope!" "You bet!" The twoughed again, making Kidrith think she''s the weird one for getting scared of Thanatos. After some time, Joren and Kidrith rowed the boat while waving their hands and shouting thanks. When they were gone, Thanatos flicked his finger, and a ghoul rose from the ground. Touching the ghoul with his fingertips, the soul from the ghoul was forced out and back into the ground with that slight contact. "I thought my power vanished for a second there¡­ how could a human do it? Only my siblings are immune to my powers¡­." Thanatos then went back to Erebus as he found it weird while there was still no oneing there to catch Joren. There, he found the destruction of a vast area in the UnderWorldLand. In the midst of it, a crowd of demons and monsters was in the middle. Walking there, everyone made a path with their heads bowed down. Thanatos'' eyes widened when he saw Cerberus lying on the ground with multiple gunshots on his body, barely breathing. "So, it''s true¡­" he muttered before looking at everyone, "Have anyone called the pce?" "The ghouls, Mayor." one demon in particr replied. "I''ll report this myself.. Prepare me a chariot." Chapter 86 - [Bonus ] Named In The List A gun floating in the middle of the boat sang. Joren looked at it with a darkened expression while Kidrith with confusion. "Your weapon¡­ it''s bizarre¡­" there were so many things she wants to say, yet, this was the first toe out of her mouth. "What''s the big idea revealing yourself to Kidrith after all extra measurements we had just to hide you..!?" Joren snatched the gun and intimidatingly asked, "Are you lying to me?" "They''remunicating¡­" Kidrith dumbfoundedly watched this scene. "If that''s so, what are you doing right now?" Joren tightly gripped the gun. Both Joren and Kidrith looked with puzzlement. Thetter doesn''t know the context but knew that it''s normal to treat her as an outsider since they''ve only just met. "... what do you mean?" Joren asked, letting the gun go. "B-bitchlist?" Hearing that God-awful naming, Joren immediately understood that the gun is referring to a feature of the system. Turning on his stat points, before he looked into this ''Bitchlist'', "Ah-!" he heard Kidrith shrieked. Joren questioningly nced at her to which she apologized. "S-sorry for being jumpy but that thing came out of nowhere and¡­ surprise me.." Kidrith pointed towards Joren but it wasn''t surely him that startled her. He looked back and saw nothing there. Just the vast river within the dimly litted cave that''s enveloped by an unnerving silence. "No, not there, here." Kidrith reached out and hesitatingly touched the system screen before finding out her fingers went through. "Hm?" Both Joren and Kidrith were confused by different things at the same time. "I''m part of that insulting list?" Kidrith doesn''t know what that is but just from the word itself, she doesn''t like being a part of it. "Wait, slow down, let me look!" Joren frowned and browsed through the system. Currently, there''s the mission tab, stats tab, and a newly unlocked tab, the Bitchlist. With hesiation, Joren went into this tab with a stupid name. [Name: Kidrith Race: Half-Fury Title: Joren''s Bitc-] Joren immediately closed the tab before Kidrith could read it. "Tell me¡­ how did that happen?" He solemnly asked the gun. Kidrith asked, however, it''s not only Joren''s luck that got him out of there. There''s just something within him that''s innately able to aplish these things. If not, then he have already used up all his life''s luck and it wouldn''t be weird if he just died because of a heart attack at the next moment. Both Joren and Kidrith''s faces twitched, creating an awkward atmosphere while the gun continues without noticing this or it just doesn''t care. <- once she internally epted to be yours.> Kidrith''s face suddenly lit up red while Joren took a more serious reaction. "In what sense that she''s mine?" "Wait, how do you know that!?" Kidrith frantically reacted, making the boat wobble. "So, it''s true?" Joren raised an eyebrow. "..." Kidrith lowered her head in embarrassment, "Yes, I ept serving you and being considered your possession." she confessed after some hardships. Joren seemed unmoved but internally, fireworks have set off. "Alright, but what made you choose this?" "What made me choose this? Uhm¡­ I was just taking up your offer." Kidrith looked around before realizing, "Or, are you not serious about that? When you said that you would be a better owner?" ''Ah, that¡­'' Joren remembered he did say that out of heat. It''s not a lie but it''s not an invitation as well. He''s just expressing how bad Hades is in being their master and all. "So, is it a misunderstanding on my part? Well, that was embarrassing-" "No," Joren cut her off, "The offer is wide open." "..." Kidrith then nodded after some pause. "I don''t need an oath but I just want to make sure, this is what you want." Joren requested which the gun intercepted. Joren nced at the gun before answering. "This is a matter of life and death. This is not just about following or serving me, she''s saying she will be my possession like how Hades owned her. Once my possession, I treat it as my possession. I will never take no for an answer. What I want, you want. My word is your world." Joren began directing his words towards Kidrith halfway with a solemn tone. "If I want you dead, you will die for me. Whatever I do to your body, you will never resist. There will be nothing I do that''s against your will. In other words, a ve. That''s what it means." "I''m giving you a chance to reconsider. I will not disagree with anything you say. We can be friends or just acquaintances after this. But if you say you want to be my possession, that''s equivalent to forfeiting your life to me." Kidrith was stunned by Joren''s words. She gave it a thought and pondered. After going through the situation and the second choice, Kidrith hase to a conclusion. "All my life, I''ve been following orders. Although I''m self-sufficient, I''m already programmed to rely on someone of a higher status. I have no free will of my own but that''s never my concern. I just don''t feel alive doing the same thing every single day for the rest of my life." She answered which doesn''t answer anything. Kidrith then continued. "Hades have never concerned himself with the servants. He must''ve been thinking that we''re living the paradise from what we can see. Living in fear is better than living in repitition, I believe. And, at your offer or, even without it¡­" Kidrith looked at Joren with determination, "Can I be yours?" "I feel like I''m going to regret this but not only am I grateful to you and respect you, but you''re kind enough to give me a chance. Furthermore," Kidrith then smiled, "I think following you will be exciting." "Then, isn''t following me enough?" Joren raised the question. "No, after some thinking, that wouldn''t be enough. I don''t have the initiative and easily give up on my own. In short, I''m a coward. If I have the choice to turn my back, I''m afraid I will. So, while this decision is frightening, I have to stand on my two feet on this one before I rely on you¡­ do you understand?" "Not at all." Joren shook his head to which Kidrith smiled as she leaned forward. "Well, you''re not a coward, after all. You don''t understand me but you''re getting out of your way to warn me beforehand, I think you''ll be a good owner!" "You''re overpraising me¡­" "No, I''m not and¡­" Kidrith looked around and told, "Do you know that the River Styx is also a ce where Gods swear as their most binding oath?" "I thought you can swear anytime, anywhere?" "Yes, but this one is a bit more formal and effective. I don''t know the details myself but they say that they are not only swearing their names on the line but also their soul as the River Styx connects Gaia and Hades." "Is that so¡­ well, if you''ve made your mind, make an oath so that there will no chance you can turn back." Joren waited for Kidrith. She doesn''t know the formalities but she just said what she feels. "Wait, can I ask first? Is Joren Vierei your real name?" "..." Joren paused for a while before answering, "Yes, it''s my real name." <...> the gun looked at Joren with a deep gaze. "Huu¡­ okay. I, Kidrith, daughter of Nyx and a Half-Fury, swears upon the River of Styx to give my life and free will to the human, Joren Vierei¡­" Kidrith opened her eyes when she saw the river water glow for a second and an invisible bind tied her and Joren together. "I guess that''s finished. Ehem," with a grin, Joren said his first orders, "From now on, Kidrith, you will never harm me, your master, without my permission. You will also not betray me in any shape or form. You are to never lie to me and never n anything against me. All these will take effect even after your death." "You''re careful, huh¡­" Kidrith didn''t have any problem with this since she didn''t have the privilege to until Joren tested the weight of his words. "Kidrith,e here." Kidrith blinked a few times before crawling up to Joren as he asked. The ferryboat didn''t tilt even though there''s a shift of weight. "W-what?" "I''m just so happy to have someone as beautiful as you to be in my total control. This is like a dream. Now, I can do anything with a beauty like you." "I think I''m regretting my decisions now." Kidrith nervouslyughed. She thought she had readied herself but she didn''t think Joren would act on it the moment the oath is done. "You don''t have the right to regret it." Joren then leaned forward and sealed her lips. With his invasive tongue, Kidrith couldn''t help but drink some of his saliva. "Haa~" The two of them separated and Kidrith didn''t know she would learn how to kiss this way. "You can sit down now." Joren deeply breathed, "A shame, I really want to taste you right now but I still have a woman waiting for me. I''d like to keep things consistent so I can only do a kiss right now, even though it''s debatable if that''s already over the line but, anyway, we''re going to continue this after I settle my initial goal first." "I don''t know how to feel about that, master." Kidrith licked her lips before wiping it when she felt a little too hot, "But I guess I''m lucky that you''re honest?" Chapter 87 - [Bonus ] Servant Kidrith "By using the cruise, it took an entire day before we arrived at the UnderWorldLand. I wonder how many days would we continue rowing until we reach the Myth Academy?" Joren asked, but none of them knew the answer. "I don''t really go out so¡­." Kidrith and the gun answered, making Joren lie down on the boat. "Kidrith, you can stop rowing for now." "Okay, master." "And, just call me Joren." he said with aid-back attitude, "Also unless it''s against my orders, you can do whatever you want. It''s my first time having a ve, but¡­ don''t go doing nothing just because I haven''t ordered anything." Kidrith found this funny, "I''m not that dumb." "Yeah, but I''m just making sure." After Joren''s reply, Kidrith lied down as well. The ferryboat isrge enough for them to fit therefortably. But then she heard a knock. Kidrith looked and saw Joren patting the space beside him. Knowing what he meant, she moved there andy down beside him. "This will be a long ride¡­." Joren muttered as he looked at the night sky-like ceiling of therge cave. "Well, since we have nothing to do, how about we talk about ourselves?" Kidrith suggested, "We''ll be¡­ together until death, so it''s good to know each other. If that''s fine¡­." "That''s reasonable¡­." Joren then nced at the gun to which it understood and vanished, giving them some private space. "Where should we start?" Kidrith asked, "Even though I''ve lived a long life, there''s nothing much to say except that Hades took us into work within the pce. I started from being the average maid there until I became the head maid for some reason." "For some reason?" Kidrith nodded, "Un, I wasn''t ambitious since we physically can''t attain a higher standing than being the head of the servants. Compared to the immortal beasts like Cerberus and Nebarius, we, the Half-Furies, are nothing more than servants. What''s more ifpared to the Gods, our masters?" Joren nodded, but Kidrith doubted he understood what she was saying. She turned sideways while using her palm as a pillow. "You don''t have to hide it. You a human turned into undead but still went against Hades and fought Cerberus, so you must be confused as to why Ick the ambitions." "No, I understand that," Joren said, making Kidrith curious. "How so?" "I''ve been in that situation once. Where you''re innately limited, that''s just how you were born. Also, are you not curious about the talking gun?" "By gun, you mean your weapon? I am, but there was a lot to unpack, so¡­." "Yeah, a lot of things happened. But, let me tell you, that gun is originally a floating and talking fish." Joren said as if it was unbelievable. But Kidrith was in the pce where they have a three-headed humanoid crow as their generalmander on the undead army, so she wasn''t as much affected. Joren then talked about where all of this began¡­ when the fish suddenly just woke up and threatened to shorten his dick length. "That''s¡­" Kidrith didn''t know how to react while doubting the authenticity of Joren''s words. "It''s true." "Okay, I mean you''re my master, so your words to me are always true." "No, seriously, that happened." Joren then continued to exin. Time passed, and his story ended to where they are right now. "What an adventure¡­." Kidrith muttered, a little dazed by what she heard. ''It''s not actually an adventure, but¡­ I better not say that¡­.'' Joren thought. "So this Scarlett, do you know where she is right now?" "I have no idea." Kidrith frowned, knowing that something must''ve happened to that woman already. She doesn''t know what to do but hold Joren''s hand. "Thanks¡­" Joren said with a smile. He then sat up, "I''m worried, but I''m not too sad or anxious about it. As long as I''m doing my best, that''s all there is to it." "This may all seem like a lover taken from me, but no. We just met who acted on heat, a fling of some sort, and what if Scarlett will like the treatment there?" Kidrith sat up too and asked. "But what if¡­ otherwise happened?" she couldn''t word it better than that. Joren''s expression shifted to being serious, which incited anxiety from Kidrith. "If that happens and I''m toote, there''s only vengeance." "..." Kidrith gulped as she felt for a moment there. Noticing her terrified expression, Joren waved his hand as he smiled. "I don''t think something that bad is going to happen, though." heughed before yawning. Allecto''s blood was wearing off. This is understandable since he took Hades'' attack and defeated Cerberus all in a span of one night. "I''m getting sleepy too¡­." Kidrith said. She then looked around, "And even without rowing, I think we''re steadily going in the correct direction, right?" "Then, let''s sleep!" Joren''s torso dropped onto the boat when Kidrith offered. "Want to use myp?" "A tempting offer." "It''s the least I can do. Although I''ve been serving Hades since I can remember, I haven''t been his personal servant or anything like that. So¡­ I don''t know what to do. But if you give me house chores, I''m the best at it!" Kidrith proudly said. "I would like ap pillow, but how are you going to sleep?" "I can sleep while sitting up!" "No,e here. I''d rather make you my body pillow." "A body pillow?" Kidrith didn''t know, but she still came beside him. Joren then wrapped both arms and legs around her. Her heartbeat then drummed. "I''m honestly surprised you''re offering yourself. When Hades asked you for it, you''re hesitant." "..." Kidrith could only smile at first. She couldn''t say that she respects and likes Joren. She wouldn''t ept his offer of basically bing his ve if she didn''t like him. Although the rtionship she entered is a little extreme, that''s where she''sfortable with. That''s her upbringing as a maid since the beginning of time. It wouldn''t disappear overnight, or it might not even disappear for at least the next decade. After some time, she replied. "This time, I chose who I''ll serve, so¡­." She then buried her face on his chest out of embarrassment. Joren was a little touched. "Also, I''ve already prepared myself since I know you''re a pervert from the start." "... where did thate from?" Joren''s smile became stiff. "Your famous half-soul who''s always erect when I caught you masturbating, and also when you immediately thought of sex when I became your servant." Kidrith straightforwardly said. "Sorry¡­" "No, it''s fine as long as I can be of service. After all, if I can''t satisfy you, the one who holds my life, I wouldn''t be satisfied either. This isn''t like when I served Hades." "Oh, what are you scared of?" Joren noticed. "I''m not scared. I''m just anxious." Kidrith paused and gained the courage to say, "I wouldn''t know what to do if the only master I want to serve isn''t satisfied with me and would just leave me behind." "That''s fucking sweet of you." Joren suddenly got excited upon hearing that he went on top of her. "R-really? I mean, I''m just being honest." "You deserve a kiss for that." Hearing this, Kidrith closed her eyes and puckered her lips. ''So cute!'' Joren''s drowsiness disappeared as he got spoiled by his new servant. While exchanging saliva, his hands would travel into different areas. On the contrary, Kidrith didn''t resist and even opened her buttons to reveal what''s her clothing was hiding. "High quality¡­" "You''re good at treating me like an object." Kidrithined as the emotional distance between them shortens. "If I don''t, I might fall for you." Kidrith bashfully looked away as she covers her breasts, "Why is that a bad thing?" "Heh, don''t worry. I''ll give you lots of love as well. But my loveres first." Joren then stopped and Kidrith buttoned herself up. She sighed. "I''m regretting my decision now." "I already gave you a second chance, you can''t regret it now." Jorenughed while Kidrith moved and buried her face on his chest again as if she found herfortable spot. "Okay, thinking about it, I would be pressured to be the future Gangsta God''s wife. I''m morefortable being a servant." "D-don''t call me that¡­" "Why? Are you not confident?" Kidrith was surprised since Joren is the guy who punched Hades on the face even though he was a weak undead. She doesn''t see any limits on him. If he stopped being ambitious, he will be creating his own limit. "Do you know what Gangsta means?" "No¡­" "It just means being a thug, a hooligan, or just being annoying. I don''t want be the God of Being Annoying." "Eh? So¡­ the Gangsta System is just the Annoying System?" Hearing this, Jorenughed, "You can say that again!" Meanwhile, the fish, which turned into a gun, is in the presence of the Gangsta God in Gangsta Heaven. "Gangsta God, Joren have survived the UnderWorld, yo." In reply, a heavenly voice from above replied. "Pretty rad¡ª but d''fuck his ass gonna survive Hades dude''s wrath, yo?" Thunder sang a rap song, and Gangsta Heaven shook like a bitch''s twerking ass. "I believe he can do it, Gangsta God, yo!" the gun firmly said. "Aight, I see that ya''reach type I, so I''mma bestow him some smart words. Bring his ass here, me''man. My holy-ass here fucking coughing my stupid lungs out during attacks. I''mma be dead tomorrow or¡­ I dunno, next year?" "Yes, Gangsta God, my man.." the gun respectfully bowed and left. Chapter 88 - [Bonus ] State Of Panic "My Lord¡­ Cerberus died." Nebarius lowered his heads in front of the throne. There was a deafening silence that followed afterward. "Cerberus¡­ isn''t that dog immortal?" Tisiphone muttered while the rest were in total shock. As she said, Cerberus is supposed to be immortal, so how did he die? "Before we brought him into the Recovery Room, he had passed away." Nebarius continued his report. "Who did this to him?" fumes came out of Hades'' nostrils. For him to do nothing while his guardian dog died would be inconceivable. However, he cannot leave the pce. He just can''t. "Reports say it was a scary human with a gun-like weapon. HIT is already documenting what happened. I''m sure they''ve taken the human''s image." ''What a coincidence. This should''ve made Joren get away.'' Nebarius thought. No one there, absolutely none linked Cerberus'' defeat to Joren''s escape, ''The Lord''s attention is also shifted to this mysterious human. What good luck.'' Although he knew that Joren punched a hole through the wall surrounding the pce, he knew how strong the Cerberus was. Cerberus is his senior. Before he was even born, the legendary three-headed dog was already gatekeeper of the UnderWorld. "This man must be that Joren''s backing!" Hades pped the armrest of the throne. He was socent that Joren woulde back to his palm. However, there was no news about him while his trusty guard dog disappeared. This is one of Hades'' worst days. Not only were his balls kicked, but he also had to stay on the ground, squirming in pain while being invisible, or the Furies might see that a lesser undead is just ''bullying'' him. He would rather take his own life than do that. Not only that, but he was cockblocked and, quite possibly, cucked! It was the worst feeling ever that Hades staying calm is a surprise. That''s his demeanor as a senior god. However, this doesn''t mean that he will easily forget about this. No! He will never forget about this. While everyone was waiting for Hades'' words, the news came in. Ding* There was a notification from Critter as the HIT team posted thetest news. Tisiphone was the first to receive it before the physical newspapers even arrived. "Here, it''s the human that fought off Cerberus!" she said, and when she clicked on the image, she zoomed in and¡­ "..." "What, give it to me!?" Hades had no patience, so he shouted. Megaera snatched the phone from Tisiphone to give it to Hades. But she couldn''t help but take a peek and¡­ "..." "Hey, what''s the holdup? The Lord wants to see it!" Allecto shouted and took it from Megaera and¡­ "..." "What''s the matter with you three!?" Hades reached his limits and stood up to take it from Allecto¡­ "..." Persephone peeked since she couldn''t possibly snatch the phone from Hades and¡­ "..." "..." All their jaws dropped onto the ground. "Who is this person?! Who is this person!?" Hades panicked as he felt the world turning around. Does reality even exist? Is he dreaming? "Lord, Lord, calm down!" Megaera shouted before noticing Allecto on the ground. She looked like she was in pain as she held her chest. "Miss Allecto!" Nebarius didn''t know why everyone was in a state of panic, so he was more concerned about Allecto''s state. He went, and Allecto grabbed his clothes. "I-I think I''m going to die¡­!" "W-what!?" "T-tell him¡­ I love him so much!" "Eh!? Who!?" "Also, print the pictures and post them all in my room! Do it now, or I''m going to kill you for sure this time!" Allecto threatened before being kicked my Megaera, which sent her flying. Swoosh- Bam* "Miss Megaera!?" "Stop acting so lovestruck, you bitch!" Megaera put a middle finger up. "W-what''s happening!?" three of Nebarius'' heads didn''t know where to look. Hades and Persephone were arguing about something. He didn''t even know about where it originated. "What''s your problem!?" Allecto stood up as she wiped the blood from her nose, but oddly, she was widely smiling, "Do you want a fight, sis!?" "Stop acting hurt. That wouldn''t even scratch you! Howe you''re bleeding!?" A hand then dropped on Nebarius'' shoulder, startling him. All of his heads turned and saw Tisiphone. She showed the picture and said- "Go to where HIT is located and tell them they must''ve misunderstood or missed something. There''s no way this lesser undead is the one who killed Cerberus." she pointed. Nebarius'' eyes widened so much, just a little bit more, and his eyeballs would''ve fallen off. They thought Joren was cute. He was like an amoeba trying his hardest. They couldn''t ept this news, yet, they couldn''t deny it either. Would HIT risk telling a forged story and sending it to Hades? That''s the same as sending a request to die. It was beyond the realm of possibility even for Gods like them. Who knew that little amoeba would kill their dog? They couldn''t imagine it because it was impossible! Hades couldn''t kill Joren because there must be some reasons why. Furthermore, he only used less than a fraction of his strength. Joren slipping through him is still eptable. Cerberus is an immortal beast. Even Hercules couldn''t kill Cerberus even if he wanted to. This is akin to an amoeba carrying a gun and shooting a dog with it. Some weapons could kill the Cerberus, but who is Joren for handling that kind of weapon!? It was just so inconceivable that they were thrown into a panic. "Right away!" Nebarius then flew away and went to the HIT Headquarters. "What if that lesser undead was hiding his real power?" Tisiphone asked, but Hades shook his head. "We should''ve sensed it. With his power, there''s no way that he could kill Cerberus. That news should be inurate. We shouldn''t panic." Hades sat down and calmed himself. He told himself that there''s no way either the image or the story is actual. However, a momentter, Nebarius came back bearing the real news. "My Lord, it''s true! I asked other people, and they said the same thing!" There was panic again, but Hades stopped them with a p of his hand onto the armrest. "This wouldn''t do! Tisiphone!" "Yes, My Lord?" Tisiphone half-kneeled in front of Hades. "I permit you to go out and avenge Cerberus!" Hades ordered. Tisiphone, the Goddess of Vengeance, had her eyes lit up upon hearing this. "Wait, I want to avenge Cerberus too!" "No, me!" Megaera and Allecto pulled each other''s hands. "As for you two, to the dungeon, until my anger is gone!" Hades shouted, stunning the two of them. "What did we do, Lord!?" Allecto asked. "It''s for falling in love with a mortal! Do you know your standing!?" Allecto''s eyes shifted away, "I-I don''t know what you''re talking about¡­" before she was pushed aside by Megaera. "And, why am I being punished for the same crime as this slut!?" "No more excuses! Don''t try to fool me!" Hades'' voice roared, and Nebarius immediately took the two sisters away. "S-sorry, Lady Megaera, Lady Allecto. Let the Lord''s anger pass for now!" "It''s fine, but I want the posters to be posted in my cell too, understood!?" "Yes!" Megaera and Allecto were ced onto the same cell, bringing them into the dungeon. This incited aint from Megaera. "Bring me to another cell! There are hundreds of other rooms to choose from. Why am I stuck with this lovestruck bitch!?" "Hahaha, there''s nothing you could do, sis!" "...!!! This is a mistake!" Nebarius was kneeling again in apology, but he couldn''t go against Hades'' words. On the other hand, he also thinks that Hades was spot on. For Allecto to beughing even though Megaera is berating her, Hades''s suspicion grew. On the other hand, Megaera was giving too much reactions even though she''s usually the most mature of them all. What emotion could get her work up like that? Well, the answer is easy. Therefore, what Hades said is not ungrounded. "Damnit, Tisiphone!" Megaera bitterly clenched her face. Now, her attention was taken by Tisiphone, who wasn''t even there or had nothing to do with the situation of why they were locked away. "I bet Tisiphone is going toe back here pregnant." Allecto joked. "Allecto!!" Allecto thenughed before going to Megaera, "Alright, sorry, sorry. There''s no way Joren wouldn''t like you too, right? Don''t be so jealous now." "Grr!!" Allecto patted Megaera''s head and cheeks as if she were an angry puppy. Although she looked like she was more pissed off now, Megaera didn''t say anything and calmed down. ''These Ladies are much simpler to understand¡­.'' Nebarius internally sighed. He found them not guilty of making the Lord angry. "Nebarius, where''s the poster? I''ll teach my sister to be honest!" "What are you on about, cheeky brat!?" Megaera roared. She felt so humiliated to be treated like a child by her sister who''s literally been fooled by hundreds of men online. "R-right away!" Nebarius didn''t want to be there any longer and flew away in haste. Chapter 89 - Out! A few days passed, and Joren''s ride had finally reached their destination. "Kidrith, hide¡­" He muttered as he looked at the cruise about to depart from its port. Kidrith didn''t know where else to hide except Joren''s back. She went to his back with an excited and nervous smile. In these past few days, being only the two of them in that ferry boat, their emotional distance between each other continued to lessen. Back in the pce, Kidrith may have some acquiantances but never friends. All of them there were workmates, nothing more. At least, that is the case for her. This was the first time she opened herself up to another since birth. It was unimaginably fun. Once the awkward atmosphere between them dissipated, Kidrith became more and morefortable being with Joren. After all, even if she doesn''t want to now, she has to tell everything about herself to Joren since he''s her ve. What she didn''t expect how easy it was to tell everything. With nothing to do on the boat, they just talked and talked. That time in the boat was unforgettable. Even though they hadn''t escaped the River Styx yet, another world opened up to her. She didn''t know she could smile andugh this much. Kidrith went from "I''m fine with it" to "Please, kiss me." Joren didn''t even notice this as he just went with the flow. Sometimes, he just wants to talk and chill, and other times, he would be seduced. Unfortunately, they have yet to go over the line, making Kidrith a little dissatisfied and jealous of the woman named Scarlett. "Can they see us here?" Joren asked while he saw they were getting closer to the shore. "I think they can." "If we jump from here and make our escape, we wouldn''t be able to return this boat." Joren fell into a dilemma. A momentter, an idea surfaced in his head. He knocked on the boat and found it built from a sturdy material. That could be logical since he just found some scratches on this ancient boat. This is the boat that once ferried billions of souls before already. "Alright," Joren then took his shirt off and gave it to Kidrith. "What are you going to do, Joren?" she blushed, thinking that he must''ve gotten excited with people excited. Unfortunately for her, that wasn''t the case. "I''m going to push this boat to the shore. Hold on tight." Joren then jumped onto the river, to which Kidrith''s eyes widened in surprise. "Wait-!" Ssh* The moment Joren entered the river, he was met with a figure of a woman eerily watching him in the depths and abyss. He stared at her for a second before realizing this must be Styx herself. He pointed at the boat as if asking for permission. But when he felt a tug on his leg, he was sure that was a no, so he just went for it. Fluttering his legs vigorously propelled him forward. His strength was the main factor before he reached the boat and pushed it to the shore. An uncanny sound underwater, akin to screeching and ringing, reached Joren''s ears. He looked back and saw the monster that was Styx. Even though he could defeat Cerberus, he was sure that at that moment, he did not stand a choice against this being. Feeling the adrenaline rush through him, Joren hastened up. When one of the tentacles was about to reach him. Joren grabbed the edge of the boat and pulled it down, tilting the front and letting it jump from the shore. This is only possible from the enormous strength''s inertia he built up. Without it, it would only tilt up and nothing more. Joren immediately pulled himself up and rode the boat. Within the bridge, the central control room of the cruise ship, Charon watched the boat fly up while Joren rode on it in the air. "Hm¡­ that boat looked familiar¡­." He thought, and in less than a second, he remembered it. "It''s my boat!!" Charon immediately contacted cruise personnel. "Everyone is to take the boat from that thief in this instan-!" But before he could even finish his words, the wall of ss shattered. Charon looked and saw his boat barged in. "My boat!" Charon kneeled and hugged the boat. Upon remembering it was stolen, his ugly face went red from anger. He looked at the perpetrator and saw that no one was at the port anymore¡­ "Search for a wet man!" That was the only description he could make as the cruise personnel searched the port town. Garas kicked down the door to a bathroom and saw a man bathing. "Wh-who are you!? Get out of my house!" "Found one wet man here, Captain, over!" he reported. "Found another wet man here." another staff captured a man jogging. Eventually, all wet men were brought to the deck, and Charon inspected them all. "None of them are wet enough!" Meanwhile, Joren wore his shirt after carrying Kidrith at the opposite edge of the town. "Wow¡­" Kidrith looked and was already amazed by the simplicity of the port town. Joren, on the other hand, was trying to remember where the gate was. Carrying Kidrith again, he jumped and quickly arrived at the roof of a tall building. "You saw that?" "What?" "A man just jumped so high he reached there." a local pointed, but another justughed. "Alright, alright, you''re drunk." "No, I saw him!" Atop the building, Kidrith wrapped her arms around Joren''s torso, thinking he must be cold, and now, they are standing on a breezy peak. Noticing this, Joren tightened his hold on her. He wasn''t cold at all, but maybe, she''s projecting it to him, and she''s the one who was cold here. "There, I think that''s where we came from." Joren pointed at the dark cave. When Ness pulled him, she was so fast that Joren could only see the surroundings shifting. He didn''t even know that there was a town here. Feeling sure about the pce, Joren dropped from the roof andnded where the two drunks were just passing by. It seemed that they went around the building for some reason. "It''s him!" "Hahaha, you''re so drunk. You''re making me hallucinate too." Ignoring the two drunks, Joren made a run for it. From the cruise ship, Garas saw Joren''s figure, and using the binocr-like wet meter device, which is exclusive to Charon, he found, "Oh, he''s not that wet." "Captain, let''s just ask the UnderWorld how it was stolen. There, we will know who the culprit is." Garas suggested. "Alright, since we already got my boat and the coke that the Lord requested, we shall now depart. Also, stop picking your nose!" "Yes, Sir!" ¡­ "We''re out!!!" Several minutester, Joren jumped out of the cave. Kidrith''s eyes shone upon seeing the blue sky and the big ball of fire within it. "This¡­ this is so amazing¡­" she gasped. Joren put Kidrith down and just smiled at her fascination. Taking her hand, he led her to where the gate is. "This thing here will bring us to my ce. All I just need to do is swipe my card¡­" Joren froze up. "What?" Kidrith asked. "I¡­ I left it in the cruise ship weeks ago when I first arrived at the UnderWorld." "Really?" Kidrith thenughed while leaning over to Joren. "Sorry¡­" "No, it''s fine. I just thought that you make mistakes too." "I make a lot of mistakes though." Joren raised an eyebrow while his shoulders were dropped. "Okay¡­" Kidrith just giggled. "Ah, you''re just so cute!" Joren pinched her cheeks before kissing her. While their tongues entertwined, the teleportation gate lit up and opened. Came out from it was a horse with a horn on its head. Furthermore, it also wore teacher''s uniform and sses. It was a unicorn, or more specifically, it''s the homosexual, Jack. "J-Joren?" Joren immediately removed his lips and looked at Jack. "Sir Jack!" he happily said. "You''re really Joren!?" Jack who already stood up and spread his forelegs, expecting a hug, disappointingly dropped down. "Yes, it''s me!" "It is you!" Jack stood on his hind legs once more to expect a hug but Joren didn''t move from his spot. The unicorn was disappointed again, "And¡­ who''s this woman you''re making out with?" he suspiciously said. Kidrith stepped forward and introduced myself. "You must be from the famous race of horses¡­ what''s that called." "The homosexuals?" Jack bitterly replied. ''I''m from the great race of homosexuals, standing on the same league as phoenixes and dragons. This girlcks respect! Who does she think she is!?'' "Yeah? I thought it starts with uni or something but okay. My name''s Kidrith, a Half-Fury. I came from the UnderWorld and was brought here by Joren." Kidrith professionally hid her embarrassment as they were just caught kissing. She''s still the head maid through and through. If Jack wasn''t someone Joren knows, she wouldn''t be putting up a somewhat polite tone and smile in speaking with him. Meanwhile, Jack thought that he must''ve heard wrong. "A Half-what?" "A Half-Fury." Chapter 90 - [Bonus ] Jorens Return "A Half-Fury? I feel like I know the half part of it." Jack searched in his brain, but nothing rings a bell. He only knows one kind of Fury, and it''s the God-like being that''s a direct descendent of two of the Five Primordial Beings. Other than that, nothinges into his mind. ''I wonder what a Half-Fury is¡­.'' Jack just nodded and didn''t ask anything more. "Joren, I heard that you jumped out of Charon''s ferry ship! Here I am thinking that I will never see you again, but here you are! What happened? Did you secretly sneak into the ship?" "No, it''s a long story, but I''m d you''re here, Sir Jack! I left my card together with my other belongings with Ness, so I thought we were going to be stuck here." Joren went into the matter. Meanwhile, Kidrith was a little astounded this horse didn''t bow down to her. ''Hecks respect, but since Joren''s calling him Sir, I must be polite.'' As a Half-Fury, Kidrith still retains that small pride as she knows her ce too. She''s above mythical beings, after all. However, what makes her so tolerable is the fact that she''s been serving her all life. Kidrith was not used to all the praise towards her. She''s just aware of her position. "I''d like to hear more about where you have been all this time, but we have something urgent." Jack''s expression turned solemn. "What?" "The Principal ordered me to travel to the UnderWorld since today''s the day of departure, and I haven''tbed my mane yet!" "O-oh¡­" Jack waved his head, making his mane flow on the air. He truly looked like a unicorn from the legends for a moment there. "Fortunately, I''ve done bathing, and I''m young and fresh!" "... what is he doing..?" Kidirith went and whispered to Joren. "But¡­ why did Ness order you with that?" Joren pursued what really mattered. "Ah¡­ that, well, the Monster has been rampaging since knowing that you''re dead. Virena''s been holding him off alone. However, other goblins, whose brain is smaller than peas, came to support Virena only to power up the Monster. So, the Principal asked me to contact you in any method since we couldn''t get even with Nekyia. For some reason, no one saw you there after you were dropped from the cruise ship-" ''That''s because I went straight to the pce.'' Joren internally replied midway. "- we want you to stop the Monster. Since he''s rampaging due to your disappearance, maybe if we can reach out to you, you can tell him to stop." Jack said in one breath. "Isn''t that pretty important?" "Yes, but not as importantbing my hair." Jack irritatedly showed up the brilliance of his mane. Handing out ab, Kidrith offered, "Want to borrow it?" "Ab!" Jack immediately sat down and took the offer. Using his two hooves, he awkwardlybed his mane. It was hard to watch. "Where did you get that?" Joren asked. "Oh, yes, you never needed it, so I didn''t bring it up, but I have all sorts of assortments for making someone beautiful and fresh right in this zipper." Kidrith then showed the special feature of her maid dress, opening the zipper that Joren thought was just a design, revealing all sorts of tools. "I''m still the head maid of the pce. I take care of the Queen and the Ladies'' needs regarding this." Kidrith proudly said. "Wow¡­ that''s convenient, just like Robocat. I want to know more about it but first, Sir Jack, lead us to where Monstein is!" Joren said, but Jack was stillbing his mane. After a while, he was finished and returned theb. It was filled with frizzly hair strands but full of energy and soft like cotton candy. No matter how nice it looks, it''s still filled with strands of hair, so Kidrith secretly threw it away, not wanting to put it in her zipper. "My bed hair is gone, and my confidence is back!" ''But nothing changed¡­'' both Joren and Kidrith thought while wondering how this horse sleeps for him to get a bed hair. Wanting to remove that out of their heads, they followed Jack into the teleportation gate. "I wonder what sorcery this uses!" Kidrith eximed. Unfortunately, Joren didn''t know anything about the technology or the mechanism of these very convenient gates, so he didn''t know how to answer her. As usual, it didn''t take long for them to arrive at their destination. Its convenient travel made Joren want to kneel and kiss the gate. He had been running all this time and forgot how easy it was with these gates. With the gate opening, Joren remembered what this ce was. This is the entry level of the Myth Academy. It was some sort of a lobby for lesser monsters who were about to enter the academy. He was toured here by Scarlett on his first day. This ce was filled with mythical creatures that he would only see in legends, fiction, fantasy, and conspiracies. There are even some creatures from games, such as the goblins and smiles. Although they didn''t necessarilye from games, that''s how Joren met them. However, instead of the lively lobby room, it was in ruins. Therge building was filled with corpses and bodies. There were even ghosts lying around¡­ it seemed that they were pretending to be dead out of fear. In the edge of their visions was a colossus recklessly swinging its arms. Sometimes, a fire would burst out of its arm while blowing smoke that seemed to coagte into everything it touched before it turned to something akin to glue. Meanwhile, a much smaller red-haired figure that''s the colossus was trying to hit. She was agile and evasive. Every move of her would render the colossus attack null. However, the weirdlyposed giant was only getting more potent as moments passed while the smaller figure slowly drained her energy. At some point, she would fall into the trap of the colossus and have her shoes glued to the ground. Taking this chance, the colossus swung its arm down as firebusts on its elbow, increasing the speed and, ultimately, the force of the swing. ''Guess, I''ll take another damage!'' the nimble red-haired, who was Virena without a doubt, prepared to block this giant''s attack. She raised her arms and crossed them but¡ª Nothing came. ''Huh? Did the monster stop?'' she lowered her arms after a moment of thought to peek at what happened. With the impact of the swing, all the smoke was blown away. However, it didn''t reach Virena. Instead, it was stopped by a man''s single palm. Something that even she, a vampire, wouldn''t be able to do. She doesn''t know who''s this man in a suit. Although the hair is a little familiar, the first thing thates into her mind is Joren. At the same time, this man couldn''t be him, who was so weak, he died by the Principal''s mindless push. "Monstein, I heard that you''re rampaging because of me. But, if you''re going to hurt Virena, I''ll have to beat you up, do you understand?" Heavy pressure was suddenly exuded from this man as the weirdlyposed giant stopped. The colossal''s skin was of different colors with a closer look, and each of them was patched together. From his face to his legs, they were all patched up together. The colossal opened its mouth, trying to speak. However, it couldn''t as its physiology didn''t let it. In the next second, the giant''s body loses its power as a small manes from its nape as smoke arises from it. On the other hand, Virena''s expression was of shock. She heard his voice and was too familiar with it, which was strange. They haven''t even met that long, but this voice that she kept thinking about since shest met her entered her ears. "Joren!!" The little boy ran towards Joren with smoke still rising from his body. A loud wailing cry could then be heard as if a tantrum. "They¡­! They said you were dead! Wahhh!!!" "Hahaha, I''m not." Jorenughed and patted Monstein''s head. "They also said you''re too horny to be alive!" "Hahaha¡­ what?" "Wahhh!!" "Wait, what did you just sa-?" "Joren, that''s you?" Joren heard Virena''s voice, so he looked at her and spread his arm. ''Come, hug me too!'' "You were toote!" Instead of a hug, Joren was met with a shout. "Late¡­?" "The Principal¡­ she¡­ she¡­." Virena dropped onto her knees. She wanted to cry, but no tears came out. Joren immediately came to her and worriedly asked. "What happened to her!?" "She thought you were dead a-and made you an altar¡­ then suddenly-" ¡­ Ding* Ding* Ding* There were three rings of a bell. "Joren bless us all! Joren bless us all!" Kneeling in front of the altar, Ness prayed to the picture seemingly taken from CCTV camera footage where Joren was sleeping on a couch. It was low-quality. "She turned it into a religion¡­." Virena pointed with dead eyes. "The Principal doesn''t know how to mourn, so she went too far.." Jack exined, "But why did it turn into a religion?" however, even he cannot exin the oue. Chapter 91 - [Bonus ] Punishment On Ness Joren didn''t know how to react to this one yet. He nced at Virena who have dead-pan eyes and found that Ness have yet to make the ''move'' he was expecting. He was a little disappointed. However, this just proves that she''s still inwardly a child. This feeling was further fortified by seeing her form of a child. After some thought, he figured out the appropriate reaction to this. Everyone was just waiting for Joren to speak up and say something to Ness. They believe he would stop this farce just like how the situation regarding Monstein was immediately solved after he arrived. Of course, that was an exaggeration. Monstein had created too much destruction to be left off just like that. However, their attention temporarily shifted at the thought of Ness learning that Joren is alive. For this sake, Virena chose to let Monstine scot-free first. At that moment, Joren has finally taken a move from the gate and entered the "Principal''s area" They all watched, on standby, as Joren went in and kicked the altar, immediately breaking it into countless fragments. No one expected this scene as this was theplete opposite of it. Everyone was stunned, especially Ness herself. But all she knew was that some came in to destroy the momento she built for Joren. It was dumbfoundedness at first before it was puzzlement why someone would do that. As expected of the innocent Ness, instead of being angry, she was hurt. She looked at who kicked the altar down in one go and the confusion just piles up. "... Joren?" Meanwhile, Joren just stood there and looked at her while she processed what she was seeing. Thinking she was just hallucinating, she scrubbed her eyes and looked again. She did it again the second time. Then a third time¡­ "Oh, I should get some rest, I''m hallucinating that Joren is alive and destroyed the altar I made for him¡­" Facepalms could virtually be heard. "But wait¡­ what if I''m not hallucinating!" Ness turned back and with wide-eyes looked back at Joren. She gasped-... before yawning. "Nah, definitely hallucination." "Goddamn it! Joren''s alive and that''s not a hallucination!" Jack was getting impatient and shouted. After that shout, other looked at him with judging eyes. "What? Someone have to do it!" Meanwhile, Ness finally believed what she was seeing. "Joren?" her eyes sparkled and even teary, "Joren!" Ness ran up to Joren with a big smile and arms spread. She''s like a puppy who finally got to see her owner after some time again. But before she could hug Joren, he held her off with his new strength. "I''m not in the mood." Joren said, hinting that he''s angry at something while he holds her shoulder. Ness'' arms are shorter than him in that form. At the same time, Joren began sliding backward on his feet. ''She''s not listening!'' "Joren!" Ness just cried out while trying to hug him while he stops her. Virena saw the situation, "What is he doing denying her happy reunion!?" Joren, out of people, should be grateful for Ness and even oddly happy since she misses him this much. Not only is he thick-skinned, for him to be so ungrateful, she wouldn''t allow this! But when she was about to move, her wrist was grabbed,pletely stopping her. This grip was like iron chains wrapped around her wrist. Virena looked to the side and saw the ''stranger'' who''s wearing simr clothing to her, look at her with cold eyes. "Do not interfere." Kidrith has lost most of her strength against Hades and it would take more than weeks for her to recover but against Virena, with effort, she can overwhelm a vampire. Back to Joren, it''s not that his strength iscking but Ness'' power was just too much. Furthermore, he couldn''t possibly hurt her so he didn''t use more strength. "Ness, I''m angry at you right now, I won''t hug you!" When he released those words, Ness'' temperament immediately changed. More power surged from her petite stature as the aura she exudes made others see her as a monster. She easily took Joren''s arms from her shoulders and dove towards him. Winning and hugging at the same time. Joren could only drop since it''s not really a physical fight and didn''t want to ''counterattack'' Meanwhile, Ness buried herself on him while crying. "It''s really you, you came back!" Joren sighed. It seemed that she really missed him. ''Now, I feel like an idiot¡­ but no, going with whatever she feels like will only spoil her. Since she proved herself to be a child then I will treat her as one.'' "Ness, release me." But it was as if Ness didn''t hear him. "I''m angry, we have to talk." Again, she didn''t listen. "If you don''t listen to me, I''m going to hate you." Joren solemnly said. This is a threat that would only work on children but when Ness heard this, she lost her grip on his and look up. "W-why?" with puppy eyes, she asked. However, Joren strengthened himself and didn''t want to be swayed. "Sit properly and I''ll tell you." After some hesitation, Ness released Joren while thetter conveniently found a rock to sit on, making his position higher than her. Due to Ness'' push, the two of them were farther away than the rest who was watching from the side, not wanting to enter the scene. They couldn''t hear what they were saying but it seemed that Ness calmed down. This made Virena calm down too as she curiously looked and wondered Joren''s intention. Noticing this, Kidrith let her go since it''s stopping this vampire still takes a toll on her weakened body. Kidrith only made it seem like she did it effortlessly. Sniff* Wiping her eyes while sniffing, Ness looked at Joren with sad eyes and asked again, "Why¡­ are you angry with me? Is it because I only sent Jack to find you?" "No," Joren crossed his arms and legs, "this is about Virena. While she was out and fighting with the rampaging Monstein, what are you doing?" Joren didn''t reprimand Monstein unlike Ness because he knew that he was not someone who would listen. This could be likened to reprimanding a child who pooped on the bed while the dog wasn''t scolded since it didn''t know what it had done anyway. Instead of pointlessly shouting at it, it''s better to just keep it off the bed. At least, Joren thinks that Monstein has the intelligence of a dog for now. Meanwhile, Ness has a thinking brain so she has some responsibilities. Furthermore, it''s not like Monstein will have no punishmentter. "Eh? A-about that¡­ I was busy with the¡­" seeing Joren''s eyes that tells her that''s nota valid reason, Ness just shut her mouth up and realized that she did let Virena go out and wait for her while she prays to Joren. "If I''m dead, I''m dead. Why are you prioritizing me over Virena?" "I¡­" Ness'' head lowered in shame. "Come here. I will punish you so that I can forgive you." Joren said with an authoritative voice. "H-how are you going to punish me?" Ness didn''tin, instead, she would rather take this punishment since she epted her wrongdoing. Joren patted his thighs and said, "Come here." "Why?" "I''ll spank you since you act like a child." Back onto the group who''s waiting for the two to resolve their issues, they suddenly saw Ness lied her belly onto Joren''s thighs before Joren raised his hand and pped her ass. "N-no¡­" Virena was in utter shock that she froze on the spot. "I-i-is he spanking the Principal!?" "I think so¡­?" Jack replied, intrigued. "Joren! I will not forgive you for this! The Principal must be feeling so unjustified and terrified right now!" Meanwhile¡­ "It doesn''t hurt¡­" Ness said to which Joren replied. "It''s not about the physical pain. This is already quite humiliating for you, right?" Ness looked at the group staning near the gate. "To Virena¡­ y-yes but I don''t really care about what Jack thinks about me." "It''s like you''re asking me to spank you harder." "Yes, please." Ness determinedly replied to Joren''s rhetoric statement. "..." "You''re not wrong¡­ I was too focused on the altar to think about Virena." Ness straightforwardly said, "I need to be punished!" "Okay" Pak* Pak* Pak* ¡­ "Ouch¡­" Ness stood up while holding her butt in pain. She then looked at Joren while expecting something. Joren smiled and patted her head, "Alright, that was mature of you to ept the punishment. I forgive you." Acting as if she''s his responsibility, Joren just enforced punishment on her. Afterwhich, Ness hugged him again. "I miss you." Just when Joren gave light to her, he suddenly disappeared. Since then, Ness felt like life was ying her. Joren was the second person who she opened up in her whole long life. Virena was her support while he made her mundane life more exciting. She realized she just lost someone very important. Since he''s there now, there''s an invisible force that made Ness not want to let Joren go. Noticing this, he just dragged Ness towards the group. This was the cue that they resolved their issue so the group walked to them as well. Virena stepped forward. After ring at Joren, she lean forward and asked. "Principal, are you okay?" Ness nced at Virena at first and after some hesitation, she hugged her too while sniffing. "Sorry, Virena!" "E-eh?" Virena was stunned and all the negative emotions shepiled were suddenly washed away. Seeing this, Jackmented, "I can''t believe my superior is such a brat. Crying and getting spanked like that." Putcha* Ness spat onto the ground in response. It was if she was not crying like a child. She looked at Jack coldly. "Oi, are you being homophobic right now!?" Jack came forward with a nerve popping out of his forehead. "No, but I''m pretty Jackphobic!" Ness fought back as they had a stare-off contest. Both Kidrith and Monstein looked at this with fascination. Kidrith: ''What does Jackphobic mean?'' Monstein: ''I wonder what Jack means.'' Chapter 92 - [Bonus ] Suspicion On Kidrith While Ness and Jack were preupied with whatever they were doing, Virena looked at Joren with an interrogative gaze. She has a ''let''s talkter'' face which Joren understood. But for now, she was more curious at his time at the UnderWorld and also, the woman that he brought. How did his strength suddenly spike up? Why is this woman so strong? Howe he''s not dead? All these questions made Virena temporarily forget about how Joren spanked the Principal in front of the others. Entering the underwater office, Ness finally noticed Kidrith and immediately went behind Joren. This reminded Joren of when Ness was shy towards him too only to show her other faces. Ness may seem innocent but she''s pretty cold. She''s still the thousand years old Loch Ness. Butparing her to Kidrith, she may really be just a child. Furthermore, she''s spoiled and selfish so that makes her a child to Joren. "Joren, who is she?" Ness whispered while Joren nced at Kidrith who was standing beside him and wondered if he should say it or not. He personally has no problem with it but is their rtionship even eptable in the first ce? Kidirith is Hades'' maid in the first ce. So, this meant that Joren just stole something from Hades. Would that spell trouble? "My name''s Kidrith, a Half-Fury and Joren''s servant." Kidrith coldly introduced herself. Hearing this, Joren just shrugged his shoulders. So what if it would spell trouble? He would rather proudly introduce Kidrith rather than not at all just because he feared that trouble woulde. "What!?" Ness was taken aback. "Servant?" Jack raised an eyebrow as he didn''t hear thisst the first time they met. Meanwhile, Virena was brewing tea for everyone except Monstein. Joren told this little monster to kneel in the corner so he did without question. "A Half-Fury? I feel like I''ve heard that somewhere¡­" Ness muttered since she was familiar with this word. It shouldn''t be a Fury since Joren would basically have a demigod as his servant if that''s true. So then, what''s a Half-Fury? The thought of Kidrith who ims to be Joren''s servant being a demigod is just too stupid to even mention. Joren has gone into Hades, yes, but that''s not enough evidence. ''I guess the Furies are not that known?'' Kidrith felt a little down. She initially thought that these lower beings would bow before her but that was not the case at all. They haven''t even heard of a Fury from what she can see. At the same time, she became a servant of a human so Kidrith doesn''t really care now. "A Half-Fury¡­ does that have anything to do with the Furies of the UnderWorld?" Virena came in and asked. She has a different perspective since she firsthand experienced Kidrith''s strength earlier. "Oh, you know of the Furies?" Kidrith found relief since at least thedies back at the pce had their names spread. "Don''t so silly, Virena." Nessughed, "There''s no way she would be rted to those Furies." "No, I am rted to the Furies." "You''re right, Principal¡­" Virena smiled at her before processing what Kidrith just answered, "Excuse me, what?" Even Ness and Jack have the same reaction as Virena. Monstein looked as well since everyone was doing it. "Are there different kinds of Furies?" Joren scratched his head and looked at Kidrith. "I don''t think so. The Ladies were so feared back then that your ancestors would call them Eumenides so other beings bearing the same name would have no sense at all." "Then, what are you all being surprised about?" Joren was genuinely curious. ''How can this guy be so amazing and be so dumb at the same time?'' Virena, Ness, and Jack all thought the same. "Wait, to rify, are you saying that this woman here is also born from the blood of the Titan, Uranus?" Virena pointed her finger as it slightly tremble. "Blood¡­?" Joren didn''t know or just forgot about this as he looked at Kidrith for answers to which she nodded. "Yes, we are born from the blood of Uranus. However, unlike the three Ladies, we are impure that is mixed with the soil from which humans are made, making us inferior or as we call it, Half-Furies." "Eh? I thought Nyx is your mother or something?" "Yes, a foster mother. But Nyx doesn''t treat us, Half-Furies, as ones. She only favors the three Ladies." While Joren and Kidrith were having their own little chat, eyes were about to pop out in the background. "What''s¡­ what''s with you all?" Joren asked once he finally realized their expressions. "I-is a Half-Fury actually your servant servant or a fake servant?" Jack asked like a retard but with his mind being thrown or blown away, he couldn''t think straight. "What even is a fake servant?" Joren felt likeughing while it was Kidrith who answered- "I''m more of a servant. He holds my life and free will." "So, like a ve!?" Ness suddenly raised her voice. While Virena and Jack suddenly felt pressure when they realized that a demigod is standing in the same room as them. "Like a property." Joren corrected. "You''re fine with that!?" Ness shouted at Kidrith. "As long as it''s Joren." "How!?" Ness then pulled Joren away from her as if she was going to snatch him. "What''s wrong, Ness?" Joren asked. Sure, it''s shocking that he has a servant but doesn''t Ness have one from the start too? "I-I don''t think you''re getting the point here, Joren¡­" Virena frustratingly said. Meanwhile, Jack snapped out of it and began to doubt what Kidrith was saying. He has always felt that Joren is not the person to lie, but, how about this woman? "Joren¡­ are you sure she''s not fooling you?" He suddenly presented. "... right." Virena nodded and agreed while Ness suspiciously looked at Kidrith. She had already thought of this from the start and that''s why her cautiousness from Kidrith increased. After all, who would give their own life to someone? Ness doesn''t think that Joren has the power to make a Half-Fury submit. Either she''s lying that she''s Half-Fury or that Joren holds her life and free will, or both are lies. ''Ah¡­ this is the trouble that I must''ve felt¡­'' Joren thought. He just doesn''t see Kidrith as someone who''s a demigod. After all, he hasn''t seen her power or anything. Unfortunately, before Kidrith went to Joren''s side, most of her strength was stripped away from her. She would need weeks or months to recover it. Inparison, Nebarius is only slightly stronger than her while she''s above Cerberus. Joren only saw Kidrith as that cute maid he now owns. Also because she''s been deadweight ever since, that thought persists within him. "Joren, where did you even meet her in the first ce?" Jack then asked with a serious expression, treating Kidrith as an anomaly in that room. "We met in the Pce." Joren sighed as he answered. It seemed like he will have to go through some hassle. He doesn''t really care if Kidrith is not actually a Half-Fury as she says so. Although he would find out she lied, there''s nothing more to it than that. So what? Would she stop being cute? Furthermore, Joren doesn''t n to put Kidrith in battle if she ever were to be strong. What if she got hurt? "Pce? Do you mean the Hades Pce?" Virena has even sat down to hear this one. "I went there to get my soul back? How would I return to a human if didn''t go there?" Joren chuckled, thinking that Virena was asking some stupid questions. "Y-you''re right¡­" Virena observed again and felt no ghoulish aura from Joren. He seemed fresh and alive. So many things have urred that she failed to notice this. ''Wait, does that mean I can''t order him anymore?'' To test this idea, she suddenly said with her eyes glowing bright red. "Joren,e here." "..." Joren looked at her strangely. Thinking that she have something to whisper to him, he stood up and went to her. "What?" But it''s strange, if that was the case, Virena wouldn''t awkwardly do nothing about calling him there. ''No, I can still order him!'' Joren scratched his head as he failed toprehend what was going through Virena''s head. "If there''s nothing then¡­" He was about to turn around and return to his sweet spot where Ness nestling herself to him while Kidrith was standing on the side when- "Wait!" Virena suddenly said, making Joren stop. "Seriously, what is it?" ''It''s true!'' Virena didn''t think that everyone would do the same in that situation. Jack has caught onto this too, remembering that Joren is Virena''s ve. Taking this chance, he whispered something to her to which she agreed. "Joren, to prove that she''s really a Half-Fury, drink her blood." "I don''t think that''s necessary¡­" "Do it." Virena''s eyes then glowed but Joren just crossed his arms. "No" "..." ''Why isn''t it working now!!??'' she internally panicked. "Do it, Joren." "Tell me a valid reason first." "Because I''m your master." "... didn''t I tell you that I''ve returned to being human?" Joren''s eyelids dropped towards Virena. ''!!?'' Chapter 93 - Arthurian Legend "Why do I feel like I am being doubted here?" Joren tapped his foot after pointing out the problem he saw. But could he me them? Not really. Even for himself, what happened was only a quarter nned. Luck yed a big part, so, understandably, they would doubt him. But the problem is their "exaggerated" reactions as if they were saying what he had done is impossible for him. Joren felt insulted that he sighed. ''Do I look so incapable in front of them?'' "Listen, what I will say now will be the truth and only the truth." After getting everyone''s attention, Joren began to tell his story while he was in the UnderWorld after he jumped from the cruise. It summarized and excluded some parts he was ashamed to say out loud but didn''t emphasize any "achievement." Hell, they aren''t even achievements for him. "So, that''s how I got here." Kidrith didn''t know if she shouldugh or internally die, remembering the time when Joren was getting pped by his own dick. After hearing his story, Ness, Jack, and Virena looked at each other. ''Who is he fooling?'' the three of them thought. For the first time, Jack and Ness agreed to something. After all, how could a lesser undead hit the manifestation of hell itself? That''s less possible than escaping death. Giving untrusting looks, Joren raised an eyebrow. "You don''t believe me?" "It''s¡­ you know, hard to believe." Ness awkwardly smiled as she kneeled on the same sofa as him. "Kidrith can testify, right?" Joren looked at her and found the same expression as them, "You don''t believe me too?" "Even if you say red is blue, I''ll believe you. Even if you said you defeated Cerberus, I''d believe you." "So, you don''t believe." "..." Joren sighed and gave up again. "Anyway, since I''m back to human now. I have to go and get Scarlett now." "Scarlett¡­ ah yes, your woman," Ness muttered, but unfortunately, she doesn''t have any clue as to where Scarlett may be. "I think she''s safe for now, I think." Jack was the one who responded which caught Joren''s attention. "I''m not sure, but I received some message that Zeus was restrained by Hera once more after learning what he was nning. As a jealous wife, she sent her people to pursue Scarlett, but there hasn''t been any news of her capture. It''s easy to specte that she''s still safe." Joren nodded as a great sense of relief permeated within him. "This is just spections again, but it is believed that Scarlett is within Camelot." Jack strongly stated. "Camelot? I feel like I''ve heard this from somewhere." Joren remembers his boring school when he hears of this location. "You don''t know what Camelot is?" Jack was taken aback and asked. How could the person who imed to have defeated Cerberus not know what Camelot is? Although both are unrted, when ites to Arthurian legends, Camelot will be one of the very first things that shoulde into mind. "Don''t be so surprised. He doesn''t even know who Zeus and most Greek Mythology is." "!?" Jack wasn''t there when Joren first met Ness and Virena, so this was all news to him. "H-how could there be a person who does not know who the King of the Gods is!?" he didn''t believe it. "Joren doesn''t," Virena responded while Joren intercepted with a harrumphed. "I didn''t." Nessughed at this, "I bet you don''t know anything about the Arthurian Legend too." "Arthurian¡­ I may be wrong, but it had something to do with King Arthur and the Excalibur?" "Correct." Virena nodded with an astonished face while Ness pped with an "Ohh¡­" seemingly amazed by this. ''They have better reactions than when I told my time in the UnderWorld.'' Joren felt unjustified. "What is this¡­ Arthurian Legend?" Kidrith asked as her curiosity was piqued. Learning that this suspicious don''t know too, Jack exined. "The Arthurian Legen-" "The Arthurian Legend is the legend surrounding King Arthur of Camelot and the Lancelot-Grail Cycle." Ness cut off Jack''s exnation as she did it herself, "The summary of the story goes like this. King Arthur is a kind and fair king of Camelot, a mythical castle located somewhere within Britain." "Britain, huh¡­" It feels kind of strange hearing "real-world" locations now as Joren tends to think of the Myth Academy and all the mythological ces well¡­ as myths, separated from Earth to which he believes is real. What confuses him is why they still call these ces myths and so on. Joren would be devastated but not surprised if he were to wake up the next moment, realizing he had been on the strongest crack ever. "For so many reasons such as fulfilling a God''s wishes, King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table searched the Holy Grail. Throughout their adventure, King Arthur was betrayed by his best friend and died, so the story goes. But until today, his body was still never found. Meanwhile, Camelot has be the central ce for different creatures to settle in because of its diversity. It had be bigger, so big, in fact, it had be a nation instead of just a city." Ness exined the simple summary. "So, Scarlett is within this ce¡­." Joren has decided. Even if she wasn''t there, that was the only lead he got. "You''re going?" Ness asked. "Of course." "Can Ie?" "Principal¡­" Virena voiced her displeasure, but it was weak. "No, this time, you''reing too!" Ness came to her and held her hand. "Eh!?" Both Virena and Jack were stunned at this. "Are you serious, Principal? If I leave too, no one will govern the first level." "That''s right. It''s fine if you were to be gone for a while, but the secretary cannot go since she''s the one who''s managing all the work here." Jack indirectly insulted Ness. Putcha* Ness spat onto the ground again. "Just because you''re the Principal doesn''t mean you can be so disrespectful to homosexuals!" "Why do you keep bringing all of them up!? You''re the only one I''m disrespecting!" While Ness and Jack argue at each other, Monstein dragged and slid her knees on the floor to ask- "Can Ie too?" "Go back into the corner." but Joren dismissed him. Even though Monstein wasn''t scolded, he wouldn''t go unpunished. Monstein sadly lowered his head and slowly went back to the corner. Speaking of which, Joren asked. "What will happen to Monstein? He made a lot of mess on the First Level that I doubt he would easily let off." "O-oh¡­" hearing this, Ness remembered something that made her stiffly smile. Seeing this, Jack''s suspicions grew and revealed Ness'' true intentions. "You see, Joren, the First Level is under the Principal''s responsibility. The Principal can do anything to punish Monstein, but she would also be the one who will take the me." Jack then looked at Ness, who went increasingly paler the next moment, "That''s why you want toe and bring the secretary with you. You are leaving the Myth Academy for good and the responsibilities behind!" Virena gasped as she looked at Ness. "Is that true, Principal!?" Being under the spotlight, Ness'' face crunched. "Objection!" she rebutted, "That''s true, but the reason I want to bring Virena is mainly that I want her to experience more to life!" "Principal!" hearing this, Virena was incredibly touched that her eyes got teary. "I mean, I could''ve left her here and taken the responsibility, right?" "Principal!?" Joren suddenly sped his hands. "Then, it''s decided! We''re all going to Camelot!" "Yey!" Ness jumped and raised her arms while Virena''s heart thumped in excitement. Will she really be able to go out of here and visit other ces together with Ness and Joren? Jack sighed, "Then, I''ll hold off the officers from the Second Level." "Huh? You''reing too, Sir Jack." Jack''s eyes widened while Joren was looking at him with a smile. "I''m¡­ I''m getting wet¡­" the unicorn squirmed and blushed, inciting a weird reaction from Kidrith. "Alright, I retract my words!" "Wait, Joren, I''m just joking!" "Hahaha, I''m just joking too." "Whew¡­" "Well, as long as you are," Joren added to be safe. "Camelot! Camelot! Camelot!" Ness shouted. Meanwhile, Joren looked at Monstein. "You did something almost irredeemable. If you cannot control yourself, I will not bring you." Hearing this, Monstein felt like crying from an extreme emotion which is something new to him. "Good thing that the casualties are things I don''t care or else, it would be totally irredeemable. I''ll give you this chance. Make good use of it." Monstein''s eyes sparkled as he strongly nodded. Unknown to Joren, he was no longer that unintelligent. The news of Joren''s "death" just made him went frenzy. Monstein has confidence that he can control himself. "If you want to redeem yourself," Joren leaned and whispered, "Always protect Virena and Ness, do you understand?" "Yes!" "Alright, then, let''s go!" Joren raised his fist as he was about to open the door. Everyone excitedly looked at him before he paused and turned to ask, "Umm, Virena, can you help me go to the surface?" "So uncool!" Nessughed while Virena sighed with a smile and went to hold his hand instead of his wrist before she opened the door. Their travel to Camelot begins. Chapter 94 - [Bonus ] Heaven From Hell "But how do we go to the Camelot?" Joren asked while waiting for everyone at his house within the Abnormal neighborhood. With all that excitement, they forgot to bring the necessities for their travel. Like spare clothes and toiletries, no one wants to look like a homeless person by the end of their trip. Kidrith looked around. Only she and Joren were at his house. ''Is he asking me?'' "... I don''t know." "Ah, no, I''m just talking to myself." Joren waved his hand. Kidrith nodded and went back to exploring the house before deciding to cook something for Joren. Her heart was pounding a bit. However, she kept her hope low, knowing that Joren wouldn''t do anything to her even if they were alone. "What ingredients are these?" Kidrith wondered while looking through the fridge. The cuisine within Hades and Earth is far too different and so too are the ingredients. "Oh, let me teach you." Joren stood up and helped her in the kitchen as they prepared the meal together. However, he kept his distance from Kidrith, afraid of temptation. Being exposed to her beauty, scent, and body was too dangerous. He had experienced actual hell during their travel through the River Styx. Joren would guiltlessly y with her body whenever he wanted. At the same time, Kidrith felt like a toy though she never hated the idea of it. However, whenever things got too hot, Joren would snap out of it to stop himself. The idea of being able to do anything he wanted to this beauty was too tempting. Yet, at the same time, he promised he would give his first to Scarlett, his first woman. Not wanting to be a man with empty words, he would stop himself. Kidrith would even offer her mouth, making Joren dizzy, but he could save himself. When he thought he would have a good time, he experienced hell. It''s like having a delicious cake in front of the hungry him but choosing not to eat it. It was hell! Therefore, Joren has to focus¡­ focus on cooking which is one of the few things he likes doing the most. Momentster, the two were passionately exchanging saliva while Joren undresses Kidrith. Bringing her to his bedroom, he was about to unbelt himself when suddenly- he snaps out of it. ''How can this be¡­!?'' Joren couldn''t help but me Kidrith''s godly body with her perfectly round breasts, thin waists, plump ass, and smooth, warm pale skin. Damn, she''s even wearing ck stockings, further exciting Joren. ''I can''t do this to Scarlett, but¡­.'' Joren''s eyes trembled as he looked at Kidrith, who was in deep heat, waiting for him to finally give it to her. ''I can''t keep ady waiting.'' Finding an excuse that he wouldn''t use his ultimate weapon, Kidrith''s eyes widened as a new world opened up to her. She convulsed and trembled while letting out questionable sounds. Sometimeter, Joren sits on the couch with lifeless eyes while Kidrith peacefully sleeps in his bed. the fish, back to its original form, came out of nowhere and said. "I thought I''m the master, but she makes me a ve to her body." Joren covered his face while wanting to cry, "I can''t even indulge myself." "Yeah, yeah, I get it." Joren sighed and leaned on the couch. "So, why are you here? Seeing you made my boner immediately disappear, thanks." <... I''m going to ignore that gratitude and tell you that the mighty and awesome Gangsta God has been impressed with you and wants to say to you some "smart words." Congrattions, you are worthy of meeting the Gangsta God!> "No thanks." the fish was about to erupt when it realized that Joren wasn''t entirely wrong, <...> "Also, something''s wrong with the System. I defeated Cerberus and escaped the UnderWorld, but I didn''t get the reward." Joren opened his Mission Tab to show his point. [Mission: Defeat Cerberus and escape the UnderWorld Mission Progress: 100% Time Limit: 29 days remaining Reward: +250 to all Stats, 25 instant Level Up] This was the new mission he saw when he was just escaping from Hades'' pce while carrying Kidrith. "I don''t know¡­ cause he''s dumb?" [sphemy! sphemy! sphemy!! Next time you''re in public, I''m going to your crotch and-] "Okay, okay, sorry!" Joren panicked. He wouldn''t be able to stop this fish if that happened. After sighing, he then nodded, "Sure, I''ll go." He felt it was too bothersome. However, the reward was too much to ignore. If he were to gain that, he wouldpletely leave the realm of being human. Joren just nodded as he closed his eyes. At the next moment, his consciousness traveled to a ce he had gone before. A vastnd filled with white sand. There were weeds everywhere, as if they were weeds. Syringes lying near the flowing brown-yellow river. He looked far and saw green mountains out of cash and gold with guns acting as trees. Most prominently, Joren looked up and saw the moon revealing an image of a prettydy with alluring clothing. He once thought that thisdy, the Gangsta God''s top bitch, was the prettiest and sexiest. However, after seeing the Furies, this top bitch looked quite ordinary. Maybe, in all honesty, just above average. ''Kidrith''s much prettier than her.'' That''s why Joren couldn''t help but think with his dick. He was alone with a seductive woman earlier. Who can resist? Joren immediately held his breath up. Everyone would soone to his houseter. He didn''t want to greet them high. Traversing through the Gangsta Heaven, Joren breathed through his shirt. Finally, they reached Holy Sagging Pants under the ethereal spotlight. The fish then turned to Joren. The fish said before it woulde to the altar where the pants are and snort at the Holy Cocaine near it. The coke hits hard and fast. Red nerves from the fish''s eyes became visible. Thunders suddenly roared above as the fish began to ascend. "The fish¡­ literally got high¡­." Joren looked at the sky and saw shes of lightning but found the ''thunders'' sounding different. But after observing the shes of lightning, it wasn''t lightning at all. They were gunshots. Each sh of a gunshot would reveal the silhouettes of therge firearms above. Joren found it to be so ridiculous that he wanted to turn his back. However, the reward! Having no choice, Joren went to the altar and snorted some. Immediately, his consciousness became floated as a smile could be seen on his face. "Y-yeah¡­ hehehe¡­ this is good shit." Those were hisst words before he ascended. He noticed a giant pr hanging from the sky on his way to the true Gangsta Heaven. It had a weird have on the bottom. It''s shaped like a dick. Floating more, Joren eventually went past the smoke, which he expected not to be clouds in the first ce. Eventually, the pir got thinner and thinner before he was high enough to see a mansion. Gravity went back to work again and dropped him onto the tform on which the giant mansion was built on. The giant golden gate opened as the fish had already entered. Joren ran with wobbling bnce. He tripped sometimes, but he would justugh before catching up to the fish. Soon, they were in front of the mansion''s door, and it opened. A bright light immediately entered Joren''s eyes. However, it was not blinding, for he was thug enough. Joren looked and saw a throneroom made out of gold, and sitting on the throne was a man whose skin was ck. If Joren remembers correctly, the Gangsta God have so much tattoo on his body that he''s basically ck from the ink. Long sharp shoulder pads were pointing out from this man''s shoulders as he wore a gold and white cloak. If it was his clothing alone, he was majestic. Except that he doesn''t wear any pants. Even though high, Joren turned around, wanting to jump from the clouds after a certain realization. That was when he was called. "Joren, my man, don''t turn yo back on yo God, dude." Chapter 95 - [Bonus ] Being Roasted "Right¡­" Joren stopped in his tracks and faced his fear head-on. What a brave man. "I called ya out here to tell ya sum smart words." ''You mean, wise words¡­.'' "Enlighten me, Gangsta God." Joren respectfully said. "Haha, funny guy." the manughed as the edge of his lips curled up a little, "B''fore sum smart words, how''s life doing, man?" ''He''s asking me that?'' It was out of nowhere. "Feels a little rush, but I''m all in for it." Joren honestly replied. The man on the thronefortably leaned back as he crossed his legs, finally covering up the obscenity, making Joren sigh in relief. "Found any problem along d''way?" "There''s this God who''s been lusting on my woman. I''m actually on my way to Camelot." The man slowly nodded, "In a man''s life; money, power, and women are the most important, doncha think?" Joren raised an eyebrow, "Yes," "But, for ya, what''s d''most important?" The man asked with an expectant and smug smile. "Power" Joren didn''t have to think twice. That was the first thing that came into his mind. "Gotcha, so here''s sum smart words from yo Gangsta God." A mic materialized in the man''s hand as a beat came out of nowhere. Joren looked around as the lights turned colorful, as if they were at a party. He knew what wasing. The man then spoke along with the beat, and with fast words, he continued. Joren frowned as he noticed his foot was tapping onto the floor. A nerve suddenly popped out of Joren''s forehead. He should''ve expected an insult there. ''Is he¡­ picking a fight?'' The mic was then dropped. Joren nced at the fish fangirling the man. However, he couldn''t deny that those were sweet rhymes as well. ''I don''t know where are the ''smart'' words from there, but it''s good.'' Joren then pped while acknowledging the man''s rap. "Now, ya tellin'' me, ya defeated Cerberus, man?" Finally, there''s the suspicion. Joren had also expected this when the rap turned against him. How can aughingstock like him defeat an immortal beast? "Yes," Joren simply answered. "How?" The man''s face went from chilled to serious. "With the System and the gun." "Still¡­ giving ya these stats too much. Yu''ll overload." "I think I can withstand it." Joren said, not knowing why this man doubted him when he had already reached five digits in Toughness. ''Or, wait¡­'' "Gangsta God, have you seen my stats yet?" "Yup, but don''t worry. It''ll get fixed right away, man." Hearing this, Joren restrained hisughter. "It''s not broken, though." "What''d ya mean? It''s clearly broken. Stats say ya have ten thousand toughness out of nowhere. Tell me that''s not broken." At this moment, the fish entered the conversation. "... I''ll fix the fishter too, just be patient, man." the man waved his hands. Since the fish is part of the System, if the System is malfunctioning, the fish will too. "Sorry for this blunder, must''b cause of me dying soon." the man reasoned. "It''s not necessary. It''s really not broken." Joren shook his head with a gentle smile. Noticing this smile, the man frowned. He looked at Joren''s stats and found some of his stats were still abnormally high in contrast to others. Furthermore, Joren''s Thugness says 830, which is the most abnormal of all. The man''s Thugness was only at 1,520, and he''s the Gangsta God. Although it had diminished since his prime state, he had gone through a lot to obtain that number of Thugness. "Are you saying that you''ve achieved something equivalent to Thugness 830 in less than a quarter of a year?" The Gangsta God doubtfully raised a question. ''830?'' Joren has only looked at his mission tab since hest saw his stats after bing a human. "Must be because I defeated the Cerberus." "No, I''m being serious here." "Why don''t you try giving me the rewards for my mission if I will explode or not?" Joren challenged. He was beaming with confidence. Why wouldn''t he? It''s true that he defeated Cerberus. However, the Gangsta God remained skeptical. "If this a bluff, ya will die." "Is the Gangsta God back off?" Joren provoked. Before the fish could reprimand Joren, the Gangsta God replied. "I''ve confidence in ma''self. But I''ve no trust in ya." "I''ve got trust in myself. Try it. If I''m so weak as what you roasted me, you should just kill me now and get another candidate." ''It''s not like I want to be a Gangsta God anyway.'' Joren internally said to himself. Of course, he doesn''t have any intentions to die. "Makes sense, aight, I''mma give it to you." The Gangsta God was finally convinced and gave Joren his reward. [Mission Complete: ept Reward?] With a thought, Joren received the reward. He could feel the power surging within him before he looked at his stats. Meanwhile, the Gangsta God froze upon seeing that Joren didn''t even flinch at the power integration. These stats can make an average human into a monster in an instant. At the very least, Joren should''ve groaned or something. ''Is his foundation too solid?'' he thought. Back to Joren, he was pleased with the new stats. Now, he wouldn''t have much problem with stamina and agility. [Name: Joren Vierei] [Race: Human] [Title: Drug Lord] [Level: 30] [Experience: 000/50,000] [Health: 350/350 Toughness: 10,832 Strength: 3,170 Agility: 324 Stamina: 336 Talent: 367 Thugness: 830 310 Free Stats Point] The change was tremendous. He did feel a little awkward when his Toughness and Strength were abnormally great, especially the former but now, it was manageable. "In less than a quarter of a year, ya defeated Cerberus." the Gangsta God sighed, realizing that he lost confidence in the System''s reliability for a moment there. He should''ve trusted it more. After all, he made it himself. Joren cheerfully smiled and felt like he could tolerate the Gangsta God more now. "Aight, that was ma''bad. Ya can go now." After seeing the Gangsta God give him permission, Joren was more pleased to leave. Returning to the real world, Joren wouldugh upon waking up. "Haha¡­ ha¡­ hahaha¡­." The fish asked itself, but there''s nothing it can do from then on and just disappeared when a knock could be heard in front of the door. Joren suddenly felt deja vu. He stood up and opened the door to see who was there. ''Who''s this handsome man?'' They both asked themselves. A tall suave blonde man was standing in front Joren, thinking if he knocked on the right door. "Who''re you?" Joren asked with drunken tone. "Sorry, I must''ve knocked on the wrong door." The blonde man apologize but seeing the number again, he returned. "Are you Joren?" The blonde man asked the wobbling man. "Joren?" Joren looked around first before realizing who he was, "Ah, yes, it''s me, Joren." "W-what happened to you? So this is what you look like when your face is rxed." the blonde man licked his lips. "Sorry, not into that¡­" Joren waved his hand before asking again, "Who''re you?" "It''s me, Jack. This is my human form. I''m a faculty member of the Myth Academy, of course, I have my human form." "I-is that so¡­" for some reason, Joren couldn''t doubt that this was indeed Jack, "Come on in." "Oh, I''m the only one here? Where''s the woman with you?" "She''s¡­ she''s sleeping." ''Is he drunk?'' Jack''s smile widened. Kidrith, who was peacefully sleeping earlier, had her eyes opened wide. The danger she was feelingpletely woke her up. ''Joren!'' She sat up and could hear two voices. She was unfamiliar with both. After all, she haven''t heard Joren''s voice while intoxicated. At the living room, Jack stopped Joren from serving him tea after dropping the fourth cup. "Why don''t you just sit here and wait?" Joren nodded and dropped onto the couch with a daze look.. He waspletely out of himself. Chapter 96 - Out From The Myth Academy! Jack sat closer with a creepy look on his face. Kidrith took a peek from the room and silently watched. She spotted two men. The blonde was new to her, but the other man with a dazed look seemed familiar. ''Joren!'' She recognized. During their three-day trip in the River Styx, she has noticed that Joren''s natural look was better than his strained facial expressions. She wondered howe he has that tightened expression whenever he''s conscious. While Kidrith was thinking, she noticed that the blonde man suspiciously moved closer to Joren little by little. At the same time, thetter just looked at the ceiling, enjoying whatever made him happy. Kidrith''s body hair stood up when she saw the blonde''s face moving towards Joren with his lips forward¡­ "We''re here!" Ness barged in without knocking together with Virena when they saw a blonde with bruises all over his face. "W-who is this monstrosity!?" she hid behind Virena. "Jack¡­" Jack replied with swollen lips. "Oh, that''s your human form, huh¡­." Ness said with an empty smile before going on and spotting Joren. "Joren!" she shouted, "and, why do you have that face?" ''Handsome¡­'' Virena internallymented, getting a little shy. She saw this face again after some time. "I¡­" Jorenzily pointed his finger up before putting it down. That was the end of his words. ''So cool!'' Virena''s view was twisted. "Hey, hey, why do you look so dumb? Are you sleeping with your eyes open?" Ness poked Joren''s cheek when Kidrith stopped her, "Please, don''t bother him." Seeing this woman, Ness put up her guard. "Did you do something to him?" "Nothing, but this man here almost did." Both Ness and Virena looked at Jack, who replied. "Noment." his voice a little muffled. "Ugh¡­" Ness'' face showed disgust, immediately knowing what he tried to do. The pieces of the puzzle fit together. "Don''t assume things!" "Eh¡­ what a creep¡­." Ness continued showing disgust as Jack was obviously taking a hit. Enjoying it, she continued. "Desperate" "Pervert" ¡­ In the end, not only was his face beaten up, Jack''s insides met the same fate. "But, seriously, what happened to him. He only has this face when he''s asleep." Ness pointed out. "I think he''s in the middle of a trance." Kidrith guessed, "Maybe, he''s experiencing some sort of enlightenment." No, he''s just high. "Haha¡­ haha¡­" "Isughing part of the enlightenment too?" Ness asked, and Kidrith just shrugged her shoulders. "But, we gotta get going. The officers from the Level 2 mighte at any second by now!" Ness grabbed Joren and was about to carry him, but Kidrith stopped her again. "No, let me. I''m his servant." "It''s fine, I''m his¡­." Ness thought deeply before saying, "number one friend!" "Well, I''m still his servant, and my job is to serve him," Kidrith argued. "I said it''s fine!" "I say it is not fine." "Howe did you be Joren''s servant anyway? Who wants to be this guy''s servant? He will do so many perverted things to you!" Ness thought she made a point but then noticed that Kidrith only blushed and looked away, "..." Virena shakenly put up her finger, "Did you¡­-" "It is true that I''m his servant. He took me from Hades." Kidrith said. "That''s impossible!" "No, it''s true. He even punched Hades three times." Kidrith said with a slight smile. Satisfied just by remembering it. What she didn''t know was that Hades got his balls almost crushed. "Who would believe that!? Take your hands off of him!" Ness pulled Joren''s cheeks. Good thing his Toughness is abnormally high. "Wait, I''ll carry him!" Virena finally stepped in and took Joren from them. She ced Joren down and thought, how should she carry him. Piggyback? But his face would be right beside hers. ''No, no, no¡­.'' Princess carry? But his face would be near her. ''No, no, no¡­.'' Firefighter''s carry? But he would be facing her. ''No, no, no¡­.'' Virena depressingly realized how shallow a man should have to make her fluster like this. "I''m too sinful¡­" she walked up. "Eh? What happened!? Virena!?" Ness asked, but Virena couldn''t hear her. Exiting the front door, Virena just noticed that a small kid was kneeling at the corner of the front yard. "You¡­" "Yes?" Monstein looked at Virena. "Can you carry Joren?" "..." Monstein raised an eyebrow, but remembering Joren''s words, he stood up and obediently replied, "Yes, Ma''am!" "???" ¡­ "Then, is everyone ready!?" Ness pointed her finger up in Joren''s front yard. "Yes, Principal!" only Virena replied while Kidrith stayed silent, and Jack couldn''t care. Fortunately, there were no other Abnormals there as they were taking their mandatory sses on the higher floors. "No, Virena, just call me Ness. I''m no longer the Principal!" Ness dered, raising her finger up high until she noticed a man standing behind her. "Are you Principal Ness?" a man in a suit whose face strangely resembles a lion asked. Even his hair is like that of a lion''s mane. Seeing him, Ness began to sweat as her face went pale. Jack and Virena, too, recognized this man. "It''s Officer Manti, run!" Ness immediately sprinted off. "Oi, wait!" the man who resembles a lion, Officer Manti, was caught off-guard as the rest of them followed Ness. "What is that guy doing here!?" Jack desperately ran. Almost all of them were running faster than an average car could go. Kidrith had to carry Monstein as he was getting slow. Realizing these people were making their escape, bat wings came out of Officer Manti''s back. With one p, a strong surge of wind shattered the nearby windows. "Jack, is that you!?" "Stop following us, or I''ll suck your dick!" Jack threatened, making the Manti slow down before it speeds up again. "That''s a risk I''ll take for capturing you all! Come, suck my dick!" "There are women here, mind you!" Virena angrily growled while Ness innocently wondered why Virena was covering her ear. "Damn it, I forgot Manti is gay too!" Jack regretfully said. "I''m not gay! I''m open-minded!" "Quick, we have to get to the gate and leave Jack behind!" Ness shouted. "What!?" "I mean, Officer Manti!" "I think¡­ he''ll catch up." Kidrith calmly said. Her strength was slightly returning, so outrunning them all would be a piece of cake, but she''s just going with their pace since she doesn''t know their destination herself. "Don''t worry, I got this!" "Principal!" Ness stopped and faced Manti. She stretched her arms before pulling them behind for an attack. "Face my serious punch¡­." "Principal Ness, to resort to violence would give you more vitions!" "... I don''t care!" BOOM!* Ness gave Officer Manti a normal p, but the force behind it created strong fluctuations in the air and sent the lion-faced officer flying away. "As I said, I''m no longer the Principal!" Ness said while sticking out her tongue. "You could''ve done that earlier! I almost gave him a blow-" Virena gave Jack a dropkick to silence him. Eventually, they reached the gate when they heard a roaring from where Officer Manti was sent with Ness'' p. A giant lion with bat wings and scorpion as its tail rose up, roaring. "Let''s escape while he''s busy roaring!" Ness hurriedly went into the gate with them. "Ah, Jack, why are you here?" "Stop excluding me, you brat!" "I was just asking!" "Umm¡­ what button should I push?" Kidrith asked to which Virena replied. "We''re going out of the Myth Academy, so push the G button." Pip* Joren pushed the button with the number 9 on it. "..." Virena, Ness, and Jack had their eyes widened. "Joren, why did you push the highest level!?" "Eh? Sorry, I thought I heard V." "What''s that got to do with the number 9?!" "It looks like the letter S." "I thought you heard the letter V and it does not look like the letter S!?" "It does," Kidrith tried to support Joren, "if you¡­ squint hard enough¡­" she squinted as she looked at the number 9. While they were shouting at each other, the door opened, and a muscr old man with white hair wearing ancient-fashioned white clothing appeared. "Hm? Who are you, people!? But first, let me in!" The old man immediately entered with none to resist. At the same time, a voice echoed from behind the temple-like structure. "ZEUS, IF I CATCH YOU TRYING TO ESCAPE AGAIN, I''LL DEFINITELY CUT IT THIS TIME!!" "Oh no, she found out quicker this time!" the old man desperately pushed the G button. Everyone there, including Kidrith, had their face ghastly paled. Only Monstein didn''t know who this man was when he felt lighter. "So, you''re Zeus?" "Oh, aha, yes!" Zeus proudly said, "Thanks for your great timing! If not for you, this thing will not open for me! Also¡­ you women are gorgeo-" Bam* Zeus didn''t see a fisting towards his face as he was blown out of the elevator. Stunned by what just happened, Joren went out of the elevator with his mind still floating. "If you¡­ try to do something to Scarlett, I''ll fuckin-" But when the elevator door was about to close, all of them pulled Joren in. "Motherfucker, my name''s Joren Vierei, and I''m gonna beat yo as-..." The door then closed. Within the elevator, all of them silently stared at Joren, terrified at what he had just done. He then wobbled before Monstein caught him. "I''ll carry him again," he said as if nothing had happened. Chapter 97 - [Bonus ] Dropped Out "J-j-j-j-j-j!" Ness wanted to call out, but her trembling got the better of her. "Did you know what you''ve done!?" Virena shook Joren awake. "What¡­?" The door just opened, and it revealed multiple men who were reconstructing the ground level. "Let''s run first!" Even Kidrith was in a hurry, but Virena continued to shake Joren''s cor. "What have you done!?" she wanted to cry as she repeated her question. ''But he''s still handsome¡­.'' She blushed. "Hey, what are you calming down for!?" Jack reprimanded her and switched ces, "What have you done!?" "You''re just repeating her question, though!?" "I¡­ punched an old man?" Joren just realized what he had done. "No, not that!" Everyone except Monstein shouted. "It''s¡­ it''s fine¡­ they would retaliate muchter on¡­ when Gods are punched¡­ they got stunned¡­ for some reason¡­." Joren tried to exin before he looked at the sky, counting the stars. It''s daytime. "What is he talking about!?" Ness asked Kidrith, to which she answered. "He''s talking about the time he punched Hades! Hades would be stunned as if doubting what just happened and wouldn''t move for a while!" "I''m serious!" Ness shouted back in frustration, but Kidrith didn''t lose out. "Do you think about joking!? This guy just punched the King of Gods in front of your eyes. How couldn''t he do the same for Hades!?" After some processing, all of them gasped with ghoulish expressions. "Y-y-you mean, he''s made an enemy out of Hades too!?" Jack almost tumbled down. "Why don''t we look for Poseidon as well for you to punch, huh, Joren!?" "No¡­ he didn''t do anything¡­." Joren scolded Ness. "You thick-skinned!!" "Hey, I thought they are humans¡­ but¡­ are they horses?" Monstein, who was carrying Joren while being carried by Kidrith, asked, making them all look behind them to see centaurs chasing them. But they were already exhausted as they were trying their best to catch up. The targets didn''t even notice their chase, and they were already tired. At the same time, a giant flying lion flew above them. "Finally, it''s Officer Manti!" the centaurs stopped and breathed out. They pat themselves on the back as if they contributed to the chase. "It''s him again! Let me punch him this time!" Ness was about to turn around, but Kidrith interrupted her again by giving Monstein to her. ck feathers appear out of nowhere as the ce darkens as if the clouds loom over. A pair of wings revealed themselves on Kidrith''s back. "Joren, can I?" a whip materialized into her hand while her eyes became that of a serpent. Fear and negative emotions were amplified to those who were near her. Even Officer Manti felt backing away when an unknown creature emerged among the targets. "Sure¡­" Joren put up a thumbs up. Hearing this permission, Kidrith flew up, making the Office Manti flinch. He stopped, and with a cautious expression, he asked. "Who ar-" PAK* A p so crisp it sounded like an explosion. Officer Manti''s eyes immediately went white as he dropped onto the ground. "One hit!?" The centaurs panicked. Officer Manti is a legendary beast! How strong would that woman be to strike Officer Manti one time and knock him off at the same time!? "Only Goddess Eunomia can catch this woman!" After that relevance of power, Kidrith went back and took Joren. "Grab onto him." she huffed, clearly tired in maintaining that form of hers. "Make Jack grab first!" Ness said, surprising Jack. "What made you so kind to me all of a sudden!?" "If you''re at the bottom, you will peep at Virena!" Virena then red at Jack after what Ness said. "I''m homosexual, not bisexual!" But after Monstein grabbed onto Joren''s legs, so did Jack without further argument. If the Goddess of Law Enforcement did arrive, even if Kidrith is a Half-Fury, she wouldn''t be able to do anything. Virena grabbed onto Ness and then onto Jack''s leg. Afterwhich, Kidrith flew away, faster than the speed of sound. Boom!* At the next second, they found themselves in a thick forest. "That''s¡­ that''s my limit for now¡­." Kidrith huffed as she could feel the fatigue all over her body. If not for what Hades did, she would still have enough stamina to encircle that whole world at least three times. "That fear¡­ you are a Half-Fury..!" Ness has no longer a reason to doubt Kidrith after that show of power. But they could not rest yet as dark clouds still loomed above them. "I think you can turn that off now." Jack said, but Kidrith shook her head, "That''s not me." A crackling of thunder could be heard, apanied by shes of light. "That''s Zeus''!" Back to the ninth level, Zeus remembered Joren''s name, and his attack could easily reach him whenever he wills to! "You''re done for! You''re done for, hahaha!" heughed while having bruises and lumps on his head and face. This didn''te from Joren but from Hera, who was still angry. But, as a fellow God, Hera knew that no one could insult a God and escape alive. Back to the forest, the thunderstorm whirled around Joren. "Die, mortal!" Zeus'' shout could be heard behind the clouds. "Protect Joren!" Ness said but a sh of lightning was faster than any of them. Crackle-Boom!* A lightning bolt directly struck Joren on the ground as Monstein was pushed away. "Joren!!" Kidrith''s heart shook as they could feel the weight of the lightning bolt. It was strong enough to shake the ground. -2 health. "That''s a warning to all mortals who dare defies the Gods!" Zeus'' voice echoed before the clouds vanished into nothing. Silence soon pervaded as everyone looked at Joren''s corpse. "I''ll make him undead again!" Virena panicked, but Jack stopped her. "Joren has made an enemy of Hades. Once his soules back to the UnderWorld, Hades will surely lock him up. Even if you try, it''s useless." "..." Virena stopped and just stared at the corpse. "No way¡­" Kidrith muttered as she covered half of her face, about to cry. Ness was the same, and when her tears became watery, the ''corpse'' suddenly moved. "Haaa¡­" Joren yawned before sitting up and scratching his head, wondering what tickled him earlier. "Hm?" He looked at people who were ready to mourn and cry. "Umm¡­ something suddenly woke me up from being¡­ asleep." he couldn''t tell them he was high. "A ghost!" Ness gasped in fear. "Principal, ghosts are normal!" Virena tried to calm her down. "You were just struck by Zeus'' lightning." Kidrith was the one who exined, to which Joren raised an eyebrow. "What? Why would he do that? Did we do something to him?" "..." "Also, where are we¡­." While Joren was talking in the background, the rest of them looked at each other. Is this guy serious? They all thought. "Well, at least he''s alright." Jack tried to create a positive atmosphere. "But, how?" Virena couldn''t help but ask, not knowing that Joren''s ''stupid training'' made him near-invincible to fatal attacks. "Maybe idiots don''t get hurt." She answered herself while feeling relieved that Joren''s face was back to normal. She can finally insult him whenever she wants without feeling flustered. Meanwhile, Kidrith realized that it was because Zeus only used enough power to kill a mortal. She doesn''t know what to call him, but Joren was no mere mortal now. After they all calmed down, they updated Joren on what had happened. "I punched Zeus!?" he couldn''t believe it as he got frustrated at himself. "Yes, now he will hunt you once he learns you''re still alive." Ness sighed. "Damn it!" Joren cursed. "Don''t worry, as long as we get to a human civilization, no myth can get to you!" Ness tried to cheer him up, seeing that he was frustrated about it. "It''s fine, Joren. Didn''t you say you''re going to make an enemy of Zeus too?" Even Virena tried to cheer him up. "Yeah, right. As long as you''re alive, it''s fine." Jack looked at the others as they nodded in agreement. They tried to make light of it, but Joren still seemed frustrated at himself. "I''m ashamed of myself," Joren shook his head, "I could''ve kicked his face too. No, I should''ve crushed his balls so that he wouldn''t be such a predator!" he palmed his face, wasting such an opportunity. Huuu¨C* The wind blew as the group realized their worries were in vain. "He''s Joren, alright." Ness just shrugged it off, feeling tired, before saying, "Then, we should get going and reach the nearest city. The Goddess of Law Enforcement might still catch up to us." "Agreed." Kidrith nodded. "The nearest city here is seven kilometers away." Jack looked at his phone. "How about we get some taxi?" Joren suggested, making everyone look at him with strange eyes. "What?" "So normal, but that will do¡­." Virena replied and added, "And sorry, but the Principal and I don''t have human money, so we''ll be in your favor." "Same here. I never needed human money after all." Jack said. They all looked at Joren, but he shook his head. "All my money was left at my apartment when I was brought to the academy." The only people they could rely on were Kidrith- "I was the head maid of Hades'' Pce, but we aren''t paid human money there." -and Monstein. "Hm?" he only tilted his head, not knowing what they were talking about. Dark expressions covered all of their faces. The blowing of wind was the only thing they could hear once again. Almost all of them have jobs... they didn''t think they wouldn''t have any money. "I guess¡­ we''ll walk." Chapter 98 - [Bonus ] Working For Fast Cash It took the group half a day to reach the nearest city. Thankfully, the sunlight wasn''t much of a bother. On the contrary, Kidrith feels liberated to be under the sun. The only exception would be Virena, the vampire. She was wearing her cloak, but it was clearly not enough as her strength was getting sapped away from her. Joren has to assist her in walking, but Kidrith insisted she''d do it. Virena didn''tin. It is also a problem they cannot run fast as they want to as it is established that myths can''t show their real nature in the surface world, and currently, they are in the surface world. As for boredom¡­ Ness was too talkative for any of them to get bored. "I wonder if we can reach Japan from here!?" "Japan is overseas." Joren crushed her dreams as easily as breathing. But after a momentary depression, Ness continued bbing, and once the topic of money came in, the logical Jack proposed- "How about we take a small dy to gain money? We can sell our things, but that would be too much of a hassle." "You mean taking jobs?" Virena asked weakly as Kidrith opened an umbre she broke. "No, not jobs but more like gigs. We don''t needmitment since we''ll only be staying for a week or so before going to Camelot," Jack exined, "Since I''ve experienced working, I''ll take one with me who doesn''t know what to do. Ness, the former principal, will do the same, and also, Virena¡­ yes?" Jack called out to Virena, who raised her hand. "I will be with the Principal." "Why? That would be impractical because we only have limited professionals-" at that point, Jack remembered that Ness couldn''t be relied on, "Okay, you go with Ness." "Wait, is it me, or is your reasoning rude!?" Ness reacted in the background. "About you, Ms. Kidrith¡­ are you confident in interacting with humans and taking gigs?" Jack asked. Kidrith seemed to be the most mature person other than Virena, so she should be reliable, right? "Alright, I''ll try." Kidrith nodded before giving Jack an inquisitive look, "But, can you tell me what''s a gig first?" "Okay, you go with Joren." Jack changed his mind. "No, Kidrith should be fine on her own," Joren said. Jack was about toin but seeing that Kidrith seemed fired up after hearing Joren''s orders, this seemed better. Then the next one is Monstein. ''I don''t want to be rude, but¡­.'' "Monstein, you''ll go with me." Jack had no other choice, but Monstein shook his head. "I want to be beside them." Monstein pointed at Virena and Ness, "I need to protect them because Joren said I need to." "Wait, Monstein, you don''t need to say that." Joren tried to cover his mouth, but it was already toote. "Eh? Why, Joren?" Ness asked Joren. Even Virena wanted some answers. "It''s just a way for Monstein to redeem himself. After all, he still did something bad and went unpunished." Joren briefly exined. "Okay, that''s alright. But then,stly, how about you, Joren?" "I think I''m going to be fine. I''ve tried some jobs before." Joren then asked, "But how much money are we talking about? "Enough to buy ne tickets and all the expenses needed on this trip." "Sure, I''ll do my best!" Joren pumped his fist. "Then, that''s settled. I don''t care what you do, but it''s best not to show your true selves no matter what. Other than that, you can do anything. It''s all up to you and your values if you willmit a crime to gain money or sell your body." Jack warned. "Alright, but I will never sell my body. My body only belongs to Joren." Kidrith determinedly said, making everyone flustered. "Ah, my body belongs to Joren too!" Ness raised her hand. "P-principal, I don''t think you know what that means¡­." Virena said sadly. Ness frowned, "Hm, but what would Joren need of my body anyway?" "Ness, I thought I''ve taught you enough." Joren said disappointingly. Remembered what he was talking about, Ness'' face went red as she pointed at Kidrith. "Wait, is that what you mean, too?!" "Ye-mff¡­" Virena covered Kidrith''s mouth, "I think it''s nothing like that, Principal. What she means is that she''s Joren''s servant, right?" Kidrith has no choice but to nod. It''s technically the truth too. Earlier, when Kidrith confirmed that she''s a Half-Fury, others got intimidated by her except for Ness. But seeing that she''s still submissive to Joren, they felt relieved. Although the question of why this Half-Fury would submit to Joren still remains, that fact alone closed the great gap between them. Ness then ced her finger on her lip as she looked at Joren, "But Joren¡­ don''t sell your body, okay?" "Why would you think I would?" Joren didn''t know if he shouldugh or cry. "But what type of gigs would you take?" Ness excitedly asked. The dangerous topic finally moved on. After some discussions, Jack dragged the conversation towards some serious matters. "The main problem now is where we should sleep at night." "Shouldn''t we be on our own by then?" Joren said, not fearing that any of them would be subjected to danger. ''If anything else, these guys are the danger.'' On the other hand, Joren was getting excited to meet other humans like himself again. ''Without Kidrith, I wouldn''t be tempted and can get some time to rx.'' Eventually, the group reached the city. They all have extraordinary physiques, so they didn''t feel tired, except for Virena, as they entered the outskirts of the city. Kidrith wobbled on her steps as she got confused by all the business happening left and right. At the same time, men and women would look at their odd group. Kidrith was still wearing her maid outfit while Virena was suspiciously covering her body. However, the most prominent thing noticed is their attractive appearance. Not knowing that Joren was unintentionally shooing their new admirers away, the group effortlessly ''strutted'' into the city downtown, where the pathways were filled with people. Entering the nearby park, the group began to n again. "The first thing to do is to change your clothes, Ms. Kidrith," Jack said while unting his blonde hair in public, though his face is still partly beaten up. "Stop that," Ness said with deadpan eyes. "Alright, let''s all meet here in a week at the same time. Got that?" Joren pointed down, to which everyone nodded. "I will make myself most useful, Joren!" Kidrith said. "Oh, how about a bet which makes more money," Jack revealed a cunning smile. "Is that a challenge?" Ness'' replied with a confident smile too. "No, I just said it''s a bet." Jack didn''t y along. "Then, a bet it is! The loser has to kneel in front of the winner and dance!" Ness immediately ced the wager. Kidrith got an idea and looked at Joren, "The loser will have to listen and make one of the winner''s requests." "I can already do that with you, but okay. If you beat me, I''ll listen to one of your requests." Kidrith''s eyes red with determination. Virena and Monstein were the only ones out of it. Though they are on Ness'' team, so technically, they''re a part of it. Eventually, the group disbanded. "Everyone, good luck!" Joren said and waved before breathing the city air. "Haa¡­ smells like pollution and smoke. What gig should I do?" ¡­ Ness led both Virena and Mostein while they walked under the convenient shadows. "Principal, I think we should look at manualbors first before-" "An arcade!?" Ness'' eyes shone and made a gasping expression while pointing at the arcade at the end of the street. "But¡­ okay, let''s look for a gig there!" Virena supported. Meanwhile, Monstein looked for suspicious people who might put these two girls in danger. ¡­ Kidrith was asking around to ask some questions when a man in a suit ambushed her. "Hey, do you have a minute?" he looked at Kidrith up and down and nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, what is it?" Kidrith gave him a chance to speak. "Do you want to work as a model?" "Work? Do I get paid?" The manughed, "Tons of money!" "Okay, so, what do I do as a model?" Kidrith curiously inquired. ¡­ Jack looked around, and basing it on his experience, there''s only one job appropriate for him. "Working in a gay bar!" As all of them worked hard to make short-term cash, a week quickly passed by¡­ On the promised day, Jack arrived first at the park. While waiting, he fashionably pushed his sses up while holding a briefcase. "I wonder what everyone aplished in this past week?" he smiled, "It wouldn''t be surprising if any of you didn''t even have enough money to eat. But don''t worry, I have enough money for all of us." He became a tutor.. Very fitting for his past work experience. Chapter 99 - [Bonus ] The Perverts In the past few weeks, Jack has experienced the ups and downs of life. He was kicked out of the gay bar due to multiple usations of sexual harassment that were libelous! Well, ording to the person himself. On the second day, he found himself pointlessly walking around the city. His world was getting darker as he was kicked out of his dream job. That was when Jack saw a poster about parents wanting to have a tutor. Seeing this, a lightning bolt struck him upon realization as he said, "Who would hire strangers to tutor their kids?" he mockingly said before leaving. A momentter, something dawned upon him! Jack couldn''t help but p himself on the face. "Why didn''t I think of that!?" he came running back to the poster. On the third day, posters of Jack were all over the streets. [Want a stranger to jerk you off? Call this number¡­] "Mom, what does it mean to jerk you off?" "Sh-! Don''t look at him, or you''ll turn like a pervert!" Turning deaf ears to these ''libelous'' statements, Jack was a little bit proud of himself. Last night, he had to beg the people in aputer shop to let him print these posters and promised that he would suck the owner for each printed paper. The owner gave in and printed the paper to beg Jack to do anything but that. "Excuse me, are you the one who''s been posting these posters all over the ce?" two police officers arrived. They are clearly aware that it was him since they''ve been watching -andughing at- him for a while now, but they still have to ask. ''My first customers!'' Jack was about to say yes when an olddy with a cane suddenly interrupted. "No, he did not." "What?" Jack and the two police officers were baffled. Jack was about to question the olddy when he saw her wink at him. ''Does she think we didn''t see that?'' the two police officers looked at each other. Jack understood what she was implying and answered. "Yes, it''s me!" he made a perverse motion on his hand, "The price is negotiabl-!" Pak* a cane suddenly hit him on the head. "Sorry, officers, but this son of mine is mentally unstable. Could you let him off if we took all the posters down?" the olddy pleaded with a sweet voice. The police officers nced at each other. They had their fun earlier, so why not let him off, right? One of them looked at the olddy and smiled. "No," Jack was locked up in a cell for one night since he couldn''t pay the fine. "What went wrong?" his body trembled, not understanding how his business was failing, "Men should be filled with lustful thoughts!" "That line of thinking is wrong, young man!" Jack looked and saw the olddy. "Y-you¡­!" This fateful encounter changed Jack''s life. "Okay, enter the cell, olddy." the police then opened the cell, and the olddy entered. "Hey, what are you doing locking up an olddy!?" "That olddy is a maniptor, bringing people into the path of no return. In other words, she''s a pimp and was given the name Lady McPimp! The crime rate has been increasingtely, so she''ll be staying here as her trial waits. As a younger inmate, you are obligated to assist her." "Ldy McPimp!? Is that why you''re motivating me earlier!?" Jack looked at the olddy with surprise. "I was trying to save you from getting caught, you fool!" the olddy hit him with a cane before smiling wide, "But do not worry, I have a secret n- ack! Heart attack!" She shouted and wailed in pain, convulsing on the ground. "Oh no, she got attack on the heart again!" "Bring her to the hospital!" ¡­ "So, when I got out of the cell the next day, I epted the job of tutoring from a rich family, and I got this money, Ms. Kidrith." Jack''s story ended. "Wow, that was a waste of time for me," Kidrith said with half-closed eyes. She was no longer wearing her maid outfit but an office suit instead. "Well, how about you, Ms. Kidrith? What gig did you take, and do you think you will beat Joren with it?" Kidrith nodded, "At first, I was offered a job as a model." "A model!?" "But I declined." "Why¡­?" "Because he said I would sell myself high, and I promised Joren I wouldn''t sell myself." "I don''t think¡­ that''s what he met." ¡­ After Kidrith declined the job, the man still gave her a card. But she didn''t have a phone with her, so she threw it away. She still got some information from the man, though. She had to be aggressive! So, Kidrith went into the nearest building, and when she stood in front of it, the door automatically opened. ''Did I pass the first test?'' Jack: [No, I think that''s just what an automatic door does. That''s not some mythical door that opens up to the chosen ones or something.] Kidrith: [I know that already, don''t interrupt my story.] Kidrith strutted into the building, captivating everyone who saw her. Reaching the desk, she aggressively forwarded. "I want a job." The staff was baffled by her charisma. But she was declined since she doesn''t have her resume and didn''t get an appointment. ''So, everything''s online now.'' Walking alone as the sunsets, a car parked beside her. "Hey, pretty, do you have somewhere to go?" a middle-aged man creepily looked at him. "I want to get a job." "Ohohoho, I''ll give you a job, alright." "Really?" Kidrith stepped into the car and asked. "So, what kind of job do I get?" "Do you know what a sugar daughter is? I''ll give you everything you want." Jack: [Grrr¡­! I''m not jealous!!!] "Oh, but I want a phone and money." Kidrith wondered if this is how a job works. After all, she worked at the pce for countless years and got nothing in return. So, maybe, she will get something in return for doing nothing this time! "You don''t have a phone? Poor you, baby girl. How about I give you the most expensive one and tons of cash?" The middle-aged man salivated as he looked at Kidrith''s voluptuous body. "Sure, I want it now. I have limited time. Also, I''m not a baby." "What an impatient girl. Alright, alright, I''ll give it to you." Jack: [So, he thought you''re a homeless girl? Well, he''s not wrong.] The rich middle-aged man bought everything Kidrith pointed in the mall as if he''s under the effects of a love potion. He couldn''t be med. Kidrith is literally on the leagues of Goddess, after all. He felt the urge to do everything to get her. After spending a lot, they were about to go to return to the car when Kidrith bowed. "Thank you for all the things you bought for me. I will never forget this gratitude." "Yes, you can definitely repay that grati- hey, wait! Where are you going!?" The middle-aged man''s expression shifted from excited to shock when Kidrith suddenly turned around and walked away. "I have money now, so I''m thinking of staying somewhere else for the night." "H-huh? Why¡­ why don''t I give a ce to stay for the night?" the middle-aged man offered, thinking that Kidrith was as naive as a child. "Hm, okay." Kidrith entered the car as the middle-aged man drove to a five-star hotel. Entering the room, Kidrith raised an eyebrow. "Why are you here?" She asked the middle-aged man who was about to take a bath. Jack: [I would be hurt if I''m in his position.] "Hm¡­ you still don''t know? Well, well, I''ll teach it to you, baby girl." Jack: [He adapted¡­ he''s tough.] "Teach me what?" "The adult ways." the middle-aged man then dropped his robe, making Kidrith''s face twitch in disgust. The man then pointed at his angry thing and said, "Come on, try putting it in your mouth first." his face was flushed as if he was high. Jack: [Why did no one offer me this!? Though, I wouldn''t like this creepy middle-aged man, the physical manifestation of the words "ugly bastard."] Kidrith: [I said don''t interrupt me, it''s getting to the good part.] Jack: [Did you give Joren the green hat!?] Kidrith: [Green what? Wait, just let me continue first.] "No, that''s disgusting." Kidrith straightforwardly replied. "Oh,e on. You''ll like it! Weren''t your eyes glued to my crotch earlier!?" "No, do you think you''re Joren?" "Joren¡­? So, you have a man." the middle-aged man''s face contorted to an ugly frown. Thinking that this Goddess won''t submit and has another man in her head turned him crazy mad, "Too bad, you''re not going anywhere! You will listen to me whether you like it or not!" Jack: [He turned into a rapist¡­ what a surprise¡­] Remembering what Joren told her when encountering perverts -other than him-, Kidrith stepped forward and kicked the middle-aged man in the balls. Crack* Jack: [O-ouch¡­] Kidrith didn''t say anything more, took the man''s keys, walked out of the hotel as if nothing had happened, and took the car away. Jack: [That''s stealing, and also, you took all the things he bought for you. I know he deserves it, and I don''t have a problem with doing a crime, but¡­ damn.] Kidrith: [He said he would give it to me, so I took it. That''s not a crime, is it? Driving the lovely car was moreplicated than I thought, but I learned midway. I was watching him drive the whole time.] Jack: [Oh, so that''s why the ugly bastard said your eyes are glued to his crotch. He''s fantasizing too much.] Sleeping in the car and changing there right after, Kidrith went on to make her resume on the second day. She still has to figure out how the hell a phone works and what is a resume in the first ce, so she only finished it on the third day¡­ "So, after applying, I got epted into thatpany and I never saw the perverted man again." Kidrith pointed at thergest building in the city. "You really got a job¡­ even though we are only searching for a gig. How did you even got epted?" "I don''t know, they said someone there who''s high-ranking and a rising talent really likes me." Chapter 100 - [Bonus ]The Letter "It''s good that we have you." Jack forced out the words from his mouth. He felt his hard work was for naught. But, not necessarily. What could a few days in the office give? "Just for confirmation, how much did you actually get?" "I don''t know how big this is, but I got a thousand dors after I resigned." "How!?" Kidrith shrugged her shoulders. She didn''t want to tell that she didn''t learn anything even a few days in that office. What she did learn, though, was where the bathroom was and how to y minesweeper to pass the time. It was still hard work for her to be in a new environment with so many flirting men¡­ sort of. Oh, also, she learned how to use social media. She can''t wait to tell Joren about it. "Hello, Jack, Kidrith." A familiar voice suddenly took both'' attention as they didn''t notice that three people had already arrived. One was a teenage girl with peach hair. She had a smug look on her face as she wore dor sign sses. She fans herself with money paper to further unt her richness. "How have you been?" Jack''s eyes died for a second there as he replied with a monotonic voice, "I''m fine, how are you, Ness?" "I''m rich- I mean, I''m good." Ness covered her lips with the cash made into a fan as if she had made an honest mistake. "What did you do to get that ric-" "Wait, Ms. Kidrith," Jack stopped her and looked at Virena, "What did you do to get that money?" "Don''t ignore me!" Meanwhile, Virena was stunned to see a handsome man here. Before, Jack''s face was beaten up badly by Kidrith before, but after a week or so, he fully recovered. ''Oh, no¡­'' She held her chest and was about to panic when- ''Wait, I don''t feel anything¡­.'' Virena frowned as she stared at Jack. Before long, she shrugged her shoulders, ''Maybe because it''s just Jack that I don''t feel anything.'' "The Principal and I were hired at the arcade. As for Monstein, they said he was too young." Virena answered, but Jack still didn''t know how that was possible for them to get so much money. Though he didn''t doubt them. From what Ness was showing, it is safe to assume they gained a lot. "If you''re wondering how we were abl-" "What kind of job paid you so well in the span of a week?" Jack asked Virena. "I said don''t ignore me!" "On the third day since we got the job, the arcade was suddenly featured as a venue for a tournament, and the Principal was promoted as the host since she knows a lot about the game," Virena answered, making Jack bitterly nod. "And, she''s particrly nosy about it too, so it would keep the ce lively," he muttered. "I''d rather say charismatic than nosy." Ness puffed her chest. While listening, Kidrith then noticed the injuries on Monstein. He was still smiling like he used to so, it took her some time to notice this. When she was about to point it out, Ness stepped in- "Also, you wouldn''t believe it, but on the first night, Virena was kidnapped!" ¡­ On the morning of the second day, Ness woke up and saw that Virena was not beside her. They were permitted to sleep in the arcade, making them guards simultaneously. When Ness opened the arcade, she saw Virena carrying Monstein, who was deeply wounded. "Virena, what happened!?" "I was kidnapped, but Monstein came to save me." "Oh, okay." ¡­ "Wait, that was it!?" Jack couldn''t help but raise his voice, "Doesn''t that mean you just slept through the whole thing? Virena, what really happened?" Before answering the question, Virena looked at Ness and bowed, "Principal, I''m so sorry!" "Eh, w-why?" "Actually, I wasn''t kidnapped." Virena confessed, "Actually, on the first night, I received a letter from a stranger." "Ah, I remember that, but didn''t you say it was nothing? I thought it was just someone who had a crush on you. After all, everyone was ncing at you at the arcade." Ness scratched her head. "No, actually¡­" ¡­ When the arcade owner had just left, and the ce was about to close, a stranger came knocking in. "Sorry, we''re closed." Virena, who was in charge of cleaning after the ce''s closing time, said. "No, please, I was just sent here to give this letter. You''re the only one with red hair and a pretty face here! Please, just take this paper and tell him not to hurt me!" The man desperately said while he showed a folded paper. Meanwhile, Ness was looking at the vintage games collection of the owner. This was her chance after the owner had just left. After seeing everything, she came out of the storage room and saw Virena reading a paper. "Virena, what''s that?" Ness curiously asked as she hopped to Virena''s side. "It''s nothing, Principal." Virena threw the paper in the trash can. "Ah, didn''t I say stop calling me Principal?" "But¡­ I couldn''t possibly just call you by your name." "Hmm¡­ well, whatever makes youfortable." Ness let her off. At the same time, Monstein came back with a smile, raising the stic bags that he bought from downtown. "Human street foods!" Ness drooled while Virena asked, "Didn''t you have any problem with buying these?" Monstein shook his head, "Nope, there were even other kids out there." He was not a kid, but because of his outer appearance, he was considered as one. After eating, Ness and Virena took a bath while Monstein was already asleep at the front desk. He said he wasfortable there and would be the first to know of any intruder. Meanwhile, the girls would use the staff room. Once everyone was asleep, Virena sat up from the couch as she was fully awake. Vampires are nocturnal beings. Walking out of the arcade shop, she became the shadow and traveled in the city. She didn''t notice that Monstein saw her and followed her. Monstein had already seen Ness''s power himself, so he was confident leaving her alone. As for Virena, she was strong- a vampire- but she was still young and could still be subjected to danger. That was why he followed her. Eventually, they reached an odd ce near the cemetery. It was an unpopted ce in contrast to the nightlife of the city. There were statues of winged and horned creatures everywhere. Monstein has a bad feeling about this. Virena fearlessly walked into the ce and towards the mansion-like structure in the middle of the ominous area. This structure is an old abandoned cathedral. When she finally realized what this ce was, it was toote as a mild earthquake urred within the surroundings. "Oh no-!" Virena immediately turned into a shadow and was about to escape when one of the statues broke the line of shadow she was traveling through by barbaricallynding on it. Once Virena came out from the ground, she was surrounded by dozens of giant statues in a blink of an eye. No, instead, demonic beings that resemble that of a statue. "Gargoyles¡­" she muttered. There were many gargoyles, and they came from all sizes. One of them was even wearing a suit and had the most humanoid appearance except for his stone-like skin and chimeric horns, tail, and wings. "What is vampire doing in our territory?" He asked with a genuinely puzzled tone. "I thought they were driven extinct by humans centuries ago?" A female gargoyle said while sitting atop the cathedral. "Yeah, I thought so too, but isn''t this one rtively young?" the male gargoyle asked as he walked around the Virena. "Should we kill her, boss?" one of the giant gargoyles asked. "She''s a unique creature. Wouldn''t it be better to sell her than to kill her?" the female gargoyle asked which the male gargoyle, who the big one called boss, nodded. "Sure, capture her. It''s not like we can kill an immortal vampire without being able to hold a cross ourselves anyway." After the order, the golem-like creature simply reached out its hand in an attempt to grab Virena, but a small figure came in between and blocked this hand. "Monstein!?" Virena eximed in surprise. "A zombie?" the gargoyle boss was also surprised to see a zombie and a vampire on the same side. "Miss Virena, please run! They are strong!" Monstein shouted, but Virena shook her head and whispered to him. "We need to stall time since I can''t leave you here." "Huh? Why?" Monstein said as he was being pushed back. Instead of answering the question, Virena became serious and kicked the arm pushing Monstein back. Boom* Fragments flew all over with one strike. "She''s a vampire, all right!" the boss gargoyleughed, not fearing her, "You think you''re the only one immortal here, girl?" As he said that, the stone fragments flew back towards the owner. The giant gargoyleughed as it had wholly restored its hand¡­ sort of. "Wait, where are my fingers?" It noticed that it had three missing fingers, "Hm?" "Hey¡­ how did that zombie get the stone?" the gargoyles, that werecently watching from the sideline, asked and pointed out. Everyone''s attention was then ced on Monstein, whose arm to his shoulders was covered by a stony mass. "You are misunderstanding him. He''s not a zombie. He''s Frankenstein''s legendary Monster, Monstein." Virena introduced Monstein as the two of them faced the dozens of aggressive gargoyles. "I can''t believe it," the smile on the gargoyle''s boss vanished. "Kill the monster first while not letting the vampire escape," he ordered. Chapter 101 - The Gargoyles Upon seeing the severity of the situation, more gargoyles joined the battle. Without any warning, one had already flown, creating a wild breeze in the surroundings and diving in with one fist forward. Monstein was cornered from all sides, not knowing who would attack first. This diving gargoyle came out of nowhere from his perspective. Monstein is not the fighting type of being. He''s one who uses pure brute strength to rampage through the battle, overwhelming almost everyone. However, the hurdle to power up is still significant. At the very least, he should defeat one of them to be stronger, and the irony enters there as he wasn''t strong enough to aplish that first step. Like a key locked inside its own cage, fortunately, he was not the only one there. The red-headed vampire instantly reacted brutely, countered the diving fist with her own. That confidence of hers stemmed from her strength. This was proven when her fist unstoppably crashed into the gargoyle. It dove to be obliterated. The stone fragments didn''t fall onto the ground. Instead, they all flew towards Monstein, armoring his entirety. While this all happens, new rounds of attacks from multiple gargoyles are already on their way to the pair. "Stop him!" Two of the huge gargoyles mmed their fists towards each enemy. This is where Virena''s limits show up. She couldn''t at two ces at once. Crash* Monstein''s new armor was partially destroyed from the impact, and so was the fist of the huge gargoyle. Virena, on the other hand, did what she always did, smashing these statue-like creatures into smithereens. Like a forcefield, new fragments swirled around Monstein, recovering and increasing his armor. "Is that really the legendary Frankenstein?!" The gargoyles out of the battle were panicking, but the gargoyle boss raised his hand and stopped their concerns. "There''s no need for worry. We will be fine." "But, boss, at this rate, Frankenstein going to get stronger and stronger with the vampire''s strength!" "Nope," the gargoyle boss calmly shook his head, "our win is but guaranteed. Frankenstein''s strength came from ours, so every sh would result in a neutral oue. Once the vampire''s stamina reaches its limits, that''s when we will overwhelm the monster with numbers." "Doesn''t that alles down to the vampire''s stamina?" the gargoyles looked and only saw an unstoppable force smashing through their allies, "Boss, she doesn''t seem like she will be stopping soon¡­." The gargoyle boss rolled his eyes and exined, "Do we have blood, huh!? She will eventually reach her limit, and with her only source of blood, Frankenstein, whom I don''t even know if he''s an organism at this point, is covered in stone armor. Can''t you think for a minute!?" The group of gargoyles was taken aback. They were not surprised at their boss getting angry at them. They were surprised that they didn''t think of this. And just like what the gargoyle boss had predicted, Virena''s energy began to wear off. Not only was she exerting enough force to smash through the giants, but she''s also taking considerable damages that cannot be seen with the naked eye. She''s constantly recovering, attacking, and guarding against the seemingly endless enemy. If Monstein weren''t there, then these gargoyles, who were powered by the moonlight, would juste back to their original form after every sh. Monstein, who has now turned into something like a golem, saw Virena beginning to slow down. He gave one of the giants a punch before running towards her. "Must¡­ protect!" He couldn''t fail Joren by all means. He swung his monstrous arm towards the smaller gargoyles in the air. However, they easily dodged him like flies. The bigger, the stronger; the smaller, the nimbler. Ignoring the smaller ones, Monstein charged into one of the giants about to hammer its fists down towards Virena. Boom* Standing five meters tall, the two began to exchange destructive attacks. In contrast, Virena would sink into the shadow and surprise the ones with her size. She had to give Monstein power-ups as much as possible as she could feel her strength dwindling. However, with how big Monstein is, smaller fragments no longer boost him as he is cornered by more giants. "Just a little more!" Virena shouted, not knowing if Monstein could hear her or not. "That vampire¡­ she''s annihting every human-size gargoyle we have." the woman gargoyle flew towards the boss in worry. "We still have me if worsees to worst." The boss gargoyle said with still a calm tone. Hearing this made others feel relieved. Crash* One of the giants has punched through Monstein''s stone armor as a muffled shout of pain could be heard within. The fragments that left him went back to form the smaller gargoyles again. "Hahaha, one more!" the giantughed and was about to give another strike when Virena came with a dropkick, not only stopping the fist but also destroying the whole arm. "Gahh!" The second giant dove forward with its upper arm at the front, intending to collide with Virena. Mid through it, Virena looked for any nearby shadow where she could sink in. However, she was far from the ground¡­ She received the giant''s full charge and weight without any defense except raising and crossing her arms. Bam* Virena helplessly hell to the ground, crashing into the ground. "Ugh¡­!" she gritted her teeth as dizziness clouded her mind. The only thing she can remember at that point is another giant, not a gargoyle, standing in front of her. Fragments after fragments were shaved off until Monstein was back to his original size while the gargoyle''s number went back from the start. "So, Frankenstein doesn''t have any blood. How fortunate. Vampires are at their best after a warm drink of it, after all." The gargoyle boss smile, not surprised at this ending. He walked and stood in front of Monstein, who could even barely stand. "I will¡­ protect her!" Monstein spread his arms in an attempt to cover Virena. Hearing this, thetter would be ashamed if she were to justy down there. "No, it''s fine¡­" she said as she pulled Monstein back and faced the gargoyle boss herself. But like Monstein, she was wobbling. Obvious that one solid hit made her paralyzed. It''s surprising to see her standing up like this. "You''re all dead," she said, making the gargoyles look at each other. They don''t know if they shouldugh at this. How could she still say that when they were back at square one but could even barely stand? "Dead? I don''t think so." the gargoyle boss said with scorn as he just passed through Virena to deliver the final kill to Monstein. In his eyes, Monstein was too dangerous to keep alive. But a hand grabbed onto his shoulder. "Stop¡­" Virena said. Even though she was dizzy and barely even knew what was happening, she could put all her power into that one grip. Crack* The gargoyle boss'' arm received webs of cracks from the grip alone, making the other gargoyles surprised. However, the boss just simply held her wrist with a tighter and firmer grip. "Argh¡­" Virena groaned in pain as her hand was pulled from its clutch. From this, it''s revealed that the gargoyle boss'' pure strength was more than the vampire. "You will sell high." the gargoyle boss smiled when, out of nowhere, a hand got a hold of his wrist too. "Sorry, she''s not for sale." The hand further tightened its grip, shattering the boss'' wrist. Seeing this man, the edge of Virena''s lips curled as she fell to his chest. "Wait, don''t sleep yet." The newly-arrival man took out a gun and pointed it near his shoulder. Boom!* Instead of the sound of a gunshot, it was like a cannon rather, but even that only grazed the man''s skin, making a few droplets of bloode out. Virena''s instincts kicked in with the delicious smell entering her nostrils. At the next moment, she tried to sink her fangs into the target''s neck but failed as she felt her fangs would break if she continued to for it. She had no choice but to sip the wound. Meanwhile, the gargoyle boss was stunned at seeing his own wrist in pieces while his hand fell limply to the ground. Though this shattered wrist instantly recovered, it still shocked him as this body waspressed stones. He was harder than diamond and heavier than the giants. That''s why he''s the boss. Soon afterward, Virena felt so full after a few sips. Her mind went frenzy and with this energy, she felt like she can kill everyone there in an instant. However, when the man leaned forward, instead ofshing out to him first, she stood still. "Thank you and sorry I''m a bitte. Take Monstein out of here and tell him good job." Virena nodded and even though she was filled with bloodlust, she followed the man''s orders. Before everyone''s eyes, she disappeared and reappeared where Monstein was lying down. Just like her, when he saw this man arrive, he was filed with relief that he let loose and fainted. "Stop her!" the gargoyle woman shouted when she was the first to react to Virena''s actions. Boom!* With a pull of a trigger, dozens of gargoyles were pulverized in a straight line by a strong st. Virena saw this straight open path as an escape route. She can''t sink into the shadow with Monstein in her hands so she ran through. She was fast, sure, but anyone could''ve blocked her path. The reason why none did was that they all stared at the man who opened fire with their jaws dropped. "He pointed THAT at himself earlier!?" At that moment, the gargoyle boss remembered Virena''s words earlier. Just like how the seemingly unstoppable vampire earlier had her limits, the gargoyles, too, have it. ¡­ "Who''s that man!?" Ness was intrigued. "A man with a gun?" Jack thought back and didn''t know that Virena knew someone so powerful. Kidrith was surprised to see that none of them knew who that man is, "Oh, that man must be-" "Hey!" A man''s voice caught all of their attention. They all looked and saw Joren in a suit waving at them.. That is, after getting off a limousine driven by someone Kidrith was familiar with. Chapter 102 - Office Worker "Joren!!" Ness, Monstein, and Kidrith would gather around him upon his arrival. "I miss you," Kidrith whispered while she buried her face into his back. It''s been a week since she hasn''t seen him. That''s longer than how long they''ve been together. Joren held her hand while patting Ness'' head, who hugged him in front. "Am I the only one missing?" he asked. Jack and Virena looked at each other before nodding. "Alright, let''s go!" Joren raised his fist, not caring about getting too much attention in public. "Wait!" Jack stopped him. "Oh, Sir Jack, your face seemed fine now." "Yes, umm, but before we go, can you-" "Chief!" Cutting off Jack''s request, a voice took everyone''s attention. When they looked at the source, they saw a prettydy with sses running towards them. For the girls, it was hard to look at her with her ginormous breasts relentlessly bouncing as she ran. For the boys¡­ "Jessie, what are you doing?" Joren asked once thedy arrived, "Don''t you have work to do?" "Chief!" ignoring his question, Jessie forced out a question of her own between huffs, "is it true¡­ you''re quitting?" "How did you know?" "I saw your resignation paper. But I couldn''t believe it!" Jessie shouted. "Wait, first of all, who are you?" Kidrith cautiously stood between thedy and Joren. ¡­ Jack: [Wait, you have a story too? And, it''s in first-person.] It was just an ordinary day. My desk is just filled with papers that need to be done. It was painfully uneventful. Virena: [...] The day only became a little interesting when a rumor began spreading out. They say a beautiful woman wearing a maid outfit wanted a job. Jack: [Hey, isn''t that-] Kidrith: [No] It was funny how they were so desperate for entertainment that they created aical rumor. Jack: [But-] Kidrith: [No] Then, out of nowhere, our department head introduced a new worker. His name is Joren Vierei. At one look, you know that he''s a good-for-nothing thug who only got epted because of luck and intimidation. He doesn''t know a thing in the office, but since everyone was scared of him, they didn''t give him any job. The senior who was supposed to guide him passed it onto me since I''m a newbie who just entered thepany six months ago. I couldn''t decline. So, I answered many of his questions, and he was surprisingly quick to learn. Then, the next day, he was no longer there at our department. We all thought that he quit or was fired immediately for some reason we aren''t surprised about. Though, I thought it was a shame for a talent like him to disappear. At the same time, I was called to the head office. Arriving there, instead of the department head sitting behind the desk, it was a new worker, Joren Vierei. I was stunned at first, thinking that he must''ve barged in and sat on the chair without permission. I tried to reprimand him. "Joren, this is uneptable. If you were caught, I don''t even know the punishment for you." "Miss Jessie, don''t worry, this is my desk from now on." "Huh? What are you saying? If you don''t stop joking, I''m sorry, but I''ll have to report you. I will receive a penalty as well if I let you on your own." The new worker sighed as if bothered. Thinking that my words were taking effect, I waited for him to stand up from the chair. "My ID would take a while, so I don''t have any proof except for this contract." taking a paper out of his drawer, he slid it towards me. Curious, I read the paper, and it''s a notice that says Joren will rece the department head. "Didn''t you read a memorandum of this posted at the notice board?" I wasn''t able to answer since I skimmed through the paper to see, in the end, there''s thepany''s signature. I don''t know if this was forged or not. I was still skeptical. I learned that Joren is not bad, so what would he get by forging this paper? But still, how can a new worker who was just learning yesterday is now our department head. While I was stunned, he continued. "I called you here to ask you if you want a promotion?" "A what?" A promotion. Something that almost all workers would desire. Unless there''s a special circumstance, there is no way I wouldn''t want a promotion. "Yesterday, you''re the only one who helped me through the office. I feel like I owe you. Why don''t you continue guiding me and be my secretary?" Virena: [I''m sure it''s also because she has huge knocke-] Joren: [Ehem! She''s very hardworking.] Me, a secretary? I can''t wrap my head around the situation. The junior that I was just guiding yesterday was now talking about promoting me and making me his secretary. "Uhm, if this is true, then yes, please!" I don''t know why I waspelled to believe him. Maybe it was because of the unwavering confidence he had behind his words. Once it was confirmed that the new worker had be the department head, shock spread throughout thepany. However, it did not stop there. In a matter of days, ourpany was undertaking massive changes until our talented department head became a member of the executive board, the most influential group in thepany, on the fourth day. I only learned of his activities due to the nature of my job. Instead of doing manual work, Joren was actively proposing projects one after another. All of them were super risky. These projects will only work if other affiliatedpanies put themselves at a disadvantage in these partnerships. But if we seed, ourpany will step up. Surprisingly, all of his proposals were epted. I was joyous as his sess meant mine too. Even I, the one beside him, doesn''t know what magic he was putting on his work, but, ever since he arrived, ourpany has be thergest in the city. Again, in a matter of days! However, not everything could be credited to him. Although strange, our rivalpanies would enter different crises. Nobody knows why but we are all happy thepany we''re working for is rising on the top. That would give hope that even without promotion, their sries would increase. On the fifth day, there was a greaty-off. Thepany wants to invest in high-skilled personnel so that the high pay would be appropriate. I was safe since Joren just became CEO for some reasons I don''t understand. It''s not even a week yet. Thepany seemed so different. But on the seventh day, I didn''t see him at his office as usual. Instead, I learned that he submitted his resignation letter. ¡­ "That brings us to this moment." Jessie finished her story, "Chief, why would you resign. You could make thispany a multi-billionpany! You could be standing on top of the world by the end of the year and would be the richest man alive after five years!" She couldn''t believe someone would waste such an opportunity, making her unable to restrain her voice. "Sorry, but money''s not everything to me." Joren shook his head, "I was only stopping by, but we will see each other again soon." he then handed a business card to her. Seeing this, tears came out of Jessie''s eyes. "I''m the one who made these cards." "Contact me whenever you want to." Joren made a calling hand gesture. After some pause, Jessie nodded and epted that a talented man like Joren shouldn''t be bound by their smallpany. "Don''t run back. Make your new CEO drive you back." He pointed at the car that drove him there. "Tell him he got his position back." "Yes, Chief!" Jessie restrained herself from crying before running off to the car. Seeing this, Kidrith confirmed something. Before the car drove off, she walked there and knocked on the car window. It soon rolled down, and the man who once tried to sexually harass Kidrith showed himself. He was entranced by Kidrith''s beauty again but noticing Joren''s stare, he lowered his head. Kidrith then took out a car key from her pouch and returned it to the man. "Thank you for the car. I learned how to drive because of it." she then pointed at the parked car. "M-my car!" He shouted not in happiness but in shock since it was filled the car was full of dents and scratches as if it was driven down the moutain. "It was a lovely car." Kidrith smiled to which the man sadly nodded. "Yes, it was." Virena saw the car too and reacted, "Ah, that car¡­" "What about it?" asked Jack. "When I took Monstein and was about to bring him back, I didn''t notice that a gargoyle was following me. If stopped to fight, the sun would rise soon and I would be to weak to bring Monstein hope as he needs immediate care. However, when the gargoyle was about to reach us, a car swerved and hit it." When Kidrith returned to the group, Virena thanked her. "So, it was you, Ms. Kidrith. If you didn''t crash into that gargoyle, the sun would''ve gotten me." "... ah, it''s nothing." Kidrith couldn''t tell that the gargoyle wasn''t the first thing she hit on the road while learning how to drive. Chapter 103 - Ruling From The Dark "Then, we should get going, or we''ll bete for our flight." Joren suddenly said. "You booked us a flight already? Just how much did you earn?" Jack finally went to the most crucial question. "Ah¡­ it''s embarrassing, but it didn''t reach a million." Joren scratched his head while leading them to a van that he rented. "Huh, so you almost reach a million!? Is that what you''re saying!? How is that possible in a week!?" Towards Jack''s doubt, Joren frowned, "What are you saying, Sir Jack? Some CEOs make hundreds of millions of dors per year." "And? What''s your point!?" "Let me drive!" Kidrith immediately said when they entered the van. Nodding, Joren gave her the keys. "Wow!" Ness excitedly entered the van, impressed. Sitting beside her in the middle while Jack and Monstein sat at the back, Virena asked Joren. "What happened? I doubt you even know how to run apany." "Yes¡­" Joren nodded¡­ ¡­ It all began when we parted ways. "Haa¡­ smells like pollution and smoke. What gig should I do?" I pondered a little bit about how I should make money here fast. I asked myself, what gig would bring in the most money? "Ah, I should go and beat the leader of the biggest gang here." Jack: [I think there''s a slight problem in your flow of logic there. Did we miss something?] What is my greatest skill right now? It''s not the experience I gain from the past but the strength I have right now. By using that trait, I would control the group that dominates the city from its shadows. Before that, I applied at the nearestpany first as a backup n. Not every city has this underground group, after all. I intimidated the employers a little bit before I was taken in and was even given a suit. After a day of work, I picked up what I had left off. The trick to finding them is to go where most people wouldn''t want to. Anything abandoned or forbidden to enter sometimes is their hideout. These guys would either nestle in an unpopted area, the underground, or when it''s dark at night. So, after walking around for a bit, I found their den. Obviously, I don''t have to use all of my strength. I just have to use power sufficient to overwhelm the whole group. "Is this the head group, or are you guys still following someone''s orders?" I pointed a gun at the gang leader''s head while I sat on his back. He acted overbearing at first, thinking he''s the toughest out there. Now, he was one step away from crying. Meanwhile, his men were all pointing their pitiful guns they call weapons at me. However, none of them could pull the trigger since I have a hostage. "You¡­ you don''t want to know¡­." "I don''t want to know, or you don''t want me to know? Wait, no, don''t answer that. A bullet into your head or the answer out of your mouth?" Once I said a cool line, he finally answered¡­ Gargoyles. What do you know? I''ve already encountered a myth. I didn''t even notice them before. Of course, I don''t trust him. What if this was a ruse to get me out of here so that they could escape? I can''t possibly bring him with me while traveling through the city. I have a reputation since I''m now an office worker. That''s why I wrote a letter. [Virena, it''s me, Joren. I want you to go to this location. If you find something weird there, just return this paperback to me through the carrier. If I don''t receive your reply, it means you found yourself in danger. If that happened, expect me to arrive after a few minutes.] If she, a vampire, found danger, that means my target is there. Unfortunately, the time came, and no reply returned as expected. I have to move out. Jack: [Overnight, you became the city''s underlord.] Something like that. After some rounds of gunshots, even their strongest couldn''tst. Instead of forever turning into pebbles on the ground, they all submitted to me. "I only have a week, so let''s start now. Give me every information on all of the most powerful people in this city. I''ll give you four hours." "Yes, Sir!" Fortunately, it didn''t take long. They take reigns over the city for more than a century, they told me. They have every influential people as their puppets. No, instead, they were the ones who picked who gets to be powerful. Within the abandoned cathedral, or their hideout -it would be weird to call it abandoned now- they gave me every weakness of politicians, leaders, and tycoons over the city. I even got the mayor in my hand. This will not make the Myth Academy take action, right? After all, there''s a reason why the mythical shouldn''t blend in with humans- humans will inevitably be defeated. Though I''m not a myth, I''m human. It''s been half an hour since the sun rose. I have to work now, but before I did, they showed me something interesting. The CEO of thepany I was working in is a perverted bastard, and in histest crime, he targeted Kidrith. I watched the CCTV footage. This guy must''ve no idea he was being filmed. To control these people, the gargoyles would watch them almost 24/7. They get special treatment. When this bastard brought Kidrith into the hotel room, I wasn''t scared. Instead, I was even hoping he would do something as it would be caught on camera. Needless to say, I know Kidrith wouldn''t betray me. But damn, that kick to the nuts was satisfying! I''m nowte for work, but so what? My boss wouldn''t be able to do anything for me. I got ready and went straight to the boss'' office. Typically, they wouldn''t let me enter, but I lied that I was called there. That was the hard part, they were suspicious of me, but one of my employers remembered me and vouched for me. Oh, he does not know that I''m in the wrong here and that their suspicions are true. Entering the elevator, I climbed up to the highest floor and said- "Hello, boss." "Huh? Who are you!?" Grumpy as I expected. I''m not going to me him after seeing how he was kicked in the nuts by a Half-Fury. I bet he hid that fact, as it''s going to raise suspicions as to how he got such an injury. Now, he''s here, acting like everything''s normal, albeit a little bit angry. "I''m a new worker, Joren Vierei, and I know what you didst night." I smiled, seeing his face freeze. Then, a secondter, something clicked within him, "Joren!? So, you''re that whore''s ma-" Hearing him call Kidrith a whore, I grabbed his face, and he desperately tried to reach for the security button. "I''m the only one who could call her that." I raised him by his face to show the disparity of strength. He was afflicted by fear so, I struck while the iron''s hot. "Do you know what a gargoyle is?" His eyes widened, not knowing why I muttered that controversial word. I dropped him, and as expected, he quietened. Wiping his dirty saliva off my hand, I sat at his table. "From now on, you''re going to listen to everything I say. For now, make me a department head. Though it would raise suspicions, I don''t care. They can specte all they want but they wouldn''te close to the truth." I stood up, "The truth about how I got the CEO under me, got it?" Even with this, he had an angry look on his face. I just barged in and without any proof, I intimidated him. "If you want to risk it and go against me, be prepared for the consequences." "Alright¡­ I''ll make you department head¡­" He gave in¡­ no, rather, he yed safe. It would cause shock but making me department head does nothing to him. Ifter, he confirmed that I''m lying, he could easily turn the table around. Smart man, unfortunately, he would be surprised by what he will confirm. An hourter, a memorandum was posted on the notice board and that was when I called Jessie. After she agreed, it''s time to work. During the day, I gathered information. Ness'' group was hired at an arcade. So, I wrote a proposal, saying we should invest in that arcade and give them immediate features, especially, the workers there should be given great opportunities. I made it vague, I''m not a professional who knows the twists and turns in this, but they are. They can figure it out themselves as long as they listen to what I say. Once the day finishes, during the night, I was out putting seals in everyone''s mouth and solidying my position. I even saw a poster about a stranger jerking you off. This feels like what Sir Jack would do. That''s why I sent Lady Mcpimp to help him with it.. If failed, I could just give him a tutoring job. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!