EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC65: Even If I Die.... I Will Win
The monster, twice the size of Neo, held a staff in its hand.
"Found you."
The corner of Neo's lips rose.
He formed the hand sign.
"Darkness, come."
The shadows expanded like a blooming flower.
They formed a dome, trapping Neo and the Great Gremlin inside.
"Kirriririr?"
The Great Gremlin realized something was wrong.
The prey that should've been scared, trembling in his boots, injured and unable to fight back, was looking down at it.
The Great Gremlin's instincts warned it.
It raised its staff and chanted Spells in its own language.
Multiple small icicles formed behind it.
Neo didn't run.
He didn't try to cover the distance between the Great Gremlin and himself.
He raised his sword above his head.
He burned his God Blood and infused his Divine Energy with Death element.
Red lightning materialized around his blade.
"Kiririr!!"
The Great Gremlin attacked.
The icicles pierced Neo's limbs.
Blood poured out of his injuries.
His arms shook and he could barely stand straight.
However, his gaze remained firm.
The red lightning flared like a great bonfire.
Neo compressed Darkness alongside Death inside his core.
Wisps of black flame flickered on his blade.
"Kiriririr!!!"
The Great Gremlin realized it was in danger.
It tried to run only to be blocked by the Coffin of Darkness.
The monster attacked when suddenly—
Neo slashed.
Nothing happened.
The Great Gremlin chanted a fireball Spell.
It thought Neo's attack failed when Neo puked blood and fell to his knees.
Finally, the human lowered his gaze.
It was about to attack when it stopped moving.
A red line, running from the top of its head to the base of its stomach, appeared on its body.
The monster split into two vertical halves.
"Huff! Huff!"
Neo couldn't maintain the Coffin of Darkness anymore.
The Darkness returned to his shadow.
He won.
But.
There was no time to rest or bask in the glory of victory.
When the Coffin of Darkness disappeared, the surviving Gremlins surrounded Neo.
They stared at the corpse of the Great Gremlin, fear evident in their eyes, and didn't approach Neo instantly.
'These fuckers… They are waiting for me to die from exhaustion…'
Neo bit his lips.
The pain brought clarity to his mind.
He used his sword as support to stand.
His blood trickled out.
And…
It lured the Gremlins.
The monsters tried to act sanely and waited until Neo could not move.
However, a single brave, greedy Gremlin gulped.
It rushed towards Neo, intoxicated by the smell of Neo's blood.
Not wanting to lose their prey, the horde of Gremlins followed after the first one.
Neo smiled bitterly.
He grabbed his sword and prepared to fight.
He could use Immortal and run away to the world of living.
But.
He vowed.
Today, he would win…
Even if he had to die.
He didn't want to feel the sense of defeat he felt last time.
He would rather die than become a loser.
The first Gremlin reached Neo.
It pounced on him and sunk its teeth into his shoulder.
Neo snapped its neck with one hand.
The next Gremlin arrived.
He bashed its head with the sword.
An attack from behind landed on his hand and Neo lost the blade.
Neo turned around and punched the Gremlin's head.
The monster face burst open like a balloon.
Suddenly, two Gremlins jumped on his back and a third one clawed his feet.
They tried to drink his blood.
'Move!'
Neo's limbs were as heavy as lead.
They wouldn't move.
'Don't fail me now!'
Neo grabbed the leg of Gremlins on his back and pulled.
He smashed them on the monster at his feet.
Countless more Gremlins arrived.
They, wounded from the Great Gremlin's attack and intoxicated with his blood, did not work together.
Instead, they attacked each other and tried to stop their kin from devouring Neo.
The human was theirs alone.
They did not want to share.
Seconds…
Minutes…
Hours…
Neo didn't know how much time passed.
When he came to his senses, he was drenched in the blood of gremlins and he was the last man standing.
The Gremlins were all dead.
He couldn't feel his limbs and his innards slipped out of the wound on his torso.
His vision was covered with darkness.
Neo wanted to rest.
He wanted to close his eyes and let go.
Hadn't he done enough?
But.
Not now.
If he fell after everything, how would be that any different from being defeated?
He dug his nails into his flesh.
He used the pain to awaken his senses.
And.
"Darkness… Heed…. my c…call…."
The shadows bloomed slowly.
Neo devoured the corpse near him.
Countless voices spoke to him.
The jarring cacophony made him feel like pulling his hair out.
Insanity.
It was devouring him.
Neo held on.
In the past, Neo never took the easy way out.
He fought until the end, even if he could escape, he challenged students stronger than him, even if he was the weakest, and he trained, even if he felt like dying.
Those actions were not meaningless.
His will, tempered by his actions, protected him.
[Strength +1]
[Agility +1]
The voices grew louder.
Neo started to see hallucinations.
Phantom pain surged throughout his body.
[Will +1]
[Muscle Mass +1]
[Dynamic Vision +2]
He continued to devour the corpses.
He gained primary stats, shown in the Status window, and the hidden Secondary stats.
The darkness started to go out of control.
It devoured Neo alongside the corpses.
The insanity was overtaking him.
And.
He held on.
He continued to devour.
For that one stat.
The only way for him to survive.
Finally…
[Regeneration +3]
…Neo saw the light at the end of the tunnel.
His vision improved and he could breathe again.
He let go of the Darkness and crashed to the ground.
His breaths were shallow and he was wounded badly.
However.
He was healing.
Slowly, but definitely.
Neo used Essence Breath Spell while he waited for his body to recover.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC66: Creeping Insanity
He sat up after a few hours.
Fortunately, the heavy amount of Gremlin blood covering him hid the smell of his blood.
"I feel like shit."
He looked around.
There were hundreds of corpses left for him to devour.
"I shouldn't do that. I'll go insane if I try to devour anything else."
His eyes wandered to the body of Great Gremlin.
Even if he couldn't devour others, he should devour it.
He trudged to the corpse and called upon the Darkness.
TheyareComingWhoAMIIIIIIAMALivEWeArEoNETheskYWIllFALLLFallLfaLLLFAlllYouWillDieIWIllDieEVeryonewILLdiE
His blood vessels burned and he felt they would burst.
[Constitution +1]
[Spell Casting Speed +1]
[Right Hand Magic Circuit +4]
Neo gasped.
He took a mouthful of air and stood with the support of his sword.
Suddenly, a Gremlin appeared before him.
He slashed.
The attack passed through the monster without any resistance and it disappeared like a mirage.
"…?"
Terrible pain surged in his left hand.
He looked down and saw his fingers crushed.
"These injuries were healed. Why do I have them again?"
A huge shadow fell over Neo.
The giant hand came down from the sky and grabbed him.
It picked him up and—
Wake… up….! Don't… let yourself… be consumed!
Obitus' voice woke him up.
His eyes snapped open.
"Hallucinations?"
After he devoured the Great Goblin, everything was a hallucination.
There was no Gremlin left alive, his hand was not wounded, and the giant monster did not return.
All of them were illusions, his mind, on the brink of insanity, showed him.
[Time limit reached. You will be forcibly revived.]
Neo woke up in his dorm.
"Twelve hours passed already?"
He felt tired.
The clock struck twelve and he regained the fourth stack of Immortal.
[Alert! You've left the Quest Area!]
[Please return within 5 days, or the Quest will be terminated.]
Unlike last time, where he got 10 days of time limit, it halved to 5 days.
A sigh escaped Neo's lips.
Barbatos' training was far more brutal than he predicted.
He gained a huge boost in stats, both primary and secondary, but it wasn't without risks.
A smile appeared on his face.
"I did it…
"I won."
Neo didn't face a shameful defeat like last time.
He emerged victorious and returned with his head held high.
His blood burned with excitement.
He won against hundreds of enemies!
"Hahaha, I can do it if I try, huh?"
He was no longer the same Neo as the one in the past.
Neo could say with confidence he wasn't mediocre anymore.
He felt his eyes burn as he tried to hold back tears.
His efforts weren't useless.
As long as he worked hard, he was rewarded.
The rush of adrenaline and dopamine erased his sleep.
He used Essence Breath to recover his Divine Energy before returning to Underworld.
"Urghh."
Neo groaned.
His Divine Energy was rapidly reduced to heal his broken body.
"It feels like shit," he said with a smile.
The Gremlin Camp looked like it experienced a war.
Half of the wooden walls and monsters were burned, remaining half were chewed out by their kin, and the rest had their bones and heads bashed in by Neo.
"This reminds me. Why is Obitus here?"
He looked down.
The sword was at his waist.
Obitus was a Spirit technically.
Spirits consumed a portion of their master's soul to grow.
They replaced the missing portion of the soul and became the better-half of their master.
"Since Obitus is my Spirit, does that mean it can visit and leave Underworld along with me?"
It was good news.
Neo roamed the destroyed camp of Gremlins.
The area, filled with blood and corpses, would soon attract monsters.
"I need to leave."
It was regrettable he couldn't devour them, but he knew better than to get greedy, and risk losing himself to the Darkness.
"Right, I almost forgot about the Flag."
The first flag he put inside the flag post was still present.
It was encapsulated in a transparent white dome.
The dome was sturdy and it withstood Neo's attacks.
"Thankfully, it looks like my job is done after I insert the flag into the flag posts."
He stared at the four remaining flags in his pocket.
The first checkpoint nearly killed him.
Neo had a feeling the next flag posts were going to be worse.
He left the Gremlin Camp.
Strangely enough, he did not encounter any monster on the way.
"It's too quiet."
He did not find the next flag post after six hours search.
"Where the hell is it?"
Neo, parched, created water and drank it to quench his thirst.
"I should look for a high vantage point and see if I can find flag posts from there."
He found a small hill after searching a bit.
Just as he was about to climb, one of the flags buzzed.
It flew out and pointed at the top of the hill.
"The second flag post is there?"
Neo squinted.
He could see something similar to a flag post on the top.
There was just one problem.
"Isn't this too easy?
"There are no monsters and I don't sense any traps."
Worrying about it wouldn't solve anything.
Neo took a step and climbed the hill.
It took half day to reach halfway.
"This place is weird. It feels like it's sapping my strength."
One fourth of the distance was still left after last six hours.
His time in Underworld was up.
Neo waited for him to be teleported back to the world of living.
He was going to return as soon as he arrived.
But.
"Huh?"
Nothing happened.
He was not revived.
A sense of unease appeared in Neo's heart.
He opened his mouth.
"Status."
The blue screen did not pop up.
He repeated different words.
The result was the same.
He tried to use his Spells, Affinities, and Divine Energy.
He couldn't do anything.
"What is happening?"
The mountain was weird.
Neo had to get off.
He turned around and looked at the path he walked only to realize a horrible truth.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC67: Devouring Darkness
The path downwards was miles away.
Neo recalled something.
The hill was small.
He should've reached the top within a few minutes.
However, he completed only three-fourth of the way after twelve hours of walking.
It was impossible unless....
"This is the second trial."
An opponent worse than hundreds of Gremlins combined.
An enemy he couldn't defeat with physical strength.
The flag post was at the top.
Neo decided to climb upwards.
Minutes turned into hours, and hours into days.
After the second day, he did not feel like he was making any progress.
No matter how much he walked, the distance to the top wouldn't reduce.
"It's a good thing I can create water, or I might've died already," Neo said on the fourth day.
Surprisingly, Water element was the only element he could use.
He could only generate water and do nothing else with the element.
It was as if his ability was being restricted by a higher power.
A week went by.
Neo was starting to feel hungry.
As a Grade 4 Awakened demigod, he could live without water and food longer than humans.
There was, however, a limit.
"Fuck, should I just climb down?"
On the ninth day, Neo realized he might've walked over hundred miles.
The distance between him and the base of the hill continued to increase.
Besides, there was no guarantee he could climb downhill.
"There should be limit to how much this mountain can stretch. If I keep climbing, I'm bound to reach the top."
Twenty days passed.
Neo's stomach hurt.
He felt weak and fatigued.
He continued to climb.
After fifty days, the pain intensified to the point he couldn't stand straight.
He felt frail, his body shivered uncontrollably, and it was cold.
Neo started to lose his focus by the sixty-eighth day.
He would frequently go into daze and sleep walk.
He hit his limit on the eighty-fifth day.
Taking a breath sent throes of agony across his body, let alone walking.
By the ninetieth-day, the pain disappeared.
He felt emptiness gnawing inside him, eating at his emotions, leaving him numb.
'I have to reach the top.'
Neo repeated the same words to himself for the past three months.
He diverted all of his attention and energy to climb even a step higher.
Apex.
Zenith.
The Top.
He would reach it.
At the hundredth day, Neo stopped breathing.
He didn't even realize he died.
…!
Neo's eyes snapped open.
He fell to his knees, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and shivering uncontrollably.
[Time until you are forcefully revived: 5 hours and 26 minutes]
Neo was back.
To the base of the hill.
"H-how?"
He couldn't believe the screen floating before his eyes.
Three months ago, he started climbing when 5 hours and 29 minutes were left until his revival.
So…
Why?
Why did only three minutes passed when, in truth, he experienced three months?
Neo stared at the mountain.
He expanded his senses and…
…!
"The hill is shrouded in Darkness."
He bit his lips.
All of it had been hallucination created by the Darkness.
The months of pain, agony, and despair had been nothing but a lie.
Neo just stood with his head down.
He didn't move for a few minutes.
"That damned Barbatos. He gave me a hellish trial."
Neo woke up from the hallucinations through pure luck.
If he tried to climb the mountain again, there was no guarantee he would wake up again.
The second trial was far worse than the first trial.
Unless he found a way to resist the Darkness…
"…?"
"No way..."
"Resist the Darkness?"
Neo stopped speaking.
He suddenly understood the method to clear the second trial.
It gave him shivers.
'Fucking hell. How is this training? He is trying to kill me.'
The only way to resist the Darkness was to increase his mastery over it.
The hill was coated in thick miasma of Darkness. It was unsuitable for training.
"The Gremlins… I need to devour all of them.
"If I don't go insane, my mastery over Darkness would gain a huge boost."
Barbatos did not leave him a choice.
The trial was made in a way where it forced Neo to devour every Gremlin to increase his mastery of Darkness element.
Neo returned to camp of Gremlins.
He saw three quadrapedal monsters, with pinkish skin, blazing red eyes, and sharp teeth, feeding on the corpses.
The monsters pounced on Neo when they noticed him.
Neo let them bite his Ocean's Embrace and finished them with Necrotic Touch.
He gazed at the hundreds of corpses.
There was no way he could remain sane after devouring them.
But.
It was the only path ahead.
Before devouring the corpses, Neo repaired the camp's boundary using the wood from the trees.
There was a high chance monsters would come after smelling the blood.
Not only Neo had to fight the insanity of Darkness, he had to protect the corpses from being stolen by the monsters.
"This much should be enough."
He stared at the crude walls.
They could barely provide any defense.
Their only job was to warn Neo if someone broke through them to enter the camp.
"I should start."
Neo formed the Enma Ten-In hand sign.
"Darkness, come."
The shadows bloomed.
They spread out in a controlled manner and covered a small area around Neo.
He absorbed the six corpses he placed inside his domain.
The whispers returned.
They spoke to Neo.
Suddenly, Neo felt his emotions slipping out of his control.
Anger, fear, jealousy.
Emotions that weren't his own invaded his mind.
He found himself unable to control his urges.
He wanted to wreak havoc.
Impulses of destruction and rage fueled his heart.
The corpses, completely devoured, disappeared and they took the voices along with them.
After the foreign emotions vanished, Neo snapped out of the rage.
He realized his mind had been influenced by the Darkness.
His body shivered.
He felt cold.
So very cold.
[Digestion +1]
[Hearing +2]
Six corpses devoured.
Over 300 corpses remained.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC68: Forged Through The Flames Of Darkness
Neo took a deep breath.
He waited for his emotions to calm down before starting again.
The Darkness devoured the monsters.
He ate a small amount.
The voices screeched inside his head.
It felt like his mind was torn apart hundreds of times and each piece was forced to listen to a different jarring voice.
[Right Hand Dexterity +1]
[Vision +2]
Black blood, tainted by Darkness, dripped from his eyes.
Neo tried to rein the rampaging Darkness.
Phantom pain surged through his body.
Hallucinations of his deaths appeared in front of his eyes.
Neo bit his tongue.
He hoped the pain would help him hold onto his sanity.
"Darkness… Devour…"
He moved to another set of corpses.
Thousands of images appeared inside his head.
The lives of Gremlins, their feasts, their traditions of consuming their kin, the memories of the preys they devoured.
Everything was inserted into his head in a split second.
Neo felt his head split.
"Ahh… argh… uhhgg…"
He groaned.
His body stiffened.
His eyes turned pitch-black and he frothed from the mouth.
Neo lost control over the Darkness.
It climbed his feet and wrapped around his body like a cocoon.
The shadows, limited in range by Neo, suddenly spread far out and covered the entire Gremlin camp.
Neo tried to stop it.
But.
He failed.
The Darkness began to devour the hundreds of Gremlins at once.
Neo screamed.
He dug his nails into his face and doubled over.
No matter how much he tried, the Darkness did not let go of its hold over him.
It pulled him into the abyss of insanity.
Slowly.
Mercilessly.
Relentlessly.
Neo could not resist.
The Darkness was overwhelming.
He felt he was falling into an endless pit.
The pain did not help.
Just when he thought it was over for him, he heard a voice.
Don't…. give… up!
Remember… your vow…!
Obitus spoke to him.
A black light flew towards him in the endless sea of darkness.
Win… you have to reach… the Zenith…
Even if you have to die…
"I... will win."
Neo felt as if he reached an epiphany.
He stopped resisting the darkness.
He no longer tried to halt the flow of the endless darkness.
Instead, he molded its flow.
He let the Darkness devour.
Not himself.
Not the monsters.
Itself.
He used the Darkness to devour the Darkness.
The Darkness grew frenzied and tried to retaliate.
But.
Neo persisted.
He accepted the gluttony of Darkness.
He let it paint himself in its color.
In exchange, he told it to eat itself.
Black flames burst over Neo's body.
The Divine Energy in the air trembled and the Aura flames of Darkness burned brightly.
They devoured themselves.
The Darkness shrunk.
It let go of its clutches over Neo.
The energy, concentrated, grew smaller and got compressed.
The Aura flames shrunk until they were became a pea-sized seed.
The Seed of Darkness entered Neo's Core.
Free of the maddening noises and the countless images, Neo fell to the ground.
He lost consciousness.
Countless screens flashed before his closed eyes.
[Taste Bud +1] [Sprint +1] [Punch Power +3] [Water Affinity +1] [Health +2] [Reaction Speed +1] [Breath Control +4] [Flexibility +1] [Reflexes +0] [Libido +4] [Grip Strength +2] [Endurance +1] [Immune Strength +2] [Cold Resistance +5] [Bone Density +1] [Skin Toughness +0] [Lung Capacity +4] [Blood Circulation +5] [Jump Height +1] [Hand-eye coordination +0] [Sweat Efficiency +2] [Metabolism +1] [Tactical Sensitivity +1] [Hydration Efficiency +1] [Sleep Quality +4] [Agility +3] [Adrenal Response +1] [Body Temperature Regulation +2] [Posture +4] [Height +3] [Tendon Strength +2] [Core Strength +1] [Oxygen Efficiency +3] [Regeneration +2] [Nail Growth Rate +0] [Peripheral Awareness +2] [Bladder Control +4] [Tongue Dexterity +5] [Blood Clotting Speed +2] [Bone Healing Speed +1] [Pheromone Sensitivity +1] [Limb Strength +1] [Jaw Strength +0] [Pupil Response Rate +3] [Gait Stability +1] [Fatigue Resistance +3] [Finger Strength +1] [Body Symmetry +5] [Bowl Control +2] [Neck Strength +1] [Spine Strength +1] [Limb Coordination +1] [Hormone Regulation +3] [Bone Flexibility +2]
Hundreds of corpses were devoured by Neo.
His body healed completely.
While he was in sleep, wisps of black flames materialized around Obitus.
The sword, hungry, did its best.
The black flames entered Neo's body.
They reached his core and took out the newly formed Seed of Darkness.
Neo grunted.
Obitus retracted its black flames and held the Seed of Darkness within its clutches.
There is… no need… for two Spirits… to server master…
The black flames of Obitus devoured the seed.
The sword burped before it returned to sleep.
[Time limit exceeded. Forcefully reviving Neo Hargraves.]
Neo woke up in the world of living.
He groaned.
[Warning! You have left the Quest area.]
[Please return to the Quest area within 5 days.]
[Or else, the Quest rewards will be forfeited.]
"The time limit is 5 days. It wasn't halved."
Last time, it changed from 10 days to 5 days.
Neo did not understand the criteria behind the time limit.
He stood up with a stagger.
The lingering effects of darkness were still there.
At the same time, Neo felt power coursing through his veins.
His Primary Stats barely increased, but he could tell he grew stronger.
A lot stronger.
"My Secondary Stats gained a substantial boost."
It meant only one thing.
Neo succeeded in devouring the corpses.
He looked at his body and tried to sense the changes.
While he was being devoured, he could barely think straight.
He did not remember half of the things that occurred back then.
"I think I saw Obitus' Spirit."
He stared at his sword.
It looked the same as before.
But.
He could tell.
Obitus was a step closer to completion.
At this rate, he should be able to pull the blade out of the sheathe soon.
"What about the Seed of Darkness? I'm sure I created one."
He sensed his core.
It was empty.
There was no Seed of Darkness inside.
"Did I hallucinate about forming a seed?"
The theory made sense.
However, it made him question one thing.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC69: Attempting Second Trial Again
Neo couldn't understand it.
How did he survive the Darkness if he didn't create a Seed of Darkness?
"Did Obitus save me?"
It was the only answer he could think of.
He looked at the sword.
"Obitus, what happened back then?"
There was no answer.
The sword's spirit was asleep.
"It must've spent a lot of energy to help me back then," Neo smiled. "Thank you."
Foreign emotions appeared inside his head.
Happiness, Delight, Joy, Pride.
Obitus could not talk.
But it could hear him.
Neo smiled seeing how happy the Spirit became after hearing his praise.
"Now then, should I wait for the Immortal to restack or should I return to Underworld as is?"
The time limit was ticking by.
Neo made his decision.
He used Death skill and woke up in the Underworld.
For the first time in ages, he didn't lose half of his Divine Energy upon arrival.
He took a deep breath.
"I can taste the Darkness infused in the air. Seems like my senses increased with the mastery."
The thick amount of Death and Darkness elements in the Underworld calmed Neo.
He felt like he was home.
"I wonder if my current mastery is enough to complete the second trial."
The hill where the second flag post was located was only an hour away.
Neo reached its base.
With his improved mastery, he could see the thick, almost intangible, Darkness covering the hill.
He smiled wryly.
"How did I fail to sense all of this before?
"If I hadn't been lucky back then, the Darkness here would've devoured me."
Neo took a step.
He climbed.
The Darkness rushed towards him.
It wrapped him in thick miasma and tried to eat him alive.
Insanity attacked his mind.
Emotions that weren't his own…
Memories of a past he never experienced….
Desperate pleas he never made…
His mind buzzed with countless thoughts.
Neo continued to walk.
He ignored everything.
His mind, numbed, withstood the onslaught unwaveringly.
The Darkness surged when he reached halfway through the path.
Black flames of Darkness materialized.
They tried to burn Neo.
But.
He was one with the Darkness already.
The black flames of such level were no longer a threat to him.
So.
He walked.
Step by step.
And.
He reached the top.
Neo took out the flag and inserted it into the flag post.
Suddenly, the flag post shined and it absorbed all of the Darkness lingering on the hill.
"The second trial is done."
Neo couldn't help but think it was ironic.
The trial nearly made him go insane and turned him into a monster, and once he finished his preparations, it was far easier than the first trial.
He checked the timer.
"Ten hours left. I can start searching for the third flag post."
It was clear by now the next flag posts would have a trial associated with them.
The next trials would be more dangerous.
Neo was not afraid of them.
His emotions were numbed thanks to the mastery of Darkness.
He had not become an emotionless machine.
But.
If he continued to walk on the path of Darkness, he would become like that one day.
"Let's see. It should be easier to scout the forest from the hill."
Neo scanned the forest.
Again, he realized the forest was too silent.
Was this how the Underworld was supposed to be, or was it related to the trials?
He hoped it was the former.
"Hmm?
"What's that…?"
Neo saw a mansion far into the distance.
The building was majestic and regal, completely contrasting the ambience of the Underworld.
"That's where I will find the third trial, won't I?"
It couldn't have been less obvious.
Neo got off the hill and went into the direction of the hill.
It took him a few hours to cover the distance.
The mansion was, as expected, enormous.
Just when he reached the mansion gate, the third flag moved and pointed at the mansion.
"As expected. It's here."
He pushed the main gate.
They opened with a screech.
Neo held his sword, ready to fight, and slowly walked in.
A lush garden with a marble path running through it lay beyond the main gates.
The flowers were colorful and fragrant.
Neo made sure to keep away from them.
He circled the garden.
There was a tea house deep inside.
Other than that, there was nothing worthwhile.
There was no 'living' presence in the area.
However, the flowers and the garden were well maintained, proving someone lived there.
"Is the owner of the mansion inside?"
He entered the mansion through the doors.
The interior, brightly lit, had marble floor, high vaulted ceiling, large windows, and expansive halls.
Suddenly, Obitus trembled.
Its emotions — fear, dread, horror — surged in Neo's mind.
The sword was telling Neo to run away.
He might've pushed forward, despite the warnings, in normal situations.
However, the intensity of fear was too high.
Just when he was about to turn away, a voice reached his ears.
"Oh my, a guest?"
A skeleton, wearing princess tulle dress with a frill-layered skirt, walked down the staircase at the end of the hall.
'She' wore a cloche hat and her eyes, instead of being hollowed, had gentle black flames burning in them.
Obitus' emotions went out of control when the skeleton woman appeared.
It wanted Neo to escape as soon as possible.
You… will…. die…
Run… while… I stop… her…
Black flames and red lightning erupted from the sword's sheathe.
They attacked the woman when suddenly—
"No need to be afraid, child. I won't harm your master."
—the attacks disappeared.
They vanished into nothingness.
Obitus tried to fight again.
"Sleep," the woman spoke.
And Obitus' Spirit went into a slumber.
"I apologize for being forceful, but it didn't look like she would listen to me," the woman smiled wryly.
Despite her face being a skeletal head, Neo could tell her expressions.
She was smiling.
She was beautiful.
She was…
…!
'These aren't my thoughts or emotions!'
The gravity of the situation finally hit Neo.
He never sensed his mind being invaded, and… why was he so calm?
Neo realized.
It was her doing.
She was manipulating his emotions.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC70: Talk With The Former Grand Duke Of Underworld
"Oh my, you've reached Apprentice mastery in Darkness already?"
The woman smiled in delight.
"I wasn't expecting that," she said.
She snapped her fingers.
Suddenly, Neo felt as if a hand holding his head disappeared.
His thoughts were his own again.
The woman descended down the staircase and stood in front of him.
"I'm Paimon le Noir, former Grand Duke, pleased to make your acquaintance."
She curtsied.
Neo felt compelled to answer.
"Neo Hargraves."
"Just Hargraves?"
She gasped only to realize her gesture was rude.
"Pardon my surprise. It is my first time meeting a kin of his who has yet to go through ennoblement.
"This must be why Barbatos came to find me."
Neo didn't understand the current situation.
His mind told him to run away.
But his senses were calm.
They told him there was no danger.
Either the woman had no intention of harming him.
Or.
She was too strong for him to even think of escaping.
'What is this trial?'
The woman snapped out of her thoughts and faced him.
"Oh my, look at me. I haven't even asked you for a tea.
"Please follow me."
She walked towards the garden.
When Neo didn't follow her, she showed him a small flag post.
"I will give this to you if you listen to my words."
"…"
Neo followed her.
The two stepped out of the mansion and entered the garden.
It took them a few minutes to reach the tea house.
"Please sit."
She pulled a chair for him and began preparing a tea.
"What are you?" He asked as sat. "You feel… same as Barbatos."
"We do?
"We've might've inherited the Monarch's blood, but it doesn't belong to us, so we never noticed we 'felt' same."
Paimon poured him the tea.
"Inherited the blood… You are a Grim Reaper too?"
"Was."
She sat in front of him and drank from her cup.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"First year in Demigod Academy."
"You are quite young. What about family? Do you have siblings?"
"Brother, yes, an older one."
"That's a surprise. There are two descendants of the Monarch in a single era. It's a good news."
"I wouldn't say that. My brother couldn't awaken his God Blood."
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. He must've been devastated."
"It's the opposite. We didn't know we had the blood of Monarch until I awakened. I haven't told him about it either."
"Why?"
"Didn't have the time to tell him."
The two talked over the tea like old friends.
Paimon asked questions and Neo answered.
It looked like she just wanted to talk to him.
It was peaceful.
…and it made Neo suspicious.
"There is no need to be cautious. I only wanted a conversation partner," she said as if she read his mind.
"Aren't you the former Grand Duke? There is should be no shortage of people who want to talk to you."
Paimon placed her empty tea cup on the table.
She looked him in the eye.
"You could say I lost the interest in anything and everything.
"The reason I wanted to talk to you was to see if a descendent of Monarch could rouse my interest."
Neo frowned.
Suddenly, Paimon slashed with her arm.
A scythe came out of her sleeves and the blade stopped just before Neo's eyes.
Neo wasn't afraid.
Even though he should've been.
He stared at the tip of the scythe calmly.
"I'm the same as you.
"My emotions have been numbed.
"I gained immense power as I walked on the path of Darkness.
"But I can't feel anything anymore," she said.
Paimon retracted her arm after the scythe disappeared.
She took out the flag post.
"This is your third trial. Teach me about Emotions."
"…?"
Neo looked at her, unable to understand the nuisance behind her words.
"How far you can walk on the path of Darkness is measured by your emotions.
"The more emotions you can sacrifice, the higher your progress.
"But sacrifice everything, and you'll reach your limit, never to progress on the path again.
"I've lost them all.
"So,
"Teach me about what I can't remember."
"…"
It was a difficult trial.
The second trial was nothing compared to it.
Last time, he knew what he had to do.
But now?
He had no idea.
"Barbatos has made this trial for you.
"Teaching me will have you teach yourself about the emotions too.
"If you succeed, you won't fall to the numbness of Darkness in the future."
Neo massaged his head.
Fuck.
Paimon chuckled when she saw his expression.
"You should return to the world of living. It should be time for your academy to begin.
"Worry not, we have plenty of time."
Time…
Neo expression worsened.
The time limit would begin when he returned to the other side.
"Okay."
Neo stood up and used Immortal to leave.
He wanted to refresh his mind and try to come up with a solution.
The world shifted.
Neo woke up in his room.
The sunlight peeking through the window made him squint.
He waited for the Quest timer to appear.
But…
"Huh?
"Where is it?"
It never came.
Just then, he heard a voice.
"It's been a while since I came to the world of living."
A small skeleton doll, the size of Neo's palm, wearing a cute dress, jumped down from his head.
It landed on the table and looked at him with his burning black eyes.
"Paimon…?"
"Indeed, it is I, Paimon, in bones."
She chuckled.
Neo sank back into the sofa.
A sigh of relief escaped his lips.
'This is why the timer didn't appear.'
'I haven't left the Quest area as Paimon came with me.'
'The Quest is going on even though I've returned to this side.'
It was one less thing to worry about.
However, he still had to think of a way to teach Paimon about emotions.
"You should freshen up, no? The classes should be starting soon."
Neo nodded.
He had a lot of things to do in the world of living.
Finding the fifth team member, completing the team registration, learning about Magic Spells, and complete missions.
The worst?
He had a Barbatos' training too.
"Why are you smiling?" Paimon questioned.
"Nothing, I'm just happy."
Everything he did was for his future.
How could he not be happy?
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC71: The Trickery Of Darkness
He stood up and folded the will he wrote before leaving.
"What is this?" Paimon asked.
"My will."
Neo placed it inside the drawer.
He turned to Paimon.
"Will you follow me with that appearance?"
"Indeed. But, worry not, hardly anyone can see me. Now, give me your hand."
He followed her words.
Paimon jumped on his palm and climbed his arm.
She sat on his shoulder.
"Let's go, my soldier!"
Neo smiled at her actions.
He grabbed the door's handle, opened it, and saw his homeroom teacher, Anna, and a short old woman, the principal probably, outside.
Anna carried a long bag on her back while Charlotte stood with a cane's support.
The two women stared at him.
Neo, surprised, quickly calmed down.
Charlotte opened her mouth before him.
"See, Eliz? He is alive. I told you it was a needless worry."
"..."
Anna — maybe Eliz was her nickname — did not reply to the principal.
She stared at Neo silently.
Her gaze shifted to his shoulder and she looked at Paimon.
…!
Neo froze.
"Now, now, young man, don't be surprised too much.
"Ask us to enter the room at least. You are making us stand at your doorsteps," Charlotte said.
"…Please come inside."
The two women entered.
Neo closed the door behind them and followed them into the hall.
Charlotte sat on the main sofa and Anna on the small one on her right.
Neo was on sofa next to the Anna and directly in front of Charlotte.
"Young man, can you release your Death Aura?" Charlotte asked.
"…?"
Confused, he asked cautiously,
"Why?"
"We sensed a thick aura of Death and Darkness on the campus a few hours ago.
"It took us time to find its source and the clues led us to you," Charlotte answered.
Neo noticed Anna's gaze was aimed at Paimon.
Could she see her?
Hopefully not.
"Young man?"
"Okay."
He unleashed his Death aura.
…!
A flicker of surprise passed through Anna's eyes.
Charlotte raised her hand to cover her mouth.
"Your mastery of Death is about to reach Adept rank. How did you do it?" Charlotte questioned.
She turned to Anna.
"You never told me his Immortality worked against Spiritual Death."
"…I did not know about it myself," Anna answered.
Seeing the confusion in Neo's eyes, Anna tapped her necklace.
Her figure blurred, and a woman with white hair and cold expression appeared in her place.
'Elizabeth? What is she doing here?'
'Wait, she is my homeroom teacher!?'
Neo, while outwardly calm, was surprised.
The principal and Elizabeth knew each other. This was clear at a glance.
'Did she hire Elizabeth and ask her to become our teacher in disguise?'
'Looks like Elizabeth told about my Immortality to her.'
Charlotte coughed to bring Neo out of his thoughts.
"The aura of Darkness you are releasing shows your mastery over it has reached Apprentice rank.
"I believe both of your masteries increased because of a similar reason?"
"…?"
He was releasing aura of Darkness?
Neo expanded his senses.
He failed to find any traces of Darkness on himself.
"Young man, please tell us, how did you manage to kill your Spirit(Mind)?
"If it was just a Physical death, we would've ignored it.
"But a method to harm the Spirit(Mind) is dangerous.
"We can't let someone capable of wielding such powers roam on the campus unsupervised."
Neo understood Charlotte's words.
However, he didn't understand the meaning behind them.
"I killed my Spirit(Mind)? Sorry, I don't think I know what you are talking about."
"Young man, there is no need to hide the truth from us.
"There is only one way your mastery of Death nearly reached Adept rank."
From Apprentice to Adept.
"You've experienced a Spiritual Death," Charlotte spoke with a strict tone.
Watching Neo's confused expression made them realize one thing.
He wasn't acting.
He didn't know what they were talking about.
"Physical Death is where your body dies, while Spiritual Death is where you Spirit (Mind) dies.
"The fastest and riskiest way to increase your mastery over Death element is to experience different deaths.
"Physical Deaths will help you reach Apprentice Mastery, and Spiritual Deaths will lead you to Adept Mastery."
"I see," Neo said.
He knew these things already.
However, he never went through a Spiritual Death….
"Huh?
"That… can't be possible…"
Neo died inside the illusions when he first attempted to climb the mountain during the second trial.
He woke up at the foot of the hill after the death.
He thought he had been lucky.
That he broke through the illusion of the Darkness through sheer luck.
Luck…?
He survived the assault of Darkness through luck?
'It's impossible. The Darkness would never make such a mistake.'
'Why didn't I realize this sooner?'
Goosebumps rose on Neo's arms.
'I didn't survive back then.'
'My mind was consumed by the Darkness even though I was physically alive at the base of the mountain.'
Neo's face hardened....
'I died at that moment.'
Immortal.
The skill revived him.
Neo's Spirit died and he was resurrected back to his physical body in the Underworld.
He did not survive through luck.
He never survived.
'No wait! If I was resurrected back then, why didn't the count of Immortal reduce?'
Neo opened the Status.
[Two stacks of Immortal left]
[Time until +1 stack: 16 hours and 15 minutes.]
Neo lost one stack after his fight with Great Gremlin. It was restacked after the midnight.
This left him with four stacks.
He lost one of them after he devoured all Gremlin corpses and another one when he returned with Paimon.
He should have 2 stacks left.
The status screen showed the same.
'So I never died inside the illusion?'
Neo felt confused.
If he didn't die spiritually, how did his mastery over Death improve?
He stared at the status screen.
There was something he was missing.
Something he couldn't understand.
….!
Suddenly, a sharp pain tore through Neo's head.
He clutched his temples and groaned.
"Neo?"
Anna moved next to him swiftly and looked at him with a concerned gaze.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC72: Tyrant's Whim
"I'm… I'm okay."
He bit his lips.
The pain increased over time.
He started to hear voices.
HefoundUsWeFAILEDwefaiLEDheNOticEduSHenoTicEDHenOticEd.
The noise of Darkness grew louder and louder.
Neo tried to suppress the screams.
The Status Screen glitched.
It shook.
The noises grew chaotic.
He maintained his focus on the Status Screen.
And.
It changed.
[One stacks of Immortal left]
[Time until +1 stack: 16 hours and 15 minutes.]
From two to one.
HEhehehehehHEheheYoufoundUSyouFoundusItWASFUNItWASfunletsPlaYAgaginAGainagaINAgAIn
The noises disappeared.
Neo was left gasping for breath.
His clothes were drenched with sweat.
He raised his eyes and looked at Charlotte.
"The… aura of… darkness… I was releasing…. Do I still have… it?"
"It disappeared just now."
Her answer horrified Neo.
He had been, since the moment he stepped on the mountain, under the illusion of Darkness.
Had he killed himself twice, thinking he had 2 stacks left, when in truth, he had only one stack remaining….
Neo took deep breaths to calm himself.
It took him a few minutes.
"I'm sorry for acting weirdly," he said.
"Have you calmed down?" Charlotte asked.
"Yes."
"Can you tell me what happened?"
"I was under the influence of Darkness until now."
"I see." Charlotte's gaze sharpened. "Back to the topic, how did your masteries increase?"
Paimon spoke before Neo could.
"The matters of the Underworld cannot be revealed to the souls of living."
Charlotte and Elizabeth turned to Paimon.
…They could see her.
"You were the reason he died a Spiritual Death?" Elizabeth asked.
"Partially, yes."
Elizabeth clicked her tongue.
And.
Paimon's body suddenly exploded.
Neo was left stunned.
"Why did you do that?"
"Because she made me angry."
Elizabeth ignored Neo's trepidation and looked him in the eye.
"Did she threaten you when you visited the Underworld—"
"Oh my, we have a feisty child here."
Paimon appeared on Neo's other shoulder.
"What would you have done if I was really threatening Neo? Attacking me suddenly will put him in danger if you can't defeat me in one attack—"
Elizabeth clenched her fist.
A small black hole appeared over Paimon's navel.
It sucked her body inside itself.
"I just need to kill you in one attack."
"You can't kill what isn't alive."
The skeleton doll appeared above Neo's head.
It was as if she was always there.
Paimon smiled.
"Child, you need to think before you act. Or your actions will be the death of you one day."
Elizabeth's eyebrow twitched.
She was about to attack again until Charlotte called her out.
"Eliz, stop."
Charlotte's word made Elizabeth turn to her.
"We need to think calmly before doing anything. That being is from Underworld."
Her words changed nothing.
Elizabeth was still raring to go.
She suddenly looked at Neo, realizing he would be caught up if they fought without holding back, and returned to her seat with a fiery gaze.
"Thank you for stopping.
"Before you misunderstand, all of my actions were done upon Neo's request," Paimon explained.
"He asked to be killed?" Elizabeth questioned.
"No, and I didn't kill him either.
"I was partially responsible, yes, but he knew the risks beforehand, and he always had the choice to back out," Paimon said.
A heavy aura appeared in the room as Elizabeth tried to control her anger.
She turned to Neo.
"Why didn't you back out?"
"I was training."
His words made her go silent.
She asked after a few seconds.
"How many times have you died while you 'train'?"
"A few times? I don't remember the exact number."
"…"
Suddenly, Neo felt as if he was being stared at by a predator.
His back was drenched in sweat and his teeth clattered.
"Neo…."
Elizabeth spoke.
There was no warmth in her eyes.
It was the gaze of a tyrant.
"Have you let the fact you have a little bit of talent get to your head?"
Neo couldn't move.
He had trouble breathing.
"Stop your training."
"I… wo-won't…"
"I'll kill you if you refuse."
Neo bore the immense pressure and smiled.
"Well, I'm Immortal."
"You think that is fooling anyone?"
The pressure weighing him down doubled.
"There has to be a condition to your Immortality.
"A limit to the number of resurrections? Or do you need to sacrifice something?
"Maybe you need to complete tasks for the Grim Reapers and they revive you in return?"
Blood trickled down from the corner of Neo's lips.
His bones creaked.
"Whatever it is, your Immortality isn't invincible.
"I just need to kill you enough times to make sure you stay dead.
"So,
"Tell me.
"Will you stop your training or not?"
"We can always try if I'm really Immortal or not," Neo answered.
Just when he thought he would be squashed completely, the pressure disappeared.
"Then, do as you wish."
Elizabeth stood up and turned around to leave.
"Wait," Neo called out to her. "That bag. Does it have the item I asked for?"
"This bag?"
She pointed to the bag.
"Yes, the trident is inside it."
"Thanks for bringing it to me—"
"Who said I'm giving this to you?"
"…That was the deal."
"It was, but have you seen a Tyrant keep their side of deal?"
Neo was left stunned.
Why was she being so petty?
Watching her departing figure, Neo realized she might be angrier than he thought.
'Maybe I should skip her class for today.'
Elizabeth stopped at the door.
She tapped the necklace on her neck and returned to the disguise of Anna.
"Don't even think about bunking.
"I'll help you train as much as you want. So look forward to the class."
She left.
Neo covered his face.
Charlotte chuckled.
"Since I've confirmed what caused your Spiritual Death, I won't pry into your matters anymore.
"I'll be taking my leave."
She turned around just as she about to step out of the doors.
"Eliz likes plushies."
"…?"
After Charlotte left, Neo was left massaging his temples.
"Is she telling me to gift plushies to Elizabeth?"
No way.
Wouldn't that backfire?
He could imagine himself getting blown by a gravity attack after he decided to gift a plushie to Elizabeth.
"I should just go to the class."
Neo stood up.
He walked down the corridor and spoke to Paimon,
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC73: Even Pettiness Should Have Limits
"Why didn't you tell me I was being influenced by the Darkness?"
"I'm not here to help you. The trials are yours and yours alone to clear."
"Fair enough…"
Seeing her smile, Neo understood it was a façade.
Paimon smiled since it was seen as a friendly act and it lowered others defense towards her.
It wasn't because she was happy.
The distance to the class was considerable.
Neo covered half of the way when a notification arrived on his smartphone.
[Official Notice]
[First Period has been rescheduled from Aura Class (Theory) to Aura Class (Practical).]
[Arrive at the given venue before the designated time.]
He checked the venue and the time in the attached mail.
The venue was a massive gym.
"I need to reach there in 5 minutes?
"That's impossible."
Suddenly, he wondered if this was Elizabeth's doing.
"It can't be. She isn't our Practical Class' teacher."
The timetable was released a day ago.
It showed different courses and teachers responsible for the courses.
Elizabeth taught only Aura Theory to Neo's class.
He ran to the venue and reached it in 10 minutes.
"I shouldn't be the only one who is late. So, I guess it should be fine—"
His words got struck in his throat when he pushed open the door.
Everyone was there.
They stared at him.
Judging from how they stood in organized rows, they reached the venue long ago.
"You are five minutes late, Neo Hargraves," Elizabeth spoke.
She stood in front of the group of the students.
The teacher of the Aura Practical Class, an old man, sat on a chair and read newspaper while ignoring the class.
'Did she substitute the class?'
His future didn't look bright to him.
"I apologize," Neo spoke.
He joined the students.
"You will receive a penalty later," Elizabeth said. "We will start the class now that everyone is here.
"Today, we will have a training session.
"Quickly form teams according to your elements."
"…?"
The students frowned.
They had to team up with those who had same element as them?
The teams would be imbalanced if that were to happen.
Arthur raised his hand.
"Speak," Elizabeth said.
"Isn't what you said disadvantageous for students with rarer elements? It would—"
"You don't need to worry about others."
Her sharp answer forced Arthur to lower his hand with an awkward smile.
"Form teams of three students at most."
The students dispersed.
Neo wondered if he should go for Death or Darkness when Arthur and Felix approached him.
"Why were you late?" Felix questioned.
"I wasn't. It took 10 minutes to run from Seraphim Hall to here."
"Yeah, we know that. There was enough time to arrive at the venue.
"We got the message ten minutes before the class started."
"…?"
Neo took out his phone and showed them the message.
Arthur and Felix's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
They showed their inbox to Neo.
"…Why did you two receive the message five minutes earlier than me?"
"It's the same for everyone."
Felix's answer made Neo frown.
Neo looked at Elizabeth from the corner of his eyes.
'She didn't send me the message late on purpose, right?'
'Of course, that can't be possible.'
"It must be a network error," Felix sighed. "Anyway, which element's group are you two joining?"
"Lightning."
"Death for me. What about you?"
"I'll join Water."
The three talked a bit before splitting up.
Neo didn't worry about Felix getting harassed.
There was no way the students could act up under Elizabeth's eyes.
"Hmm?"
Neo saw the number of students in Death element's group.
"There is no one here."
Death was a rare element.
Even if someone had affinity for Death they didn't use it since it was hard to raise Death's mastery.
But wasn't it too much to have zero students with Death element as their priority?
He turned to the group of students with Darkness element.
...The place was empty.
"Maybe I should change my group?"
Neo would've been fine being alone… if the training helped him.
It was easy to see that wouldn't happen.
Elizabeth seems to be out to punish him.
"Water element's group looks okay."
He took a single step when suddenly he heard Elizabeth's voice.
"Choose the groups according to your Primary element."
She spoke while looking at him.
Neo closed his eyes.
Yeah, he was fucked.
The gym was divided into several rooms joined by a long corridor.
The rooms were opened from above.
There were seats on the second floor. They allowed the teachers to observe the rooms from above.
He stood in front of the door of Death element's training room.
"You can enter," Elizabeth said.
She was on the second floor along with the teacher, Adam, responsible for Practical Aura Class.
Her eyes were fixed at him. Neo could tell that without looking up.
The room, empty, was as big as a mid-sized hall.
"Do it," Elizabeth told Adam.
The old man put down his newspaper.
He stood against the railing and opened his mouth.
"Bloom."
Glowing pollens rained slowly.
They suddenly expanded when they touched the floor.
The Divine Energy from the air was sucked into them.
…!
Neo took a step back.
His eyebrows creased.
Disgust.
He felt loathing from the deepest part of his soul when the pollens swole and transformed into a humanoid golem made from tree branches.
"Life Element."
His reaction was similar to when a person saw trash.
He didn't want to go near it.
The pollens continued to fall.
More plant-type golems appeared.
Some of the pollens mutated into wooden birds.
They flapped their wings and took flight.
"Neo Hargraves…"
Elizabeth's voice snapped Neo out of his thoughts.
He looked up.
"As a penalty for being late, I will be putting restrictions on you during today's training session."
Obitus trembled.
No… She is—
Before the sword could complain, it shot out of Neo's grasp and floated behind Elizabeth.
"I will be confiscating your personal weapon."
Neo looked at her, exasperated.
She ignored his gaze and opened her mouth.
"Now, I will explain the training's content."
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC74: Short Training Session
Lightning Element Training Room
"The flying golems give 5 points.
"Your task is to destroy as many of them as possible while the bipedal golems attack you.
"The team with the highest points will win.
"Each room will have one winner."
The explanation was easy to understand.
Arthur looked around.
While he was searching for teammates, he saw Morrigan.
She was being ostracized by the Zeus Clan and their new leader Lucas.
"Morrigan, you don't have teammates either? How about—"
She passed him without acknowledging his existence.
He smiled bitterly.
"Looks she is still angry about the cafeteria incident."
Arthur looked around.
It was compulsory to form teams.
He would have to join the students who were left out.
"Sigh, I feel like a loner."
…
Water Elemental Training Room
"Thanks for letting me join your team," Felix said.
"It's no problem. I'm happy to help Neo's friends," Christian said.
Christian had an underhanded motive for teaming up with Felix.
He planned to have Neo owe him a favor for helping Felix.
'It was a good thing I became Neo and Arthur's friend,' Felix smiled.
She understood Christian's intentions rather easily.
"Who is our last teammate?" she asked.
"It's… Miss."
The two looked at the corner of the training room.
Leonora sat there on a bean bag made through a Water element Magic Spell.
She chewed a bubble gum while playing games on switch and wore earphones to drown out the noise from outside.
"Is that allowed?" Felix questioned.
"I wish it wasn't."
Christian held a defeated expression.
He had long given up on making Leonora work.
It was good enough she was attending classes.
Suddenly, Anna spoke from the second floor.
"The winning teams will receive 0.3 credits as a reward."
The students looked at her in surprise.
A smile bloomed on their face.
…
Death Element Training Room
"Doesn't that mean I'm confirmed to get 0.3 credits?"
Neo doubted his ears.
As the only person in the room, he was guaranteed to win.
Moreover, he did not need to share the credits with the teammates.
"Wasn't she trying to punish me?"
He looked up at Elizabeth.
"She is unexpectedly kind…"
Just as he thought that, a vine was whipped towards his head.
He barely dodged the attack.
The other bipedal golems pounced on him without warning.
A few of them slashed their elongated arms like whips while others attacked in close quarters.
Neo used Ocean's Embrace.
He punched the golem closest to him and blew off its face.
A punch came flying towards his chest.
Neo shifted his weight.
He grabbed the golem's fist after he dodged the attack with a hair's margin and flipped the golem over his head.
While the golems had advantage in numbers, Neo was experienced in fighting large groups.
He fought while carefully maintaining his stamina and Divine Energy reserves.
It should have been an easy battle.
"Dammit…"
Neo jumped back to create a gap between him and monsters.
"How am I supposed to take down the flying golems?
"I don't have any long ranged attacks."
He would win by default even if he didn't take down the birds.
However, he didn't like that.
"And what's up this damned element?
"Who named it Life Element? It should be called zombie element."
The broken golems stood up.
Their limbs and destroyed body parts regenerated.
"tch, their numbers are too much to use Necrotic Touch on them."
Neo was caught in a useless battle.
He wouldn't lose.
But he wouldn't win either.
"I guess that's my only choice."
He used the Aura of Death.
Silent red lightning crackled around his arms.
Neo tried to use Aura Slash from the distance, like he did in the Underworld, only to realize he couldn't.
Moreover, was harder to use Aura than usual.
"What the hell?"
Confused, he punched the golem approaching him.
The condensed aura of death seeped into the bipedal monster.
It couldn't regenerate anymore and died.
"Why can't I use Aura Slash?"
He could coat his arms in Aura of Death and punch with it
But the condensed Aura wouldn't go too far from his body, leaving him incapable of using Aura Slash.
Neo continued to fight.
He used Aura of Death only at critical moments.
The Divine Energy consumption of the Aura decreased after his mastery over Death increased.
However, it was still quite high.
"Dammit…
"Is it because of Obitus?"
Only after losing the sword did Neo realize he was depending on it too much.
The sword bolstered his ability to manipulate Divine Energy infused with Elemental affinities.
It was why he could use Aura Slash.
He became helpless as soon as he lost the sword.
…
Second Floor
Elizabeth pursed her lips.
Her eyes followed Neo.
'He is too strong for a newly evolved Grade 4 Awakened Demigod.'
She clenched her jaw.
'Did he devour something?'
The conversation she had with him in the morning.
She never received an answer due to the interference of the being from Underworld.
However, there were clues.
They were enough.
'He devoured a large number of targets.'
'The Darkness killed him, but he revived with his skill, and his masteries increased along with his stats.'
The sudden increase in masteries of Death and Darkness came at a risk.
Elizabeth clenched the railing.
'Why is he pushing himself to this extent?'
Neo was in a hurry to grow stronger.
Why?
Why did he need power to the point he would kill himself for it?
'I can't allow it.'
She had to stop him.
Even if he would hate her.
Elizabeth had seen many people whose only goal was strength.
None of them had a good end.
They regretted wasting their life on pointless pursuit of power.
She didn't want to see Neo in the same situation.
…
Death Element Training Room
Neo gasped for breath.
He had been holding his own until now thanks to the secondary stats he gained in the Underworld.
But he was reaching his limit.
'These bastards won't just go down!'
Pain surged through his core.
He had converted too much Divine Energy into Death infused Divine Energy.
"Huff! Huff!"
Only a single shot.
That was all he had left in him.
Neo stared at the bird-type golems in the sky.
He hadn't defeated a single one.
"Let's try it."
Neo pointed his finger at the sky.
He blocked all of his Magic Circuits except for the one on the tip of his index finger.
He aimed.
And.
Pushed out the condensed aura through a single point.
***
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC75: Lover's Quarrel
Lightning crackled around his finger.
'Not yet! I need to increase the pressure!'
It was similar to pinching the mouth of the water pipe to increase the force of water flowing out.
He blocked as many Magic Circuits as possible and diverted the excess Death-infused Divine Energy to his finger.
The intensity of lightning increased.
Condensed bolts of lightning shot out of his finger.
One of the flying golem was hit.
The golem died.
It fell out of the sky.
Neo suddenly felt hollowed out.
His Divine Energy reserves hit rock bottom and he could barely stand.
'I think the attack is called Aura Snipe?'
'Well, mine was more similar to a cannon with weak firepower.'
'It needs to be refined.'
His vision blurred.
Exhaustion overtook him.
The last thing he saw were the remaining nine flying-golems.
…
The training session ended.
Students left their rooms and gathered in the hall.
"Arthur!"
Felix ran up to the heavily bruised Arthur.
"How was the test… what happened to you?"
"My teammates betrayed me."
Arthur smiled bitterly.
He explained how his team members turned out to be the spy of Zeus Clan.
He barely managed to secure the first position in his room.
"Wait, what? You were first?"
"Yeah, I was lucky.
"They were attacking me and a stray attack hit Morrigan.
"All hell broke loose after that. I used the opportunity to sneak out and kill the birds.
"What about you?"
"I rode on the tailcoats of the Poseidon Clan," Felix smiled embarrassedly.
"First?"
"Yup, first."
Arthur's exhausted expression changed to a smile.
"Congrats."
"You too!"
They bumped their fists.
A notification arrived on Felix and Arthur's smartphones.
[+0.1 Credits]
"The training session has ended.
"I hope it helped you to understand your weakness and the importance of compatible teammates.
"The class is finished. You can leave," Elizabeth spoke.
The students turned around to leave.
"Where is Neo?"
"I don't know."
Arthur spoke and approached Elizabeth.
"Professor, the Ruler, Neo, hasn't left his training room yet."
"His training is still going on."
Arthur found himself unable to speak up when she gave a cold answer.
Her presence was too overbearing.
He decided to wait with Felix for Neo to return.
"Neo Hargraves has to undergo a longer training session as a penalty for being late.
"You two should leave."
Arthur wanted to wait for Neo.
However, Felix pulled him out of the gym.
"Why did we leave? Neo would be tired when he comes out. We should've waited for him."
"Because the professor told us to go."
Felix lied through her teeth.
She had always been sensitive to other people.
It was easy for her to notice the homeroom teacher, Anna, was paying special attention to Neo.
'Is it because he is the Ruler?'
'That doesn't explain her today's actions.'
'She helped him on the first day but she was targeting him today.'
If Anna was Neo's supporter, she wouldn't have punished him.
And if she was against him, she wouldn't have saved him on the first day.
Felix couldn't find the reason behind Anna's contradictory actions.
Suddenly a wild thought appeared in her head.
'Is it a lover's quarrel?'
'No, no, no! What am I thinking!?'
It was impossible.
Still…
Why would a young teacher help her student, then become angry with him the next day for no reason?
'I guess I'll keep my eyes open.'
It smelled like a spicy gossip.
…
Second Floor, Elemental Training Gym
A golem carried Neo to the infirmary on the second floor.
The nurse set up a blood transfusion to help Neo recover his Divine Energy faster.
God Blood gained through this method was harmful, as every Demigod had a different bloodline.
The method was not dangerous if it was done in small quantities, and it recovered the Divine Energy quickly.
As for the physical injuries, all demigods had superior healing, and Neo barely sustained any wounds, hence the nurse did not need to use elixirs to heal him.
Elizabeth entered the infirmary.
"How is he?"
"Hale and hearty. His body is weak but, surprisingly, he wasn't injured. He should be waking up in an hour."
The nurse left after the diagnosis.
Elizabeth checked her schedule.
She had a class to teach.
"I'll skip today. It's not an important class."
She sat next to Neo's bed.
He woke up an hour later.
A thick aura of Death and Darkness descended. It disappeared a split second later.
Neo's muscles tightened.
His eyes shot open.
'He is preparing to fight as soon as he woke up.'
Elizabeth pinched her arm to stop herself from frowning.
Neo's actions were instinctual.
How many times he was attacked as soon as he woke up to react like this?
'Underworld... He must've experienced those battles there.'
She didn't like it.
She didn't like it at all.
"Where am I…?"
Neo groaned.
"Infirmary."
He looked at her when he heard her voice.
"Oh, thank you for bringing me here."
"Mhm."
They stayed silent.
Neo sunk into the fluffy bed.
He was resting when Elizabeth opened her mouth.
"Why do you want to grow stronger?"
"Just cause."
Elizabeth didn't believe him.
His drive was too strong for it to be a whim.
"You won't stop no matter what I tell you?"
Neo let out a bitter smile.
It was enough for an answer.
Elizabeth pursed her lips.
She wanted to force Neo if that was what it took for him to follow her words.
But…
"Take this."
She was no longer a tyrant.
After thinking hard about it, she decided.
Her past was a lesson she had to learn from.
Forcing others would never work out.
When there was a conflict, both sides had to compromise.
"This…"
Neo looked at Obitus and the bag placed next to his bed.
He stared at Elizabeth, wondering if she was really giving them to him.
"Don't look at me like that. They belong to you."
Obitus.
And.
The replica of Poseidon's trident.
Finally, he had them both.
"Thank you," Neo said. "Though, you are correct. They belonged to me. You just snatched them and refused to return them."
"It was for your own good."
Elizabeth huffed and looked away.
Neo smiled.
She was cute even when she was angry.
Neo rested for a bit before he stood up and removed the blood transfusion packs.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC76: Group Chat
"I have a class," he answered.
"Give me your number before you leave."
"Don't you have it already?"
"I have your official mail, not your personal contact number."
Neo nodded.
He exchanged contacts with her and adder her to his friends.
"See you later."
Elizabeth pursed her lips, as if she had something to say, but stayed silent in the end.
Neo grabbed Obitus and the bag with the trident before he left.
Paimon opened her mouth when he arrived outside the gym.
"Why aren't you angry?"
"…?"
"She treated you unjustly and didn't apologize.
"Even at the end, she only corrected her mistakes.
"Was there a need to thank her?"
Neo stopped walking.
He pondered over Paimon's words.
"People are flawed. Elizabeth was a tyrant who only knew how to give orders.
"She never took no for an answer.
"It's how she was raised and she lived."
No one could change overnight.
The change was a gradual progress.
It needed constant effort.
"She didn't apologize.
"However, she took a step back and let me do what I wanted.
"It's an improvement."
Neo continued.
"I can't say I understand emotions myself.
"But I do know that everyone is different.
"No one is perfect. Elizabeth, like everyone, has flaws.
"It's not necessarily a bad thing. Flaws are what make us unique. They are the stroke of colors on a finished painting. They defines us.
"Just like a stroke of color is to a painting, the flaws can add charm to a person or destroy them," Neo explained.
"You have quite a poetic way of talking," Paimon said.
"I'll think of it as a praise."
Neo chuckled.
He went to his dorm room.
After putting the bag there, he was about to leave when Paimon spoke,
"Is it okay to leave the weapon like that?"
"Yeah."
The principal knew about the trident's existence.
She would keep it under a strict surveillance.
"How will you use the trident?"
"Are you curious?"
"Somewhat."
Neo shook his head at her blatant lie.
He explained nonetheless.
"I can't use the trident with my current strength, and its Immortal Slayer trait makes it too dangerous to let others use it.
"I originally planned to destroy it."
By the time Neo became strong enough to wield the trident, he would have better weapons than it.
The risk of keeping the trident was greater than its benefits.
"Now, though, I think I'll try to devour it."
"Devour it? With your current mastery?"
Paimon looked at him with a surprised expression.
"You'll die."
"I know. That's why I am planning to suppress the trident's powers before I devour it bit by bit."
There were a lot of preparations to be done.
Neo had to prepare a chamber to seal the trident's presence while he devoured it.
It would be dangerous if others sensed the trident and found it.
Additionally, he would be burnt to crisp if he went near trident with his current strength.
"The bag is sealing the trident.
"I need to find a method so I can bear the trident's pressure. Since, I'd rather not be burnt to ashes while I absorb it."
"It sounds like a difficult task."
"It is but…"
The returns were worth it.
Devouring the Poseidon's Trident would give him a major boost.
"Anyway, I have other things to focus on for now."
Neo took out his smartphone to check the schedule.
"The Etiquette Class is next and Spell Casting Theory Class is after it."
Neo did not plan to attend the Etiquette class.
It was low on his priority list.
"If I'm not wrong, nothing was taught in the first class of Spell Casting Theory.
"I can skip it."
"Why are you skipping the classes? You told that professor you would attend them."
"Because I think I found a way to solve the third trial."
He continued.
"It's a shot in the dark but it's worth it."
The only problem was time.
He had to hurry.
On his way, Neo made a group chat for teammates.
[You've create the group 'Umbra']
[Christian has been added.]
[Leonora has been added.]
[Mars has been added.]
>Group Chat<
Christian: What is this? A group for our team?
Me: Yes.
Mars: I was wondering when you will invite us all. Is it time for a mission?
Christian: Good afternoon, Mars. I didn't know you were the fourth teammate.
[Leonora has muted the group.]
Mars: Nice to meet you too!
Mars: I didn't know the other members were also OP guys like Neo!
Mars: I'm looking forward to meeting you guys!
Mars: ^-^
Me: Hilda Café in 30 minutes.
Me: We'll do a mission briefing.
Mars: Finally!
Christian: Isn't it too early?
Christian: We haven't found the 5th teammate yet.
Me: Leave that to me.
Christian: Understood. I'll meet you at the venue.
Mars: I'm on my way already!
Me: @Christian Bring Leonora too. She has muted the group. I doubt she will read the messages either.
Christian: …I'll do my best.
>Group Chat<
Neo closed the app.
He wondered who he should choose as the fifth member.
Someone who was already strong?
Someone who would become useful in the future?
Someone who was hiding his strength and identity?
Or should he pick a random student.
"I don't know if the other person will join my team.
"The easiest way to get the fifth member is to pick anyone at random who agrees to join."
Neo sat on the bench inside the mission hall.
The place was filled with hundreds of first year students.
"Who should I choose….
"Hmm?"
Neo noticed someone looking at F-rank missions.
Only solo students chose F~D rank missions.
The person had to be the same.
"Why isn't he in a team?
"No way, did he not join Arthur's team due to the butterfly effect?"
Neo took out his phone to confirm it from Felix.
He might've struck diamond.
>Chat | Felix<
Me: Who are your teammates?
Felix: Why lol
Felix: Me, Arthur, Nathan, Clara and Sean
Felix: You don't know Clara and Sean. I'll introduce them to you later.
Felix: Nathan is the same who attacked us during the entrance ceremony. The one who used shadows.
Me: Yeah, I remember him.
Felix: What about your team?
Me: Me, Christian, Leonora, and Mars
Felix: WTF
Felix: I know about Christian and Leonora
Felix: BUT HOW DID YOU GET MARS
Felix: HE REFUSED EVERYONE
Felix: HOW DID YOU DO IT
Felix: DON'T IGNORE ME
>Chat | Felix<
Neo closed the chats with a chuckle.
The notifications continued to arrive.
He ignored them.
"I bet he is going to be livid when we meet next time."
His actions confused Paimon.
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