POV: Wiene
That human was strange. No—he said he isn't human. But he looks like one. I can't trust him.
I backed away and hid nearby. After a few minutes of hiding, I went to check if he had left. He's gone... He wasn't in the same place anymore.
And he wasn't chasing me either.
That scared me quite a bit.
"My name is... Zane."
"I'm like you. An existence humans don't want to accept. Not even the Gods accept me."
Were those things he said really true?
I told myself I wouldn't trust him, but... he seemed so sincere.
He upset the Gods...?
As I walked, I noticed some things on the ground. They were covered with something. I lifted the cloth and found more things beneath it—bread.
I've eaten this kind of bread before. It's really tasty.
Even though it was cold, the smell was amazing.
I reached out and picked up one of the loaves. It was stuffed with something that smelled really good. I stared at the bread for a while. What if it's poisoned? My heart raced.
I looked around to see if he was nearby.
My senses are sharp, and I couldn't detect him anywhere close.
Mouth watering, I took a bite of the bread. A wonderful flavor exploded in my mouth. It was so good that my tongue even tingled a little. I had never tasted anything like it.
I devoured it in seconds and grabbed the next one. I didn't even care if any of them were poisoned.
Within minutes, I had eaten all four.
Feeling full, I wiped my mouth and looked around.
I heard something.
I thought it might be that strange boy, but all I saw was a monster. I slowly hid to avoid a confrontation and made my way back toward a village I had found a while ago.
This place is great.
Humans rarely find it, and there are plenty of places to hide.
That boy only found me because I accidentally knocked something over.
...
In silence, I sat down inside one of the houses.
Time passed.
Minutes... hours...
And nothing happened.
He really was gone.
I wonder if he'll come back?
####
POV: Zane
When I arrived on the 23rd floor of the dungeon, I connected with my clones.
Who's on the 24th floor?
After a short wait, Rock Lee's group and Aizen's group responded. Only Akame's group was on the 24th floor. They had gone ahead of me to explore a bit and were still on that floor.
Should I meet up with them?
After thinking it over, I gave up on the idea.
I started hunting again. The first monsters I encountered were lizardmen—and to my surprise, they were moving in groups. They were using shields and weapons, just like humans.
I killed them easily, of course. So easily that it bothered me. I was hoping for more of a challenge.
My sword cut through them like they were made of butter, despite their thick scales.
I also came across giant beetles that walked on two legs. Well, they were smaller than me, so maybe not that giant. I killed them easily using magic this time. Gravity magic works in any situation.
I ran into other monsters too—like the Dark Fungus, a sentient mushroom that tried to poison me, and the Sword Stag, a highly aggressive and fast beast.
None of them were a real challenge.
Everything was just so boring.
Later, I killed another monster—can't remember the name, but it looked like a giant bee. It was also extremely aggressive.
After killing it, I picked up the shell it dropped. As I stored the item in my inventory, I sighed and sat on the ground. Just hope I don't get ambushed... but I think I'm safe.
I pulled out a piece of bread to eat and noticed I only had two left.
"I gave a lot of these to that girl. I wonder how she's doing."
I smiled, remembering how cute she was. It felt like looking at a little sister. I really hope she's okay.
I ate the bread while watching the plants around me and listening to the strange sounds coming from all directions.
####
POV: Third Person
A few days passed, and the day of the Denatus finally arrived. The gods began gathering at the Guild, and the grand hall quickly filled up. Though the Denatus is a significant event, the room wasn't always this crowded.
But this time... it was because of Zane.
The large table at the center was taken by gods such as Loki, Hestia, Ishtar, and Hermes. Several lesser gods were also seated.
Gods like Freya, Apollo, Demeter, and Hephaestus remained standing.
Then the meeting finally began.
Freya was the first to speak. "This meeting will be a little different."
"I didn't want to come here just to talk about this," Hephaestus said. "I've got too much work waiting."
"Oh, come on, don't say that," Hestia replied. "This is important."
"Hestia's right. This is a serious matter," Demeter added.
And so, the gods began discussing Zane. Most of the minor gods didn't know much about him, but Freya, Loki, and other major gods had gathered a lot of information.
Especially Freya and Loki.
They led the meeting, which lasted almost two full hours.
It was supposed to be short—after all, the decision about what to do with Zane had already been made. But it turned into a heated debate. Everyone wanted to know where Zane came from and how he got his abilities.
Most of the gods believed he was human, like Freya and Loki. But many others doubted that he was one.
As the meeting neared its end, the gods used the opportunity to talk about their own Familias and their next moves.
They knew things would only get harder from now on.
And while the discussion continued, a thought crossed Freya's mind:
'Should I tell them ? About that creature wanting to form his own family.'
But with a smile on her face, she decided to keep that information to herself.
When the meeting ended, all the gods had reached one conclusion:
They must eliminate anything connected to Zane.
All his clones—or "creatures," as they called them—had to be eradicated.
Zane, who was still exploring the 24th floor with his clones, grinding for experience, had no idea this decision had already been made.
####
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Next chapters: Chapter 64 - Green Dragon. / Chapter 65 - Obtaining information. / Chapter 66 - I want to join the Loki Familia.