EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC89: Clash With The Zeus Clan Faction
"Agh! Let's just pick the mission!
"The Zeus Clan teams have acquired two slots already.
"The Poseidon Clan teams wouldn't be far behind them. They might finish the requirements anytime!
"We have to move quickly!" Jack shouted.
Hearing his firm voice, the others smiled wryly.
"That's right. We have to focus on completing our missions."
Neo was about to pick an A-rank mission when suddenly a boy with large build blocked his path.
"Heh, what's this? Our fake Ruler is choosing an A-rank mission."
Harrison looked down on Neo.
"A-rank missions are too dangerous for someone like you, fraud Ruler."
"..."
He smirked.
When Neo tried to move around him, he grabbed Neo's wrist.
"What's the hurry? Scared to face me?"
"We have a mission to do."
Harrison put strength into his grip.
A slight noise of Neo's wrist snapping echoed.
Mars, Christian, and Jack almost attacked Harrison.
Neo had to raise his hand to stop them.
"Hahahaha, look at this pussy. He isn't even trying to fight back.
"Guess you know your place."
Harrison's grin grew wider.
"We'll be penalized if we fight inside the mission hall. You should stop," Neo spoke calmly.
The injury on his wrist was barely worth mentioning.
His battles in the Underworld skewed his perception of grievous wounds.
It was why he didn't react against Harrison's taunt.
For him, it was nothing more than a bump on shoulder.
Neo didn't want to waste his breath on such a small matter when his time was limited.
"Fight…?
"You'll fight me?
"Fuck, does this idiot thinks he is on par with us just because he managed to get the first rank?"
Harrison's face scrunched up.
"Bastard, your stats aren't comparable to even top 50 students, let alone me.
"We are leagues apart.
"It won't be a battle if we fought. Just one sided stomping."
A sigh escaped Neo's lips.
He released his aura.
"I told you…"
The heavy pressure pressed down everyone present inside the mission hall like a boulder.
Harrison, closest to Neo, found it hard to breath.
"I'm busy. So, move."
Harrison's knees buckled.
He released his own aura to counterattack Neo's pressure but it barely helped.
The presence of Neo felt like cold fingers wrapped around his neck.
Harrison let go of Neo's wrist and unconsciously took a step back.
"This is how you should've acted from the beginning."
Neo clicked his tongue because of the wasted time.
He moved towards the A-rank mission list.
'What should I choose?'
'Everyone is exhausted. I can't pick a battle mission.'
'It should be something that requires less effort and can be completed quickly.'
While Neo was carefully choosing a mission, Harrison felt his blood boil.
He could think again after he got used to presence of Neo's aura.
Even if Neo's presence was strong, it was just his presence.
He was weak in every other field.
Harrison could defeat him easily.
He, humiliated, was about to attack when suddenly Mars and Christian blocked his path.
"…"
They stood between Neo, who was focusing on the mission list, and Harrison.
Jack, positioned behind Harrison, prepared his Spells in case Harrison attacked Neo.
Just as Neo chose the mission, the other members of Zeus Clan who were nearby arrived.
They pointed their weapons at Neo's team.
The tension ramped quickly.
A fight was almost imminent when Felix stepped into the mission hall with Percival.
"What are you all doing?"
The student council president's presence hit the area like a hammer.
His terrifying aura forced others to listen to him.
"You all are fighting when time is running out?
"I know the S-rank mission's details have not been released.
"But use your head!
"If the Sphinx has assigned a mission, it must be something of the utmost importance!
"Instead of completing the participation requirements why are you lot fighting amongst yourself!?
"Is this how the students of Demigod Academy should act!?"
His voice boomed.
Half of the students lost consciousness while other half bled from their mouths and ears.
Everyone was brought to their knees.
Percival glared at Neo and Harrison's team.
"You two teams meet me outside! Now!"
He turned around and went out of the mission hall.
Felix ran up to Neo.
"Sorry about that. I thought the God Clans might stir up some trouble. So, I brought the student council president.
"I didn't know you would be implicated too."
"Don't worry about it," Neo said before he turned to his teammates. "All of you go first. I'll get the mission before I follow you."
They nodded.
While they went outside, Felix spoke,
"I'll come with you. Our team need to complete the verification for our B-rank missions and pick an A-rank mission."
They ignored Harrison and the Zeus Clan members glaring at them and went to the attendant.
"I want to pick this mission," Neo said.
>A-rank Mission<
Detail: A young phoenix is about to undergo rebirth. It needs condensed and pure Fire element Aura to aide its rebirth.
Assigner: Mystica Fauna Preserve
Reward: 6 credits, Beast Communication Spell (Whisper-rank)
>A-rank Mission<
"Understood."
The attendant completed the procedures.
"You have received the mission. Please visit the Mystica Fauna Preserve to complete the task."
Neo nodded.
He turned to Felix.
"See you later."
"Good luck."
Both of them were busy.
With only one slot remaining, it was clear only one among them could be chosen for the S-rank mission.
'If Arthur's team fails, it will derail the plot of the novel completely.'
'There would be negative consequences.'
Arthur had to meet the Sphinx and ask an important question.
The answer he would receive would become the foundation of Arthur's ambition.
'But I can't give up. This is the only way I can complete my trial.'
If push came to shove, Neo would answer Arthur's question.
He was deep in his thoughts as he left the mission hall.
There Percival was waiting for him.
...
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC90: Young Phoenix
Neo was about to meet up with Percival and others when he noticed Lucas speaking to Percival.
A thought occurred to him.
He took out his device and messaged Felix.
After receiving the reply, he joined the group.
"—we apologize for the commotion inside the hall. It was entirely our fault," Lucas said.
"It's good you know that," Percival frowned.
He turned to Neo.
"Why are you late? I remember telling you to come out quickly."
His displeased expression made it clear he wasn't playing games.
It was completely different from the friendly demeanor he showed in the library.
"I apologize for being late," said Neo.
"Good. At least you know you shouldn't make excuses."
Percival looked down at the two groups.
"All of you will be fined 10 credits per person."
"But—"
"I don't remember giving you the permission to talk, Jack Hanma rank 1721.
"If there are any problems relay them to your team leader and ask him to deliver those issues to me."
"I— I'm sorry."
Jack lowered his gaze under Percival's glare.
Percival glanced at them.
"Does anyone have an issue with the fine?"
"…"
"…"
Christian stopped Mars before he could speak up.
Percival noticed their actions.
"Neo Hargraves, extra 5 credits fine to your team."
"Yes sir."
Percival left after collecting the fine and giving them one final warning against creating a public commotion.
"I'm sorry."
"…"
Mars and Jack held downcast expression.
"Just be careful from next time." Neo patted their shoulders. "Anyway, let's go to the mission venue."
Harrison glared at Neo's team while Lucas spoke to his own group.
Neo ignored them.
On the way, he noticed Mars, Christian and Jack were drained physically and mentally.
'The strain on their Divine Energy reserves was bad enough and they lost their moral after losing the credits.'
He opened his mouth.
"Don't think too much about the credits. We can recoup our losses later easily."
"I know. It's just that I don't like how we got the short end of the stick when it was Harrison who started everything," Jack said.
"Well, let's just wait and see. There is a reason why people call karma a bitch"
"…?"
Jack didn't understand the meaning behind Neo's words.
'I'm not letting them go after this,' Neo thought.
He was going to fuck them up nicely.
…
The Mystica Fauna Preserve was a wildlife sanctuary.
It was created by Derek Palmer to study the evolution of mystical beasts aka monsters.
Due to the aim of the research, the sanctuary housed unique beasts rarely found in the outside world.
The beasts living in the sanctuary required extensive care.
Often times Derek would need the Academy's assistance to take care of them.
It was the same for the young phoenix.
Derek welcomed Neo and his group when they revealed their reason for coming to the sanctuary.
"Please, follow me inside," Derek said.
They walked down the path made of vines.
The forest was filled with an aromatic scent and the noises of beasts echoed at regular intervals.
While they walked, Derek continued to peak at Mars.
"What is it?" Mars grunted.
"O-oh, it nothing. I was just surprised to meet Mars Everhart in the flesh."
"…?"
Derek was caught by surprise when Mars spoke to him.
He regained his composure after a few seconds.
"It's related to my research.
"Magical beasts can use only a few Spells and they can't learn more of them.
"Despite this, they are stronger than demigods.
"It's because of their high mastery of Spells and their refined control of Divine Energy.
"You are similar to monsters in that regards than to demigods—"
"I would appreciate it if you can take us to the phoenix quickly. We are in a hurry."
Neo's interruption made Derek realize he had been rude to Mars.
"I'm s-sorry. I didn't realize what I was saying."
"I don't mind it to be honest," Mars spoke.
The Forsaken Genius.
While his current strength was on par with Morrigan, he had reached his limit.
He could not grow stronger.
It was why the Ares Clan had him choose the 100th rank.
Everyone in the academy would soon surpass him.
"Are you okay?" Neo asked.
"Yeah," Mars grinned.
He hid his emotions behind his smile and focused on the mission.
The group reached the end of the vine road.
The appearance of the forest changed.
From lush trees to burnt barks and charred ground.
From fragment air to ashen scent.
"This is a biome created for the phoenix."
Derek led the way.
He told them about the biome and stopped when they reached a giant burning nest that lay on the ground.
"The phoenix is inside there.
"We can provide you fire-proof clothes..
"However, they will impede the transfer of Flame-element Divine Energy.
"I would suggest going in there as it as if you have Adept master of Flame element."
"Please give us one suit," Neo said.
Derek nodded and took it out of the bag he carried.
Seeing the same suit as he used during the Salamander Bee mission brought unpleasant memories.
He suppressed them and opened his mouth.
"Thank you. We'll take it from here."
"I'll leave if that is the case. There are more beasts that require my attention."
After Derek left, Neo wore the fire-proof suit.
"I'll go with Mars while he feeds the phoenix. Christian and Jack will secure the perimeter."
"Do we need to secure the perimeter? I doubt the Harrison and his team will do anything after the Student Council President scolded them."
"You can never be too careful."
'Besides, Percival was angry because we created a public commotion. He was never angry about the fight,' Neo thought.
"Mars, you can enter the flames without the suit, right?"
"Yup, I'm at Adept-mastery. These flames are no problem."
Neo stepped into the nest with Mars.
The heat made him frown.
They encountered the phoenix.
It looked like a chick with flames instead of features.
"That's the phoenix? It's smaller than I imagined," Mars said.
"This one hasn't gone through a single rebirth. It will grow stronger and larger every times it dies and revives."
Phoenixes were unique among the magical beasts.
They were hybrid of living souls and Spirits.
Spirits disintegrated into Divine Energy upon death and souls went to Underworld.
When a phoenix died, it would crumble into Divine Energy and reform into a stronger soul instead of dying forever or going into Underworld.
One could say a Phoenix cheated Death.
"This…"
It was why the situation in front of Neo was weird.
He was a wielder of Death.
He could kill an unkillable being like Phoenix.
The Phoenix should've been afraid of him.
However, it stared at him in fascination.
"As I thought this phoenix…."
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC91: Phoenix's Death
"This phoenix has been corrupted."
The research was a fake front.
Derek was building an army of powerful beasts to attack the academy.
He was doing it slowly to make sure the principal did not catch him.
The phoenix would become one of the most dangerous monsters in the future.
Suddenly, Obitus trembled.
Can I eat it…
It looks tasty….
Neo was about to refuse when Obitus added,
Eating it will complete me…
Phoenix, even if corrupted, was delectable for Darkness wielders.
Neo smiled bitterly.
"Sorry, but I have to focus on mission for now."
'For now, that is.'
He walked up to Mars who crouched next to the Phoenix.
"Can you do the mission? I know you are tired, but we don't have much time."
"Do I just need to circulate my Flame-element Divine Energy into the phoenix?"
"Yes, high purity Divine Energy will give it the energy it needs for the rebirth."
"Then it's no problem."
Neo gave the same excuse as Derek.
In truth, the phoenix, had it not been corrupted, should've been able to go through the rebirth by itself.
Mars sat in the lotus position.
He placed Phoenix on his palms.
Wisps of flames materialized around him.
He closed his eyes and circulated the Divine Energy.
'It shouldn't take more than an hour,' Neo thought.
He was pushing Mars to his limit.
However, there was an important reason he chose this mission.
After confirming everything was going smoothly, Neo left the phoenix's next.
He met with Christian and Jack.
"How is it going?" Jack questioned.
"Good."
While he was speaking, his device rang.
> Felix <
Felix: Transfer me 60 credits.
Me: Why?
Felix: I need it for the task you told me to complete.
Me: Wait a minute.
> Felix <
It was the thing he asked from Felix before he met with Percival.
Neo called out to Christian and Jack.
"I need you guys to send your credits to Felix."
"How much?"
"All twenty."
"…"
Jack pursed his lips.
"Are you sure, Neo? They might have some use for their credits in their mission.
"If we help them, they could complete their mission before us and get the slot."
Neo frowned.
Jack's words were not wrong.
He could not trust Felix to follow his words.
But…
"Yeah, it's for something important."
Christian and Jack nodded.
They agreed to transfer their credits to Felix.
> Felix <
Me: I'll send them now.
Me: But how will you get them? There is a limit to the number of credits you can take from others.
Felix: I spent 200 credits increasing the limit to 1000.
Me: …Where did you get the credits from?
Felix: I told you. I'm famous outside of God Clans.
Felix: I asked for 2 or 3 credits from quite a few people and voilà.
Me: Why would they help after teaming up against us?
Felix: Not everyone did that because they wanted to. They couldn't deny the God Clans.
Felix: Anyway, got to go.
> Felix <
Neo closed the chats.
He spoke to Christian and Jack for a few minutes before he returned to Mars.
…
West Section, Mystica Fauna Preserve Sanctuary
"Did you send the others to that blonde and his team?" Lucas questioned.
"Yes, I've sent Kendrick and Gwen," Harrison said.
"That bitch Zoe really wasted a lot of chances."
Lucas clicked his tongue.
The two stood at the top of a small hill.
They could see the majority of the sanctuary from their location.
"Are we really going to do this?" Harrison asked. "This would be too easy track back to us."
"It doesn't matter.
"The Principal will never interfere and without her testimony they won't have any guaranteed proof."
Lucas grabbed the bow and nocked three arrows at once.
He pulled the string.
Divine Energy rushed into his core.
It transformed into Space-infused Divine Energy before Lucas casted a Spell.
Miniature portals appeared on the tip of the arrows.
"It's time we show them their place."
Lucas fired.
…
Phoenix Biome, Mystica Fauna Preserve Sanctuary
Neo waited for Mars.
In the meantime, he observed the phoenix.
The presence of Death around it was unique.
'Is it like this because the phoenix can revive itself?'
Neo felt as if he was close to enlightenment.
Only a small barrier lay between him and Adept mastery.
Just then, the presence of Death flared.
A wrist-sized hole appeared before Neo's face.
He saw two similar holes materialize around Mars at the same time.
There was only a split second for him to tilt his head and dodge the arrow that flew out of the portal.
It slit his cheek.
"Mars! Are you okay!?"
Neo quickly stood up.
He scanned the area.
There were no further attacks.
But.
"Neo…?"
Mars held the corpse of the phoenix in his hand.
An arrow was shot through its heart.
The phoenix was dead....
They failed the mission.
Neo's face hardened.
"What about you? Are you injured?" He asked.
"No, I was able to dodge the attack but—"
"The attacks aimed at us were a distraction. Their real goal was the phoenix."
Mars, exhausted due to the missions he did during the past day, was not able to react on time
He couldn't protect the phoenix.
Slowly, Mars face morphed into a frown.
"Who! Did! This!"
Giant threatening flames covered his body.
They twisted, transforming into eastern dragons, and roared.
Neo looked at the hill in the distance.
Who did this?
Neo knew the answer.
However, he couldn't do anything.
Things like this happened in every competition.
'I bet they think like this.'
Phoenix, already corrupted, was going to become a huge threat in the future.
It couldn't be saved.
Neo always planned to kill it.
And he used Zeus Clan as the scapegoat.
"Return to the mission hall with Christian and Jack, and take another A-rank mission.
"It might not be too late if we hurry.
"I'll deal with the matters here and inform the sanctuary owner about the mission failure," Neo said.
Mars barely suppressed his anger and nodded.
After he left, Neo stared at the corpse of phoenix.
Who was he to refuse a free gift?
He called out to Obitus.
"Devour the corpse."
The Darkness slithered.
It pulled the phoenix into its embrace.
Voices returned.
Neo could sense the presence of Obitus swelling.
[Strength +1]
[Divine Energy +2]
Obitus pulsed.
It grew stronger and stronger.
Neo supressed it.
"Sleep. There is no need to hurry up your awakening. That will only harm you."
Thank you… Give me a few hours…
I'll meet… you soon….
Neo smiled.
He could sense its emotions.
It was feeling guilty because it couldn't sense the attack on time.
Shaking his head, Neo left the nest.
'I've failed the mission as I planned. Now, it's Felix's turn.'
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC92: 3/3 Slots
Neo left the phoenix biome.
He stepped towards the center of the sanctuary.
After crossing a few different biomes, he came across a brown building.
He entered Derek's office.
"Has the phoenix finished its rebirth?"
"No, we failed. It's dead."
"Is this a prank…?"
Derek waited for Neo to say something.
When Neo didn't reply, his face morphed into an ugly grimace.
"Do you realize what you've done!? It was a phoenix!
"A phoenix!
"If you are incapable of completing the mission, how dare you take it!?"
"…"
Neo let Derek vent his anger.
"A phoenix is more expensive than your entire life!
"I'll make sure your team is penalized for this!
"Not just penalized, I'll make your life a living hell! You damned brats—"
"I'll be taking my leave. Please visit the mission hall if you have any complaints," Neo said.
Derek fumed.
Neo was on the doorstep when he stopped and turned around to face Derek.
"Also, the phoenix was 'weird'. It wasn't afraid of me even though I have Death affinity.
"I suspect it had a tainted bloodline and it is the reason its rebirth failed."
His words made Derek shut his mouth with a snap.
After all, Derek knew exactly what was wrong with the phoenix.
'Did.... did he notice?'
Derek's palms were covered in sweat.
He did not reply to Neo.
"Again, I apologize for the mission's result," Neo said.
He left the sanctuary.
On his way, his device rang.
[A-rank mission failed]
[-60 credits]
[Total credits: -60 credits]
"That's some balance."
He chuckled wryly.
Jack ran up to him when he reached the mission hall.
"Neo!"
"Did you take another mission?"
"About that…. The slots are full."
"…Who was it?"
Jack's expression fell further when he noticed Neo's frown.
It hit him again that they failed the participation requirements.
"Arthur's team, Lumen. They were a few minutes faster than the Poseidon Clan's team."
Neo patted Jack's back.
"It's fine. We'll get a slot."
"…?"
Neo didn't explain further.
….
Few hours ago.
Neo left the mission hall after taking the phoenix mission.
He was about to meet up with Percival and others when he noticed Lucas speaking to Percival.
'Lucas…'
'This guy will definitely interfere again in our mission.'
'I can stop him, but it's bothersome.'
A thought occurred to him.
'It's better to let him attack us and use him.'
He took out his device and message Felix.
> Felix <
Me: My team will give up the third slot.
Me: It should increase your chances of securing the slot since my team has the highest chance of getting the slot.
Felix: …What do you want in return?
Me: It's a good thing you are quick on uptake.
Me: I want you to—
…
Present
Felix met up with Percival.
He was nervous.
"Why did you call me?" Percival questioned.
"I wanted to report about the interference of God Clans in our team's mission.
"They have been repeatedly trying to sabotage us."
"…"
A sigh left Percival's lips.
"You think this is the first time something like this happened?
"If you think like that, you are wrong.
"Get used to it. It will keep happening in the future too.
"And if you don't like how things are done here deal with them yourself."
"The professors won't help us…?" Felix questioned.
"They won't unless something crosses the line."
Everything Percival said was same as what Neo told him.
The academy already knew what was happening in the competition.
They were ignoring it purposefully.
"Sigh, can I meet the principal?" Felix asked.
"Are you thinking of complaining to the principal?
"Don't do that.
"You will need to pay with credits for an official hearing and pay extra on top of that if you want the principal to act as a witness.
"6,000 credits in total.
"Two people can attempt the Junior Templar exam with those credits. It's useless to go to the principal even if you that much amount."
It was a checkmate for Felix.
There was no way he could get the Zeus Clan and others punished.
Or so Percival thought.
"I still want to visit the principal. Do I need to pay credits for it?" Felix questioned in a mocking tone.
"It's not needed. The top 10 students can meet the principal whenever they wish."
Percival whistled.
A pegasus flew down.
It lowered its head and let Percival caress it.
He turned to Felix.
"Sit behind me and hold tight."
They climbed the pegasus.
The winged horse neighed and took off to the sky.
It flew higher and higher.
Felix saw the campus from above.
No matter how high they flew everything within his gaze was inside the academy's boundary.
"It's quite big," he said.
"Yeah."
The horse reached a giant cloud.
It flew above it.
There a majestic mansion lay.
Percival flew down and the landed on the clouds.
"Enter the mansion and go straight to the office on the third floor. You'll find the principal there."
He left after giving the instructions.
Felix walked on the clouds.
The door of the mansion opened when he stepped near them.
He entered the place.
It had a grand foyer, marble floors, three chandeliers, velvet drapes, ornate furniture, sweeping staircase, and sunlit rooms with tall windows.
The mansion seemed devoid of any living presence.
Felix recalled Percival's words.
He climbed the staircase for the third floor.
The office was the second room to the left of the stairs.
Felix was about to knock when he stopped.
He gulped.
'I agreed to Neo's plan since it seemed to be the only way my team could qualify for the slot.'
'But…'
'I'm pretty sure the principal would kill me if the plan fails.'
His heart hammered against his chest.
'Should I just dip?'
Arthur and his team already got a slot.
Neo couldn't do anything if Felix went back on his words.
It was an easy choice.
It should've been easy.
Felix bit his lips.
'Dammit.'
He knocked.
"Come in," the voice answered from the inside.
Felix gulped and opened the door.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC93: Planning Two Steps Ahead
He saw the principal busy with documents while Anna, his homeroom teacher, sat across the table and helped the principal.
"Sit," Charlotte said.
Felix nodded.
He sat next to Anna and in front of the principal.
Charlotte removed her glasses.
She rubbed her tired eyes before focusing on Felix.
"You have five minutes to speak.
"If I feel like you've come to waste my time, you will be fined with one thousand credits."
She picked the hourglass from the table and turned it upside down.
The grains of sand fell through the narrow opening.
"You can start."
"I'm here to complain about the recent competition among the teams for the slot of the S-rank mission posted by the Sphinx."
"You want an official hearing?"
Charlotte drummed her fingers on the armrest.
"It costs 1,000 credits. Add another 5,000 credits if you want me as the witness."
The principal, Charlotte, could observe the campus at all times.
She saw everything that happened inside the academy's boundary.
Thus, her words were absolute.
If she said she saw someone do a crime, the person would be found guilty no matter what evidence they brought.
"There is no need for the principal's testimony. I only need to start the official hearing."
"Very well."
Charlotte nodded.
She took out a new page and placed her pen on top of it after Felix paid the required credits.
"What is your complaint?"
"I want to file an official complaint against the principal of the Demigod Academy, Charlotte Fontaine, for allowing students to use unsavory means to win the competition.
"She's turning a blind eye to cheating, bribery, and sabotage, and it's tarnishing the reputation of the academy.
"This isn't about honing our skills anymore—it's about who can manipulate the system the best."
…!
Charlotte froze.
She raised her head and stared at Felix in the eye.
"You are filing a complaint against me?"
"Yes."
Felix tried his best to maintain his composure.
A groan escaped left his lips when the principal's pressure hit him.
"Brat…
"Have you gone mad?"
Felix's limbs trembled.
'Dammit! Neo, I'll haunt you if I die here because of you!'
Blood trickled from the corner of his lips.
Charlotte snorted.
"What are you trying to achieve with this?
"The complaint alone can't do anything without evidence and testimony of witness.
"Do you have anything to prove your words?"
Charlotte looked down on Felix.
She was furious at his actions.
In normal hearings, Charlotte decided who was guilty and who was not.
She didn't need any evidences or witness.
However, when she was the accused, there would be a public hearing and the judgement would need witness or evidences.
"The testimony?"
Felix turned to Anna at his side.
The homeroom teacher was staring at him.
"Does it work if our homeroom teacher acts as a witness for our side?"
"It—"
Charlotte closed her mouth.
There should have been no one inside the academy who would act as a witness against her.
Felix's complaint was useless.
But.
What about Elizabeth who was disguised as Anna?
Would she help Charlotte or Neo who was about to lose the slot due to interference of Zeus Clan?
'These brats... They planned everything.'
Charlotte tightened her fists under the table.
She had seen Neo devour the corpse of Phoenix.
Coupled with what was happening before her, it was clear Neo always planned to fail the mission and get a slot by forcing Charlotte to make a move.
He was trying to get the best out of everything.
Charlotte's anger simmered.
It didn't feel good to be outsmarted by kids who were one-tenth her age.
"Go out for a few minutes," Charlotte said.
"What? I can't leave the principal alone with Miss Anna. There is no guarantee if—"
"Brat, out, I said."
Felix felt the hair on his limbs burn.
The principal was angry.
He nodded and left the room.
"What are you going to do?
"Will you act as a witness against me, your master who gave you a place to stay when you have nowhere to go, or will you take my side?"
Her words made Elizabeth wrinkle her brows.
"…Neo."
"tsk, shouldn't have expected anything from someone who returned to her master only when she needed a favor."
"…"
Elizabeth looked away.
The more Charlotte thought it the more she didn't like Neo.
It was one thing to try and one up her.
She would've liked Neo's plan under normal circumstances.
But to have her disciple choose him over her was crossing the line.
Charlotte called Felix back into the room.
Despite being nervous, he maintained a calm expression.
"Withdraw your complaint."
"…"
"I will deal with the God Clans who sabotaged other teams if you do that.
"Or you can proceed your complaint.
"Your homeroom teacher here will help you win the hearing against me.
"However, don't think you'll be safe after dragging my name through the mud."
Felix gulped.
He was relieved.
Everything went as Neo told him it would.
"I'll withdraw my complaint." He let out a bitter smile. "After all, I'd rather not have the principal hold a grudge against me."
Charlotte snorted.
She returned his credits and pressed the bell.
Two dolls in maid costumes entered the room.
"You called, my liege?"
Both of the puppets spoke in unison.
Their voice was sweet yet it made one's heart beat faster in fear and trepidation.
Goosebumps ran over Felix's skin.
"Bring Team Umbra, Astra, and Tempest."
"As you wish."
They formed hand seals.
Divine Energy in the air churned.
Dozens of portals appeared inside the room and students fell from them.
"What was that…?"
"Ah, fuck! My ass. I think it broke."
Some of them complained.
They fell silent when they noticed their surroundings.
Felix locked eyes with Neo.
'It's done,' he mouthed.
"Good evening, principal," Lucas stepped forward and greeted.
Other students followed behind him.
Charlotte nodded.
"Good evening.
"I've called you all here because I've noticed some of you using underhanded means to win the slots for the S-rank mission and hinder other teams' progress."
…!?
Lucas and Harrison's face hardened.
It was the first time the principal was getting involved in a matter like this.
They looked at each other and then around the room.
Noticing Neo's calm expression, both of them had the same thought.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC94: Old But Petty, And Young But Calm
'How did he do it?'
'There is no way they could've collected 6,000 credits to start a trial and have the principal act as their witness.'
Their faces scrunched when they heard her next words.
"Team Astra and Team Tempest will be disqualified."
"What!?"
"Why!? There is no proof we did anything!"
The members of Team Tempest, Zoe's team, spoke up.
"No proof?"
Charlotte's aura hit their shoulders with a crushing force.
"You dare use those words in front of me?"
The students fell to their knees.
"W-we apologize for our rude words."
"Mhm."
Charlotte let them suffer under her aura and turned to Lucas and Zoe.
"As I've said, both of your teams will be disqualified.
"Team Umbra, which should've received a slot had you not intervened, and another team will get a slot in your places."
Listening to her made Lucas frown.
He thought hard.
Suddenly, his brows jumped.
"Principal, it is true we had won the slot, no?"
"Yes?"
"Then can we cancel the disqualification if we pay enough credits?"
"…"
Charlotte looked at Lucas with surprise.
She hadn't expected this.
'This year's brats have a good head on their shoulder.'
She smiled.
Her gaze met Neo's gaze.
He didn't want Lucas's disqualification to be revoked.
His frown made Charlotte's smile grow wide.
"500 credits to cancel disqualification for one team," she said.
"Thank you," Lucas replied.
He looked at his teammates.
They understood his intentions and sent him their credits.
190 credits.
Lucas' team was short of 310 credits.
"Zoe, tell your team to transfer us their credits."
"But—"
"Zoe, give me the credits. Hurry."
Lucas smiled.
It made Zoe shudder.
She lowered her head and nodded.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she collected credits from her teammates and sent them to Lucas.
410 credits.
90 credits remaining.
Lucas turned to Felix.
"Felix, as you can see, we are in a pinch here. Can you help us?"
Lucas was not stupid.
He saw Neo came to the principal with them and Felix was there already.
Clearly, Felix was the one who had enough credits to demand a trial.
"Why should I do that?"
"Because we are friends and I don't want to harm my friends, or my friend's friends."
In short, Lucas knew Felix borrowed credits from other students.
He would go after those who helped Felix if he did not listen to his demand.
Felix bit his lips.
He turned to the principal.
'It doesn't look like she plans to stop Lucas from threatening other students in front of her.'
'Seems like she hates us for forcing her to move.'
Felix smiled bitterly.
In the end, he shook his head.
"I don't have any credits left. I used them all for the trial."
"Is that so? That's quite bad."
Lucas backed off easily.
"Principal, can I make some calls? I need to arrange the credits."
"Go ahead."
He took out his device.
A few minutes later, he transferred 500 credits to the principal.
"Team Astra's disqualification has been revoked.
"With this Team Astra, Team Lumen, and Team Umbra have received the slots for the S-rank mission."
Charlotte smiled.
Allowing Lucas' team to keep the slot was her way of getting back at Neo.
But…
'Huh?'
Neo was smiling.
As if he predicted this to happen.
'No, that's impossible.'
Her smile disappeared.
"All of you can return."
Portals appeared beneath their feet when she finished her words.
The students fell into the torn space.
Only Neo was left behind.
"…"
"You seem calm for someone who kicked up a storm just now."
"Storm? I'm sorry, principal. I don't understand what you mean."
She scoffed at his innocent façade.
"Did you bait Lucas into killing the phoenix?"
"It was Lucas!?"
Neo's eyes widened.
Elizabeth burst into a chuckle at the side.
She quickly returned to her cold, expressionless demeanor but it only served to irritate Charlotte more.
"This brat…."
Charlotte barely stopped herself from blasting Neo into the sky.
'I thought he would boast about his master plan.'
'If that happened, I would've used his words as evidence and held him accountable for phoenix's death.'
Even if Neo was smart enough to make such a simple, yet crafty plan, he was still a child.
He should've been excited and boasted about his plan's success.
'Instead he is calm. He knows he will be punished for phoenix's death. So he is acting like all of it was a coincidence.'
Charlotte massaged her temple.
Neo was a tricky opponent to deal with.
His plans were simple yet they had no weakness to be exploited.
She was about to send him back when suddenly an idea came to her.
"Neo Hargraves, congratulations on receiving a slot for the S-rank mission.
"I've closely watched your team's performance and I've been impressed with everything I saw."
Neo's smile disappeared.
He felt it.
Something bad was about to happen.
"However,
"I've noticed one of your team members did not participate in any team activities.
"Teams are made up of 5 members for a reason.
"If Leonora von Villiers continues to skip the missions, I would have no choice but to revoke your slot."
"Fucking—"
"Did you just curse at me?"
"No, I said 'fair point'."
Neo's frustrated expression brought a smile to Charlotte's face.
"You can go back now.
"Again, make sure Leonora von Villiers participates in the S-rank mission, or your entire team be won't allowed either."
"…Understood."
A portal appeared beneath Neo and he was teleported to the mission hall.
His teammates were waiting for him.
"Why were you late?" Jack questioned.
"The principal wanted to talk to me. It was nothing important. Anyway, let's go eat. I'm hungry."
They could tell Neo's mood was off.
However, they couldn't question the reason behind his mood when he clearly refused to talk about it.
'How am I going to get that lazy bum to move?' Neo thought.
He turned to Christian.
"Christian, let's just say, we need to get Leonora's participation in order to be allowed to do a mission. How can we make her join us?"
"By giving up on the mission.
"There is no way Miss is going to do anything that needs her to leave the room."
Christian's swift answer made Neo close his eyes.
'That damned NEET.'
His future didn't look bright to him.
Sighing, he entered the cafeteria and saw…
"Huh?
"What are they doing?"
Neo couldn't believe his eyes.
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC95: Their Dreams
Neo couldn't believe his eyes.
"Tell me I'm hallucinating."
"…Yes, I think its mass hallucination."
The cafeteria was filled with energy, laughter and music.
Students danced, shouted, and clinked their glasses.
Felix noticed Neo and his team at the cafeteria's door.
"Neo! Come inside! Eat with us!"
"What's happening here?"
"Our team threw a party to celebrate us receiving team slots."
"…Where did you get the credits to pay for everything?"
"We used the credits we borrowed from them."
Neo looked at him as if he was an idiot.
Felix scratched his cheek.
"The transfer limit. There is a limit to how many credits you can get from others.
"The students wouldn't have been able to receive their credits back right now. So we decided to throw a party."
He came closer to Neo and whispered,
"This was the perfect way to establish a good relation with everyone."
"I guess that's true."
"Isn't it? Will you throw a party too?"
"…"
Neo was exasperated.
'He wants to split the bill?'
'This guy…'
'Our negative credits were just cleared and we have only 6 credits.'
He let out a smile.
"No thank you."
"tsk"
Felix clicked his tongue silently but made sure it was audible.
He left when a few students called out to him.
"Let's take something to eat."
"You mean order, right?"
"I meant what I said. They are throwing a part, so we might as well partake."
Jack looked at Neo.
The more time they spent together the more he realized Neo, contrary to cold and emotionless face, was shameless in both words and actions.
Their group sat in a corner.
They chatted while eating.
A group approached their table.
"Team Umbra, correct?
"I've heard you guys managed to receive a slot.
"A weak team like yours must've made some underhanded deals.
"I don't think your team can complete an S-rank mission with your current strength. Let us join your—"
"You have ten seconds to fuck off."
Neo cut off the leader of the group.
"What!? Y-you cursed at me?! Do you even know who I am?!"
"Ten."
"You better think carefully!"
"Five."
"W-what!? You just skipped the counts!"
"Three—"
Neo was about to continue when the group took a step back.
The boy, their leader, clenched his jaw and glared at Neo.
"I won't forget this humiliation.
"Remember this, I, Sebas Morris, will have my revenge for this insolent act!"
"...."
They flinched when Neo opened his mouth and left before he could he speak.
"Pfft! I never thought I would see someone act like that in real life."
Jack let out the laughter he had been holding back.
Christian shook his head and Mars scoffed.
It was already common knowledge Neo's team received a spot.
They expected someone to join their team for the S-rank mission.
"Now that we have a slot, what are you guys planning to ask from the Sphinx?"
Jack brought up the topic while they ate.
The four stared at each other.
Christian cleared his throat and put his spoon down.
"I'll go first. I want to know about the fastest way for me to become a Senior Exorcist."
"Wow, you don't want to know how to become a Senior Exorcist, but how to become one as fast as possible?
"That's some confidence," Jack spoke.
His awe filled gaze embarrassed Christian.
"My turn."
Jack stood up.
He exaggeratedly spread his arms and made big motions.
"I want to write an autobiography.
"The title would be—
"I became the strongest Necromancer after receiving an oracle from the Sphinx!"
They laughed.
"What's the real question you would ask? I doubt you would actually do that," Christian spoke.
"Well…"
Jack let out a wry smile.
"It's a bit heavy topic I'd rather not about or it will dampen the mood.
"To be honest, I—
"I'm worried you all will become jealous of my soon to arrive success."
"As if!"
Christian felt stupid to have expected a serious answer from Jack.
Just a few days ago, Jack was trembling when he met their eyes.
Going through life and death struggles closed the distances between them easily.
"Now, Mars' turn!"
"I want to ask for a way to surpass the Supreme."
Suddenly, the group fell silent.
Supreme was the highest mastery of a Magic Spell.
Barely anyone reached Supreme-mastery in their life.
Mars was an anomaly to have achieved Supreme-mastery within a few weeks, even if it was for the lowest Whisper-ranked Spell, since it took years of practice for that.
"Mars…"
Christian couldn't complete his words.
"Don't worry about it. Everyone knows my condition."
Mars smiled and continued.
"My heart is weak and it can't pump enough Divine energy rich blood throughout my body.
"It's why I can use only the weakest Spell of my element.
"I'm called one of the strongest in our year because I managed to train the Fire Punch Spell to Supreme Mastery.
"But—"
His comprehension was unparalleled.
However, he wasn't blessed with a good physique.
No.
He was cursed with a broken body.
A body that won't grow any stronger.
"With that, I've reached my limit.
"I can't grow anymore.
"It wouldn't take long for everyone to surpass me."
Mars clenched his fists.
He grinned.
"That's why I must surpass the Supreme! I'm not giving up my title of a genius!"
He pointed at Neo.
"I'll use you as the grindstone for my success.
"You better not slack off in your training, my rival!"
Neo wasn't strong.
He was weak.
If Mars had to be honest, Neo was the weakest in their group.
But.
Neo had something they didn't.
A power they could never hope to achieve.
His unrivalled drive to improve himself.
Mars respected Neo for it.
Unknown to Mars, Neo's drive was something he learned from Mars.
Neo wanted to be like Mars.
Someone who wouldn't give up even if he had to burn his life for just an ounce of strength.
Someone who wouldn't bend his morals and take the hardest path without cowering.
'Burn his life, huh?'
Neo smiled bitterly when he recalled Mars future.
"I bet you can do it."
Jack bumped his fist into Mars' shoulder.
He turned to Neo.
"What will you ask from the Sphinx?"
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC96: Subtle Manipulation
"I want to know about emotions."
"…?"
"I'm a Darkness user.
"Someone I know told me I can maintain my sanity if I can understand emotions."
Only after he spoke did he realize his words brought the mood down.
As a Darkness user, Neo was bound lose himself to the darkness.
Today…
Tomorrow…
He did not know when it would happen.
It was not a question of 'if', but of 'when'.
"Sounds like a plan," Jack grinned.
He spoke to clear the heavy mood.
After the dinner, they returned to the Seraphim Hall and split up.
"The briefing for the S-rank mission is day after tomorrow. Make sure to be on time," Neo reminded them.
Neo was about to return to his room when he saw Mars sneaking out of the dorm.
"Where is he going late at night? It's almost the next day."
He followed him.
Mars stopped at the end of a small cliff.
He stood against the railings and stared at the cliff.
"You can come out now."
"..."
"I know you are there, Neo."
"…When did you know I was following you?"
"Since the beginning."
Mars' answer made Neo smile bitterly.
Neo stood next to him.
Both of them stared at the moon.
It would soon disappear behind the horizon and the sun would rise.
"Why did you leave silently like that? You could've told us. Christian and Jack would've liked this place too."
"I wanted to be alone. But—"
Mars chuckled.
"A certain someone doesn't understand the logic of privacy."
"Sorry."
Silence fell between them.
The cold air brushed past against Neo's skin.
He exhaled and rubbed his palms to keep them warm.
Suddenly, Mars opened his mouth.
"You have the bloodline of Hades. Does it mean you can see more than others?"
"Like what?"
"Approaching Death. Can you see that?"
"…."
Neo's silence answered more than it should have.
"Sigh, you must've seen mine too. I guess it was never a secret from you."
"…"
"I don't have much time left.
"My heart is beating on borrowed time."
Neo tightened his grip around the railing.
He knew.
He knew it since long ago.
Mars smiled when he noticed Neo's expression.
"There is no need to look like that.
"I've come to terms with my death. My only goal is to surpass Supreme before I die."
"…"
"Sigh, this heavy atmosphere really isn't my type.
"I want to train and forget about everything. Though I guess I need to ask that before we return."
"…?"
Mars shook his head with a smile when he saw Neo's confused expression.
"I made sure you saw me when I sneaked out.
"Don't tell me you thought you saw me by chance."
"…"
"So even you can make an expression like that."
"What do you want to ask?" Neo asked.
He wanted to change the topic before Mars pointed out more of his faults.
"How long do I have left to live?"
Neo pursed his lips.
How long?
His mastery of Death was not enough to answer that question.
Still, he knew the answer.
"Two years."
"I see…."
"Mars, I think you should—"
"I should ask Sphinx how to lengthen my life instead of how to surpass the Supreme?"
Neo closed his mouth when Mars said what he was about to say.
Mars continued.
"I can do that.
"But what's the point of living like that?
"I've searched through the libraries and legacies of my family as well as my clan.
"There was no solution to save my life or to surpass Supreme.
"Sphinx might have answer to both.
"But I can choose only one."
He reached out to the rising sun.
"I would burn brightly like a great fire before I die rather than spending my life as a dimly lit candle flame."
Neo could not tell Mars to choose the other option.
Because he was doing the same.
Darkness would devour him soon, and he was still going to use it.
"Don't tell others about it. You are the only one who knows this."
Neo nodded.
He turned around and stared at the forest behind them.
…
When Neo turned around, Jack flinched.
'Does he know I'm here?'
'No, that can't be possible.'
Mars had no way to sense him when he was hiding in the shadow space, and Neo was too weak to be able to find him.
Jack followed them when he saw Neo tailing Mars.
It was out of pure curiosity.
He never thought he would chance upon such a huge secret.
'Mars is going to die…?'
Jack was too stunned to think of anything else.
Despite the short amount of time he spent with Mars and others, he became a friend of theirs.
'I don't want to see that.'
It was clear Mars would choose his strength over his life when he met Sphinx.
'Should I use my answer for him?'
Jack bit his lips.
He was carrying too many responsibilities to throw them away for a friend he knew for less than a week.
He could not put Mars above his own needs.
But….
'Dammit.'
Jack wished he wouldn't have followed Mars and Neo.
…
Neo returned with Mars to the Seraphim Hall.
'Sorry, Jack. But this was the only way.'
'I can't let Mars die and I can't give up my own chance.'
Neo always knew Mars was baiting him when he sneaked out of Seraphim Hall.
Since he could guess the reason, he made sure to have Jack follow them.
It was not hard to achieve.
And the results were in his favor.
'I'll solve your problems, Jack. So please help Mars this time.'
Neo disliked manipulating his friends.
'I don't want to do this again if possible.'
However, he knew better than to pin his hopes on the future.
After returning to his room, Neo looked at the rising sun through the window.
"I can't go meet with Leonora this early in the morning.
"Should I take a short nap to pass time?"
He was tired.
It was best to rest and return to his peak condition since the S-rank mission would start the day after tomorrow.
"S-rank mission… I should try to recruit Morrigan again.
"The group's combat strength will fall by half without her. It's too dangerous."
Although Leonora would be with them, she was too lazy to fight.
Just when he was about to sleep, he felt a presence swelling inside his mind.
"Obitus!?"
Neo sat up with a snap.
He grabbed his sword.
Faint red arcs slithered around the sheathe and tiny condensed flames burned brightly on its edge.
"Obitus…? Are you awake?"
There was no answer.
Neo grabbed the hilt.
It was complete.
At least that was what he felt.
"Let's try it."
He tried to pull the blade out from the scabbard.....
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC97: Obitus Unsealed
The sword slid out of the scabbard without any resistance.
It had a curved black blade with pitch black texture that seemed to pull oneself into it.
"A kodachi. Well it's a bit long for a kodachi."
The sword's shape was exactly how katana swords were depicted in his previous world.
'I'm sure the original Obitus was different.'
'Did the appearance change to fit my preference?'
Neo swung the blade.
It fit perfectly in his hand, the weight was balanced, and he could tell his control over Death and Darkness increased tremendously.
"Something is weird…"
His Divine Energy control seemed to have improved.
But....
"Why is Obitus absorbing my Divine Energy?"
Neo slashed.
Something changed when he pulled out Obitus.
He couldn't put his finger on it.
Suddenly, Paimon opened her mouth.
"How is this possible?
"Why can your Spirit connect you to the Underworld?"
Her words made Neo's brows jump.
He realized what was wrong.
"My stats aren't suppressed anymore. The debuff disappeared."
As a kin of Death, he was weakened in the world of living.
However, that was no longer the case.
Neo returned the sword to the sheathe.
The debuff reappeared and Obitus stopped absorbing his Divine Energy.
His limbs felt heavy.
As if he was wearing sand bags.
"How fascinating. I've never seen anything similar."
"Neither have I."
Neo shrugged.
He did his best to hide his smile.
After curbing his excitement and taking a powernap, he visited Leonora's room.
He rang the doorbell twice.
There was no reply.
"Leonora, open the door."
He knocked this time and the door opened.
"It was not locked."
Neo called out to her a few more times from the doorstep.
There was no reply.
"Should I just enter?"
He decided against it when suddenly he heard a scream from the room.
His eyes widened and he ran inside.
"Leonora! What happened!?"
"I… I…"
She turned to him and…
…
Principal Office
Charlotte closed the set of documents.
She rubbed her eyes with a sigh.
"Is there a problem, master?"
Elizabeth stared at her with worry hidden deep within her gaze.
"The owner of Mystica Fauna Preserve filed a complaint against Team Umbra.
"He wants to be reimbursed for the Phoenix's death."
Phoenix was one of the rarest mythical beasts.
Its value couldn't be counted with money alone.
"And? The money is a problem?"
"That too. But there is something else I can't understand.
"For someone like his personality, Derek is complaining quite calmly.
"I expected him to burst through my door yesterday, but he only sent a letter."
It was as if…
He wanted to suppress the matter without creating much commotion.
Charlotte closed her eyes.
She tried to think of a reason behind Derek's strange actions.
"Eliz, how is that boy?"
"…?"
"How does he act? Is he the type to put others at risk for his benefits or does—"
"Neo is kind, gallant and heroic."
Charlotte closed her mouth when she received a swift answer from Elizabeth.
"It's my fault for asking the question from you.
"Sigh, where did my Eliz go? You look just like her but act like a little girl who had her first puppy love.
"My Eliz will never act like that."
Elizabeth looked away at the accusation.
Charlotte stood up and decided to leave the room.
She wanted to get some fresh air.
While on the walk, she continued to think about the mysterious circumstances around Neo's A-rank mission.
"The boy is sly.
"However, he doesn't look like the type to kill a phoenix just for his personal benefits."
Could there be more to Neo's action?
Why would he kill an innocent phoenix?
He even tried to protect the phoenix—
"…!?
"He tried to protect the phoenix."
Charlotte repeated the words.
"How was he able to stay near the phoenix?
"The bird should've attacked him as soon as he tried to get close to it."
The phoenix was not normal.
She realized something was wrong.
"Did Derek know about this? Is this why he was trying to close the case without causing any fuss?"
An ominous premonition swept through Charlotte's heart.
Charlotte's eyes glowed.
Her senses expanded crazily.
She could see everything inside the academy in great details.
Students sneaking out into the bushes, ongoing classes, teachers gossiping in the staff rooms.
She zoomed into the Mystica Fauna Preserve.
"Tsk.
"He ran away."
It was now clear to her.
Derek was planning something at the wildlife sanctuary.
He escaped when he was about to be caught.
"Tessa, Talia, send an investigation team to the Mystical Fauna Preserve.
"I want to know everything Derek did there."
Two dolls wearing maid dress appeared behind her.
They bowed.
"Understood, master."
The dolls disappeared leaving Charlotte alone in the long corridor.
She sighed as he looked out of the window.
"Was this a coincidence too?"
Or did Neo know something was wrong with Derek and did all of this to expose him?
It was impossible.
Neo, a first year, came to the academy a few days ago.
There was not enough time for him to find dirt on Derek.
However, the proof infront of her eyes was saying otherwise.
"Sigh… I hope all of this was a misunderstanding and Derek did nothing."
Charlotte massaged her brows.
She was beginning to struggle with understanding the full extent of Neo's plan.
…
Leonora's Room, Seraphim Hall
Leonora was about to throw her controller in anger when she saw Neo.
Her gaze wandered to his back.
She noticed the opened door.
"Why did you enter the room without my permission?"
Instead of answering her, Neo stared at the TV display and 'GAME OVER' written on it.
'Did she shout because she lost the game?'
He was at a loss when he noticed the room.
Empty snack wrappers and soda cans were littered on the floor.
Her clothes were strewn across the bed and chairs.
The desk, dominated by a glowing monitor and tangled cables, was surrounded by scattered game cases and half-finished energy drinks.
"Wow."
"Rude," she spoke sharply. "First you enter a girl's room without permission and now you are checking everything.
"Don't you have any manners?"
Neo opened his mouth.
"You think I wanted to enter this dumpster—"
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC98: Gaming Addicts
Neo closed his mouth abruptly.
'I'm here to have her join us on the S-rank mission.'
'It's better to be careful of what I say.'
He opened his mouth.
"I rang the doorbell twice.
"There was no answer and I suddenly heard you scream.
"That's why I entered the room."
"As you can see, there is no problem here. So, get out."
"…"
Neo took a deep breath.
'Don't react to her taunts. That's what she wants.'
'I'm here for a job. Focus on it.'
Leonora was the only heroine he disliked with passion.
It was not easy for him to get along with her due to his personal bias.
"Look, can we just talk? I have something important I need to discuss—"
"Shut it and leave. I'm busy."
"Like what?"
He pointed at her room.
"I bet you haven't attended classes during the past days and you didn't join us on the missions.
"What was important enough to keep you busy?"
"I was beating the Enma Shrine 3."
"Enma Shrine 3…?"
"Yup, I beat in it just 2 days."
Her smug expression confused him.
"What's Enma Shrine 3?"
"You don't know about Enma Shrine 3? I guess I shouldn't have expected much from an idiot."
She clicked her tongue.
"It's the game that will receive Game of the Year for this year.
"It already broke most records.
"Even though it came out only 2 days ago, it had more sales than entire Sanguine Penguin series combined!"
Leonora grew excited as she spoke.
She stopped, stared at the empty air next to her and coughed.
Suddenly, she became calm.
"You skipped classes just for a…."
Neo stopped speaking.
He couldn't chastise her.
After all, he had been in the same situation when Elden Ring and AC Odyssey were released.
He was a worse gaming addict than Leonora.
'Was she such a hardcore gamer?'
He didn't like it.
He didn't like how he shared his favorite hobby with her out of all people.
"Just?
"That's what you say because you can't understand the greatness behind Enma Shrine 3
"I bet you can't defeat even the first boss."
"…What?"
Neo failed to realize how smoothly and confidently Leonora was talking when she was within her room.
He stopped caring when he challenged his inner gaming addict.
"You think I can't do what you did?"
Gaming was the only field where he could call himself the best—
His face scrunched up when he recalled he lost the last game he played in his previous life.
"Fine. I'll show you your place."
He went past her and picked the other controller.
"Hey, what are you doing!? Leave that alone!"
"I'm just proving your words otherwise."
Neo saved her DLC progress and created a new save file for himself.
Leonora was about to stop him until she saw he understood the know how of gaming.
'Is he angry because I said he couldn't clear the first boss?'
Leonora was exasperated.
She couldn't follow his train of thoughts.
'He was fine when the entire academy was calling him fraud.'
'But he can't stand this?'
Seeing Neo focused on the game, Leonora felt he forgot why he came to meet her for.
"This game is like Elden Ring. It's almost like it's plagiarized." Neo frowned.
"What's Elden Ring?"
"A game," Neo said. "A good game."
Neo did not take long to defeat the first boss.
His control surprised Leonora.
She sat next to him without realizing it and pursed her lips.
"That… that was luck. Besides, I defeated the first boss on my first try too.
"It's the second one where it gets challenging."
Neo scoffed.
He continued to play.
When he died after meeting the second boss, Leonora chuckled.
"See, I told you, you were lucky."
"…"
He chose 'PLAY AGAIN' and went towards the second boss the second time.
It took him five tries to win.
"tsk, I swear it's the controller that I can't—"
Neo, about to give an excuse, noticed Leonora's stunned expression.
"How many tries did you take to clear the second boss…?"
"…"
Her silence spoke plenty.
The corner of Neo's lips rose into a smug grin.
Leonora snatched the controller from his hand and created another save file.
She started the game from the beginning and defeated the second boss in three tries.
"I took three chances," she answered with a smirk.
"If that's how you are going to do this then let's try again."
Neo took one chance to defeat the second boss.
Leonora achieved the same after her next try.
"I defeated the boss faster," Leonora said.
"You must be blind. Should I give you glasses?"
His shamelessness made her grit her teeth.
"There are more bosses. I don't believe you can get lucky enough to defeat them all."
"Just accept it's a skill issue on your part when a newbie can clear the bosses before you."
Both of them were immersed in the game.
Their entire focus was on deciding who was a better gamer.
Sometimes Neo was faster, and sometimes Leonora.
It wasn't until they reached half-way into the game and the doorbell rang that Neo recalled his purpose for visiting Leonora.
"Check the door."
"Why should I? It's your room. Go yourself."
"I'm busy with this boss. It will disturb my concentration if I leave now."
"I wish you were half as good at games at you are with excuses."
Neo shook his head and stood up.
He opened the door and saw Christian.
"…!?"
Christian's brows shot up.
"What are you doing in Miss' room?"
"I was here to ask her join us for the S-rank mission," Neo answered with a yawn.
"This early in the morning? And why… does it look like you've been awake the whole night?"
"What are you talking about? Its afternoon right now…"
Neo stopped speaking when Christian showed him the time.
"It is six o'clock in the morning."
"We've been playing games for the whole day?"
Neo was stunned.
He massaged his eyes and spoke to Christian.
"Why did you come to Leonora's room?"
"I wanted to ask Miss if she would join us on the mission and....
"Is it really true you were just gaming?"
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC99: Calamity-rank Window
"What else would we do?" Neo rolled his eyes. "Come in."
Christian followed him into the room.
"Where is Miss?"
"She is playing the game in the hall…"
There was no one in the wide hall.
He saw Leonora through the open door.
….She was sleeping in her room.
'Is she faking sleep because Christian came? What is he, her mother?'
Neo entered her room.
He was about to wake her up when Christian stopped him.
"It's fine. I'm not blaming you or anything. You are adults. It's not my decision to make your life choices for you."
"I think you are misunderstanding something. She was awake until now—"
"It's okay. I understand."
"You understand nothing.
"I haven't even met her for long. Why do you think anything happened between…"
Neo gave up explaining when he saw Christian's expression.
As if Christian was looking at a kid who was caught while stealing a cookie and was now giving excuses.
'Is this how Amelia felt when I lied about our relationship to brother?'
'Wow, it feels like shit.'
Christian patted Neo's shoulder.
"The mission briefing will start in half hour. Please be there on time."
As soon as he left the room, Leonora raised her head slightly.
"He is gone, right?"
"…"
Neo took a deep breath.
'Don't hit her. Don't hit her.'
He opened her mouth.
"Could you have not done that? He has a stupid misunderstanding now."
"It's fine. Christian has tight lips and even if he spreads the news I'm not bothered by it.'
'But it bothers me!'
If the news of him being in a relationship with Leonora was known, he wouldn't be able to get in an actual relationship!
Fuck.
Neo didn't want to remain a virgin again in this life.
He clicked his tongue.
"Anyway, I need to leave."
"You are leaving…?"
"Yeah, I have to go for an S-rank mission."
He recalled why he came to Leonora's room yesterday.
Before he could ask her, she spoke,
"Will you… come again?"
"huh, what?"
"You haven't completed the game yet."
She pulled her hoodie down and muttered in a barely audible whisper.
"Won't you come again to complete it?"
"N—"
"I'll come to the mission if you play with me again," she spoke hurriedly.
Neo blinked in surprise when he heard her.
Leonora stammered.
She corrected herself quickly.
"I— I mean, I can't have you dying on a mission before you accept I'm a better gamer than you."
"Okay…?"
Neo was stunned.
Wasn't that too easy?
"Give me a few minutes. I'll freshen up before we leave."
"I have to do that too." Neo sniffed himself. "Guess I'll return to my room."
"That will take too much time.
"Do you want to get scolded again for being late? Use one of the bathrooms inside my dorm."
"I don't have clothes—"
"Use mine."
She didn't leave room for negotiations.
Despite being timid, she turned out to be unusually assertive in weird places.
Neo used her place.
Since Leonora did not like showing too much skin, she wore baggy and full-sleeved clothes like pants and shirts, unlike most girls.
They were good enough for Neo to use.
He came out after washing himself.
"I smell like her."
He made an awkward expression and waited for Leonora.
"Aren't you too used to girls?" Paimon suddenly spoke.
"…?"
"That teacher, the lightning girl, and now her. You seem quite experienced despite your age."
"Must be your imagination."
Neo rolled his eyes.
One was a tyrant, another was a crazy bitch who stabbed him with a sword, and the last one lived in a dumpster.
What was 'girly' about them?
Felix had more qualities of a girl than the three of them combined.
"Don't go too deep in denial or you'll drown." Paimon chuckled.
Neo was exasperated at her joke.
Leonora returned after a few minutes.
She wore the usual hoodie and pants to hide every inch of her skin.
"L-let's go."
She walked behind him.
The two were going down the corridor when Neo recalled something.
He stopped.
"Wait a minute."
Neo approached the door next to the stairs.
He rang the bell.
The door opened and Morrigan stood on the other side.
"What?"
"I wanted to ask if you wanted to join—"
Morrigan slammed the door on his face and returned to her room.
Neo was left hanging outside.
He turned to Leonora with an awkward gaze.
"Let's go…"
"Y-yeah."
Thankfully, she didn't laugh at his failed attempt.
They reached the meeting venue.
It was an empty lecture hall.
Students sat in dispersed groups while Charlotte and Elizabeth stood at the podium.
The projector ran behind them.
"One minute before the scheduled time. Should I call you punctual or lazy?" Charlotte asked.
"Punctual, if you please."
"…"
Charlotte was exasperated at his shameless attitude.
"Sit. We'll start the mission briefing now."
She clicked her tongue.
He approached the seats where his team and Arthur's team sat.
Leonora walked a few steps behind him with crouched shoulders.
"…"
Christian noticed Neo wearing Leonora's clothes but he ignored it.
Felix, on the other hand, was staring at his attire with stupefied gaze.
"That's… that's not his?"
Felix closed his mouth before anyone heard him.
He didn't want any rumors to start.
Suddenly, he felt a cold chill on his back.
He noticed Elizabeth staring at Neo and Leonora.
"Neo… Neo…" He whispered. "Get away…"
"Did you say anything?"
Neo sat next to Felix and Leonora sat on the empty seat beside him.
'This idiot.'
Felix covered his face with his palms.
The group was about to start chatting when Charlotte hit the podium.
"Silence.
"Focus on the mission."
Two dolls appeared in the room.
It was as if they were always there.
They distributed documents among the student.
The image on the projector changed.
It showed a torn sky.
Dark rain fell from the crack in the sky.
Beyond the crack, there were countless ruins and shadowy monsters.
"Window #12862.
"This window connects our world to the world of Shadows.
"It opened above Shiria Hills five days ago.
"Due to its current growth rate, its potential has been marked as Calamity-rank."
A heavy silence descended in the room.
Charlotte continued.
"Yes, Calamity-rank.
"Three calamity-rank windows connecting to Shadow World have appeared during the past decade.
"Today all three countries where those windows materialized have become a Graveyard."
Neo pursed his lips.
'So it begins.'
'The mission where everyone but five are fated to die.'
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EXTRA'S DEATH: I AM THE SON OF HADESC100: The Big Four and the Inconsequential Zeroth
'So it begins.'
'The mission where everyone but five are Fated to die.'
Charlotte continued with the briefing.
"The information about Windows and Elemental Dimensions should be known to all of you.
"But I'll explain the basics for those not from God Clans."
Each elemental (the smallest unit of an element) came from a different dimension.
Fire Elemental from the World of Blazing Flames…
Death Elemental from the World of Eternal Death…
These elementals seeped into the real world through 'windows'.
The area around a Window, where multiple dimensions coexisted due to the formation of Window, was called Zone.
There was a lot one could excavate from Zones.
Treasures of elemental planes, rare metals, exotic beasts, elemental Seeds, mythical fruits.
However, Zones were equally dangerous.
If the Window wasn't destroyed, the Elemental Dimensions would invade through them and consume the real world.
"Your mission is to close the Window #12862."
Students gulped.
Windows were not easy to close.
And a Window connecting to World of Treacherous Shadows?
Only those with a death wish would go there.
"I have a question." Arthur raised his hand.
"Speak."
"If the window can become a Calamity-rank window in the future, why are Awakened Demigods like us were selected for this mission?
"Isn't it better to send someone stronger?"
"We can do that and we will do that if you fail the mission."
"Pardon…?"
Arthur's face hardened.
Failing to close the window, especially one of the world of shadows, meant guaranteed death.
No.
Death would be a mercy.
The shadows never killed.
They granted a fate far worse than that.
"Don't misunderstand.
"We aren't forcing you to go on a suicide mission.
"You have the choice to leave if you want.
"However, you will be forfeiting the rewards if you do that."
The briefing continued.
"Now, I'll explain about what you have to do in the S-rank mission.
"While the Zone will be handled by the academy staff, you all will enter the Window to close it.
"Window #12862 has three Corners.
"You will go into the Window, place the stabilizers at the Corners and close the Window through them."
As she spoke, the projector showed different images to give them an idea of what they would face.
No one spoke.
They stared at the screen with bated breaths.
"The Window connecting to the Shadow World will have shadow monsters.
"It's too long to explain so I'll warn you about the most dangerous monsters.
"Your Shadow.
"If you see your Shadow, run."
World of Treacherous Shadow was a unique world among the Elemental Dimensions.
It mirrored — and followed — the real world down to the smallest detail.
Just like how a shadow would.
Every person, every beast, every object had a 'Shadow' that replicated their actions in the Shadow World.
Those Shadows wanted to become 'real'.
If a person was caught by their Shadow, Shadows would take over their bodies and soul, and replace them.
"Never. Try. To. Fight. Your. Shadow."
Charlotte looked them in the eye.
"It's impossible to defeat your Shadow.
"Just run.
"That's all from my side. Professor Anna will distribute the equipment to you."
The briefing ended.
Charlotte left.
Someone exhaled and the tension broke.
"Wow, that's the S-rank mission? It's worse than I thought," Jack commented.
"I'm not worried about encountering my own Shadow. That happens rarely.
"Besides, I'm weak and so will be my Shadow.
"The problem is…"
Felix stopped speaking.
He stared at Arthur, Mars, and Leonora.
"We are dead if a Shadow of anyone among these three appears."
"The Big Four and the Inconsequential Zeroth, huh?" Jack said and suddenly stopped.
He stared at Neo in shock.
"The Inconsequential Zeroth?"
"O-oh, I just remembered I have to go and—"
"The Zeroth… is me, Jack?"
Jack bit his lips.
From how everyone stared at Jack it seemed all of them knew about it and decided to hide it from Neo.
"What's this all about?" Neo asked.
"It's what students have been calling Arthur, Mars, Leonora, Morrigan, and… you."
"I get it why other three are in the Big Four, but why Arthur?"
Neo wasn't as pissed as they had imagined.
Jack let out a sigh of relief and showed him a website on his smartphone.
"It's a site accessible by only academy students.
"Felix has been posting videos of their missions.
"Coupled with Arthur's performance during the ranking tournament, most students think he is on par on Mars and Leonora."
"…"
Neo scrolled through the website.
'Damn, Felix has good editing skills.'
He ignored the rumors about him.
He had more important things to focus on.
Giving a fuck about opinions of students who ranked lower than him was the last thing on his list.
"If all of you are doing wasting your time, follow me to the Zone," Elizabeth said.
The students left the lecture hall.
They went towards the location where the ranking battle took place.
Elizabeth brought them to a hill.
"Wow… That's a Window?"
A crack in the sky, spanning hundreds of meter, looked down from above.
Black rain fell from it.
The forest below was covered in shadows.
Academy staff, wearing special suits, fought the monsters born from the Window's contamination.
The pressure of the Window pressed down on them heavily.
Neo could feel goosebumps rising over his skin.
Elizabeth passed them watches.
"This watch will warn you when your Shadow enters within 100 meter of your range.
"It also shows you the Depth Level.
"Don't go too deep or you might fall into the World of Treacherous Shadows.
"The Corners are located at Depth Level…."
Elizabeth continued to explain.
Neo could not focus on her.
He was staring at the screen before his eyes.
[Quest: Singlehandedly defeat the Shadow of Arthur Kingsley.]
[Reward: Immortal Exp +50, Time Affinity]
[Accept/Refuse]
Neo took in a sharp breath.
The Quest confirmed Arthur's Shadow will be there.
'I have to defeat Arthur's Shadow alone?'
The Quest was impossible for the current him.
However, the reward….
'Time Affinity. I can't give up on it.'
Neo cursed his luck.
He had to make a choice.
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