Neo roamed the campus aimlessly.


    "Should I have given the Trident to Elizabeth before the mission?


    "Maybe I should have sent Sir Sebastian too."


    He could not decide if his choice had been perfect.


    "I sent Elizabeth while she was in her weakest state to make sure the Fate doesn''t retaliate against her.


    "If I had given her too much advantage, the Fate could''ve interfered.


    "But did I make the right choice…."


    He bit his lips.


    Charlotte''s words swirled inside his head.


    ''Elizabeth trusts you. That''s why she put everything on the line for you.''


    His face contorted.


    "Dammit…."


    Neo clenched his fist.


    "Dammit!


    "If only I was strong enough that I didn''t have to depend on others, I wouldn''t have to put Elizabeth''s life on the line like this."


    Neo found himself to be pathetic.


    Even after everything that happened, he would have done the same if he had another chance.


    The Temple of Void was too dangerous to let them grow.


    They had a huge hand in causing the world''s end.


    "Even if a few stragglers are left, the Temple of Void is officially finished."


    Neoughed bitterly.


    He extended the world''s life by a decade in exchange for almost sacrificing the life of someone close to him.


    "Pathetic."


    He was weak.


    That''s why he had to resort to underhanded methods.


    "I have to be stronger."


    His eyes glowed with renewed resolve.


    "Stronger."


    Neo made his choice.


    He would enter Shadow Windows and try to find his Shadow.


    If he didn''t find his Shadow until the day he got his exoskeleton surgery, he would stop looking for his Shadow in the Shadow Windows.


    "It''s time I stop dawdling and enter the World of Shadows."


    He had to take risks if he wanted power.


    …


    Mars'' Private Training Room, Mars Dorm, Demigod Academy


    "Are you sure you want to do this here?" Arthur questioned.


    "Yes."


    Mars nodded.


    "Let''s get over with this quickly and make a n to defeat Neo."


    He stood in the center of the room.


    Jack, Arthur, Felix, Nathan, ra, and Sean were present around him.


    A man, with brown hair and thick limbs, stood near the door.


    "You should do this at your n," Nathan muttered nervously. "They will be able to help you if something goes wrong."


    "It''s fine. The n has sent Uncle here."


    Mars directed his gaze towards the man far from him.


    The others followed his gaze and nodded.


    "I''ll start."


    Mars took out a fist-sized ck box.


    His friends retreated a few steps to give him space.


    He opened the box, revealing a bullet within it.


    "A true soul weapon."


    Jack muttered with aplicated gaze.


    "It feels weird knowing Neo had been carrying something like that around like nothing."


    "Well, he spends millions like it''s nothing."


    Felix shrugged.


    Jack agreed with her with a helpless smile.


    They stopped talking when Mars took out the bullet and held it in his hands.


    Nothing happened.


    A few minutes passed, and Arthur opened his mouth.


    "Maybe you should drop your blood on it to bond with it—"


    Arthur''s mouth mped shut and he covered his ears when suddenly a high-pitched noise screeched.


    The noise wasing from the bullet.


    The screeching increased.


    "It feels like an attack…."


    Arthur clenched his teeth.


    He tried to use his Sound affinity to stop the screeching.


    Felix, the weakest among them, started to bleed from her ears and eyes.


    Arthur was about to help her when she stopped him.


    "H-help Mars. You c-can help meter."


    Felix was on her knees, unable to handle the pressure oozing from the bullet.


    Mars, at the center of the screeching, had his eyes closed.


    His face remained motionless.


    It was as if he was saying an attack of this level was nothing for him.


    The screeching suddenly stopped.


    The bullet shot out of Mars'' hand and flew towards the group at a blinding speed.


    Arthur dodged the bullet at thest second.


    It hit the wall like a cannon and left a deep crater.


    They were shocked, unable to understand what happened.


    "Mars!"


    Jack suddenly shouted.


    He ran towards Mars.


    "Are you okay?"


    "Of… of course…"


    Mars struggled to speak.


    He had grown extremely thin.


    His hollow cheeks and shriveled muscles made him look like he had been starved for a few weeks.


    Blood dripped from his hand.


    His fingers were mangled when the bullet shot out of his grasp.


    Jack supported Mars and helped him sit.


    No one spoke.


    They had grave expressions.


    Jack bandaged and applied medicines to Mars'' damaged arm.


    Mars chuckled when he noticed the despondent atmosphere.


    "It''s fine. There is no need to be shocked like this. I expected something this to happen."


    Their excited expressions from minutes ago were nowhere to be seen.


    "Mars…."


    Felix opened her mouth.


    "Sorry."


    "It''s fine. I told you I never expected much."


    It was clear to them Mars failed to bond with the True Soul Weapon.


    Despite Mars'' calm expression, Felix could see the despair and relief hidden behind his gaze.


    While they were trying to console Mars, the man from Ares n took out the bullet of the wall and ced it back in the ck box.


    Mars called out to him before he could leave the room.


    "Leave the weapon here before you go."


    "…"


    The man turned around.


    "You''ve failed to bond with the weapon, Mars Everhart.


    "Since you lost its ownership, it now belongs to the n."


    "Who ordered you to do this?"


    "...The n Council."


    "Sigh." Mars shook his head. "The n head has given me his word that the weapon belongs to me.


    "You should know what would happen to you if you go against the words of the n head."


    "…"


    The man''s face hardened.


    The fear behind his gaze was evident.


    "The Council won''t be able to protect you," Mars added.


    The man clicked his tongue after minutes of contemtion.


    He left the weapon inside the training ground and left.


    "Please bring that to me," Mars said.


    Arthur picked the ck box with the True Soul Weapon inside it and returned to Mars.


    Mars held the box in his hand.


    "I can''t bond with it."


    He raised his gaze and looked at Felix.


    "So, it''s better for someone else to have this."


    He threw it towards Felix lightly.


    She caught it in her hands, her eyes wide.


    "What are you doing!? You can''t give me something precious like this—"


    "Felix," Mars smiled weakly.


    The blood loss was making his head light.


    "It''s yours now."


    Before Felix could refuse, the box exploded.


    The bullet, as if alive, dug into her hand.


    …


    Floor B-4 Hargraves Mansion


    Neo walked through the white corridors with a tired gaze.


    His clothes were tattered and covered in blood.


    He had been clearing Shadow Windows for thest few days with no sess.